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JANUARY
Monday, January 16, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY OF SERVICE AND BRUSH PILE BURNING AT BEAVER LAKE NATURE PRESERVE
This event is hosted by the Indiana DNR in partnership with Friends of the Sands. Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day together with DNR staff and volunteers at Beaver Lake Nature Preserve. The group will be dragging cut brush into a pile and burning to make way for more prairie plants in the year ahead. For more information, including the meeting location, RSVP to Gus Nyberg at nyberggus@gmail.com.
Saturday, January, 21, 12:30 – 3:30 pm, BRUSHCUTTING WORKDAY AT KANKAKEE SANDS
This event is hosted by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with Friends of the Sands. Join Kankakee Sands staff for an afternoon of removing small trees and shrubs growing in the prairies of Kankakee Sands. We’ll discuss the work to be done, how it effects that larger picture of prairie diversity that we strive for, enjoy warm drinks and finish in good time for the Owl Prowl later that same day. Staff may be using brush cutters and/or chainsaws. Volunteers have the option of using loppers cut small saplings, using hand-held herbicide wicking wands to treat cut stumps, and/or dragging cut brush into piles. Meet at the Kankakee Sands Office at 3294 N US 41, Morocco, IN. We will carpool the work location. Please RSVP! Contact Olivia Schouten at Olivia.schouten@tnc.org or 641-629-0175.
Saturday, January 21, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. – KANKAKEE SANDS OWL PROWL
Join two bird-watching enthusiasts, Barb Lucas and Jeanette Jaskula, to search for owls at dusk. We may also see other winter raptors, such as Northern Harriers and Rough-legged Hawks. Dress warmly and bring binoculars. Meet at The Nature Conservancy’s office (3294 N US 41, Morocco, IN) for a short introduction to owls before carpooling to a few parking areas for owl-viewing. Please RSVP! Contact Jeanette Jaskula (jmjaskula@yahoo.com, 219-869-1004).
FEBRUARY
Wednesday, February 8, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – BRUSH PILE BURNING AT BEAVER LAKE NATURE PRESERVE
This event is hosted by the Indiana DNR in partnership with Friends of the Sands. Join together with DNR staff and volunteers at Beaver Lake Nature Preserve for a day of dragging cut brush to a brush pile. We’ll be kept warm by the small fire and make the prairie a better place by making way for more wildflowers in the spring ahead. For more information, including meeting location, RSVP to Gus Nyberg (nyberggus@gmail.com).
Thursday, February 9, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – FRIENDS OF THE SANDS GREENHOUSE WORKDAY AND POTLUCK LUNCH
It’s seed-sowing time! Help Friends of the Sands sow native plant seeds that we will grow out for our Native Plant Sale in May. It may be cold outside, but we’ll gather in the warmth of the greenhouse for sowing and a potluck lunch. Feel free to bring a dish to share with the group. Meet at the Kankakee Sands Native Plant Nursery (1492 W 250 N, Morocco, IN). Please RSVP! Contact Jeanette Jaskula (jmjaskula@yahoo.com, 219-869-1004).
Wednesday, February 22, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – BRUSH PILE BURNING AT BEAVER LAKE NATURE PRESERVE
This event is hosted by the Indiana DNR in partnership with Friends of the Sands. Join together with DNR staff and volunteers at Beaver Lake Nature Preserve for a day of dragging cut brush to a brush pile. We’ll be kept warm by the small fire and make the prairie a better place by making way for more wildflowers in the spring ahead. For more information, including meeting location, RSVP to Gus Nyberg (nyberggus@gmail.com).
MARCH
Tuesday, March 7, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. – CONRAD BY MOONLIGHT
Join local historian, Mary Kay Emmrich, for a full moon stroll among the majestic oaks of Conrad Station Savanna. We’ll make our way to the foundation of the old hotel in the ghost town of Conrad and learn about the town’s matriarch, Jennie M. Conrad. You will have the option to continue on the loop trail or return to the parking lot. Children and families are especially welcome. Bring a flashlight. Meet at the Conrad Station Savanna parking area located on CR 725 N, a half mile east of US 41. Please RSVP! Contact Jeanette Jaskula (jmjaskula@yahoo.com, 219-869-1004).
Saturday, March 11, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – TNC KANKAKEE SANDS GREENHOUSE WORKDAY
Come spend a morning in the warm and cozy greenhouse transplanting tender seedlings into individual pots. This event is very family-friendly! Meet at the Kankakee Sands Nursery at 1492 W CR 250 N, Morocco, IN. Please RSVP! Contact Alyssa Nyberg (anyberg@tnc.org, 219-866-1706).
Monday, March 20, 2023, 4:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – WATERFOWL MIGRATION HIKE AT LASALLE FISH AND WILDLIFE AREA
Celebrate the spring equinox with a waterfowl hike at LaSalle FWA. The group hopes to see migrating ducks and possibly pelicans as they walk the trail. There will be spotting scopes to share, but please bring binoculars or a spotting scope if you have one. This event is hosted by the DNR in partnership with Friends of the Sands. Meet at 4:45 pm at the headquarters for LaSalle FWA at 4752 W 1050 N, Lake Village, IN. The group will then carpool to the Area 3 parking area. For more information and to RSVP, contact Gus Nyberg at nyberggus@gmail.com.
Saturday, March 25, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – FRIENDS OF THE SANDS GREENHOUSE WORKDAY
The seeds Friends of the Sands sowed in February for our Native Plant Sale are now ready to transplant. Come spend a morning in the warm and cozy greenhouse transplanting tender seedlings into individual pots. This event is very family friendly. Meet at the Kankakee Sands Nursery (1492 W CR 250 N, Morocco, IN). Please RSVP! Contact Jeanette Jaskula (jmjaskula@yahoo.com, 219-869-1004).
APRIL
Wednesday, April 5, 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. – WOODCOCK WALK
Come experience a harbinger of spring, the call of our paradoxical upland shorebird: the American woodcock. We will discuss a little of the biology of this unusual bird while we stalk a calling male in the prairie. Stalking will be off trail, so please bring appropriate foot-wear. Please RSVP to Gus Nyberg (nyberggus@gmail.com) to learn the meeting location.
Saturday, April 8, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – TNC KANKAKEE SANDS GREENHOUSE WORKDAY
Come spend a morning in the warm and cozy greenhouse transplanting tender seedlings into individual pots. This event is very family friendly! Meet at the Kankakee Sands Nursery at 1492 W CR 250 N, Morocco, IN. Please RSVP! Contact Alyssa Nyberg (anyberg@tnc.org, 219-866-1706).
April 13, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – CREATING BEAUTY WITH A NATIVE PLANT GARDEN
Are you interested in gardening with native plants, but don’t know where to begin? Join Friends of the Sands President, Jeanette Jaskula, for an introduction to native wildflowers and grasses for your home. Learn the benefits of native plants, how to choose the right species, and how to prepare your yard for them. Whether you’re looking to remove portions of your lawn or add native plants to your existing garden beds, Jeanette will show how to create a vibrant, beautiful landscape not only for your family, but also butterflies, bees, birds, and more. Attendees will also learn about the Friends of the Sands Native Plant Sale coming in May and how to pre-order plants. This talk is sponsored by Newton County Public Library, Friends of the Sands, and The Nature Conservancy. Register by visiting the Lake Village Memorial Township Library (9444 N 315 W, Lake Village, IN), calling 219-992-3490, or online.
Saturday, April 22, 8:00 – 9:00 am – YOGA ON THE PRAIRIE
Join Friends of the Sands and The Nature Conservancy for an all-levels adult Yoga on the Prairie series focused on the foundations of body alignment and awareness. No experience needed. Dates for the series are all Saturdays: April 22, May 27, June 24, July 22, August 26. Come for one session or for all! Please bring your yoga mat and be ready to stretch. Your instructor is Colleen Edmonson. She has practiced yoga for the past decade and earned an yoga instruction certificate from PureLightYoga Academy. She’s been teaching yoga since 2019. Colleen has been teaching 6th grade in Bourbonnais, IL for the past 13 years. Meet at the Nature Conservancy’s plant nursery at Kankakee Sands (1492 W 250 N, Morocco, IN, across the street from North Newton High School). In the event of inclement weather, Colleen will notify attendees of cancellation. Please RSVP to her at colleen.m.edmonson@gmail.com.
Saturday, April 29, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. – iNATURALIST NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT AT KANKAKEE SANDS
This event is hosted by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with Friends of the Sands. Join Kankakee Sands Site Manager, Trevor Edmonson, for an introduction to iNaturalist and the City Nature Challenge, followed by a Nature Scavenger Hunt at Kankakee Sands. We will make a meandering, easy, slow-paced hike to look at insects, plants, fungi, and birds. We will use the iNaturalist app to help identify the species we find and also upload the observations to the iNaturalist City Nature Challenge page. We have set a goal of making 50 observations on iNaturalist on our scavenger hunt. Bring your smartphone/devices with the free iNaturalist app downloaded. We’ll meet at the Kankakee Sands office at 3294 N US 41, Morocco, IN and then carpool to the hiking location. Please RSVP to Trevor Edmonson at trevor.edmonson@tnc.org.
MAY
Wednesday, May 17, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm – WILD LUPINES ON THE GRACE TENINGA TRAIL
Join Gus Nyberg and Dan Childs for a hike on the Grace Teninga Trail to view wild lupines and other blooming wildflowers. Learn about the unique flora as you walk to the dune top and back, taking in sweeping views of what was once Beaver Lake. Local author, Dan Childs, will offer his beautiful book, A Prairie View, for sale at the end of the hike. A Prairie View is a pictorial guide to Midwestern prairie wildflowers and grasses and many of his photos in the book were taken at the Grace Teninga Trail! This event is hosted by Friends of the Sands in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. Meet at the Grace Teninga Trail (CR 600 N., 0.5 miles east of the intersection of CR 200 W and CR 600 N, in Lake Village, IN). Please RSVP to Gus Nyberg (nyberggus@gmail.com).
Saturday, May 27, 8:00 – 9:00 am – YOGA ON THE PRAIRIE
Join Friends of the Sands and The Nature Conservancy for an all-levels adult Yoga on the Prairie series focused on the foundations of body alignment and awareness. No experience needed. Dates for the series are all Saturdays: April 22, May 27, June 24, July 22, August 26. Come for one session or for all! Please bring your yoga mat and be ready to stretch. Your instructor is Colleen Edmonson. She has practiced yoga for the past decade and earned an yoga instruction certificate from PureLightYoga Academy. She’s been teaching yoga since 2019. Colleen has been teaching 6th grade in Bourbonnais, IL for the past 13 years. Meet at the Nature Conservancy’s plant nursery at Kankakee Sands (1492 W 250 N, Morocco, IN, across the street from North Newton High School). In the event of inclement weather, Colleen will notify attendees of cancellation. Please RSVP to her at colleen.m.edmonson@gmail.com.
Saturday, May 28, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – NATIVE PLANT SALE PICK-UP
Turn in your order form by Friday, May 12 for pick-up of native plants on Saturday, May 28. Extra plants not sold in our pre-order sale will be available for browsing, so stop by and visit us! We’ll be at Kankakee Sands Native Plant Nursery (1492 W 250 N, Morocco, IN). Contact Jeanette Jaskula (jmjaskula@yahoo.com, 219-869-1004) for more information.
JUNE
Saturday, June 24, 8:00 – 9:00 am – YOGA ON THE PRAIRIE
Join Friends of the Sands and The Nature Conservancy for an all-levels adult Yoga on the Prairie series focused on the foundations of body alignment and awareness. No experience needed. Dates for the series are all Saturdays: April 22, May 27, June 24, July 22, August 26. Come for one session or for all! Please bring your yoga mat and be ready to stretch. Your instructor is Colleen Edmonson. She has practiced yoga for the past decade and earned an yoga instruction certificate from PureLightYoga Academy. She’s been teaching yoga since 2019. Colleen has been teaching 6th grade in Bourbonnais, IL for the past 13 years. Meet at the Nature Conservancy’s plant nursery at Kankakee Sands (1492 W 250 N, Morocco, IN, across the street from North Newton High School). In the event of inclement weather, Colleen will notify attendees of cancellation. Please RSVP to her at colleen.m.edmonson@gmail.com.
JULY
Saturday, July 22, 8:00 – 9:00 am – YOGA ON THE PRAIRIE
Join Friends of the Sands and The Nature Conservancy for an all-levels adult Yoga on the Prairie series focused on the foundations of body alignment and awareness. No experience needed. Dates for the series are all Saturdays: April 22, May 27, June 24, July 22, August 26. Come for one session or for all! Please bring your yoga mat and be ready to stretch. Your instructor is Colleen Edmonson. She has practiced yoga for the past decade and earned an yoga instruction certificate from PureLightYoga Academy. She’s been teaching yoga since 2019. Colleen has been teaching 6th grade in Bourbonnais, IL for the past 13 years. Meet at the Nature Conservancy’s plant nursery at Kankakee Sands (1492 W 250 N, Morocco, IN, across the street from North Newton High School). In the event of inclement weather, Colleen will notify attendees of cancellation. Please RSVP to her at colleen.m.edmonson@gmail.com.
AUGUST
Saturday, August 26, 8:00 – 9:00 am – YOGA ON THE PRAIRIE
Join Friends of the Sands and The Nature Conservancy for an all-levels adult Yoga on the Prairie series focused on the foundations of body alignment and awareness. No experience needed. Dates for the series are all Saturdays: April 22, May 27, June 24, July 22, August 26. Come for one session or for all! Please bring your yoga mat and be ready to stretch. Your instructor is Colleen Edmonson. She has practiced yoga for the past decade and earned an yoga instruction certificate from PureLightYoga Academy. She’s been teaching yoga since 2019. Colleen has been teaching 6th grade in Bourbonnais, IL for the past 13 years. Meet at the Nature Conservancy’s plant nursery at Kankakee Sands (1492 W 250 N, Morocco, IN, across the street from North Newton High School). In the event of inclement weather, Colleen will notify attendees of cancellation. Please RSVP to her at colleen.m.edmonson@gmail.com.
SEPTEMBER
Friends of the Sands 