Forest Preserve District Offers Programs On Composting, More

WILL COUNTY, IL — The Will County Forest Preserve District will continue with its virtual programming this week. Tune in for some nature education and entertainment from the comfort of your home during the state’s coronavirus-related stay-at-home order.

The live programs will air on the Facebook page. Online viewers will be able to ask questions by posting Facebook comments. The 45-minute Facebook Live sessions scheduled for the week of May 18 are:

Crash Course on Composting: 12 p.m., Tuesday, May 19

Spring is the perfect time to start a compost pile and, with this online program, interpretive naturalist Kate Caldwell will set you on the correct path to turning food waste into nutrient-rich black gold.

"What I hope people will get out of it is: If you want to compost, you can," she said. "No matter where you live, you can compost!"

Bird Feeders 101: 12 p.m., Wednesday, May 20
Interpretive naturalist Bob Bryerton will provide a quick primer on the various types of bird feeders and seed mixtures you should be using to attract the birds you want. He'll also be covering some dos and don'ts to ensure you're doing all the right things.

"Different types of seeds can attract specific species of birds," Bryerton explained. "Also, the type of feeder and feeder placement can affect which birds will show up in your yard."

Fur Trade Living: 12 p.m., Thursday, May 21
Discover how the Potawatomi and the French both benefited from the fur trade, what it would take to be a voyageur, and what drew the French to Illinois Country in the first place. Interpretive naturalist Sara Russell will be on hand showing off many items in the Forest Preserve's collection, laying out what life looked like in the 1750s.

"Everyone thinks that our history started with the pioneers in the 1800s," Russell said. "But it’s just not true. In the 1700s this was Potawatomi homeland and at the same time the French claimed it as their own. The two cultures interacted through trade.”

Weather could postpone some of these virtual programs, but they will be rescheduled if possible and new dates and times will be published on the district's website.