The Kane County Forest Preserve District will hold a series of free walks beginning next month focusing on spring ephemerals, a group of transient plants that take advantage of the open canopy of woodlands, district officials said.
The Ephemeral Wildflower Series will begin with a program on skunk cabbage, one of the earliest spring wildflowers, according to the district.
Participants can join a district naturalist in a search for skunk cabbage from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Mach 22, at Camp Tomo Chi-Chi Knolls, 40W095 Freeman Road in Gilberts.
A hike through the woods to look for spring wildflowers will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 6, at Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve, 35W076 Villa Maria Road in St. Charles.
The final event in the series will be the Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 12, at Burnidge Forest Preserve, 14N035 Coombs Road in Elgin.
The programs are for all ages, officials said. Advance registration is required. To register, go to www.kaneforest.com/register, call 630-444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com.
To view a full roster of Forest Preserve District of Kane County programs, go to www.kaneforest.com or find the district on social media by searching @forestpreserve.
Line dancing class offered for seniors
Aurora Senior Services is offering line dancing classes for seniors 60 years old and older every Monday at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center at 2111 Plum St. in Aurora.
Participants will learn various dances including the cupid shuffle, electric slide and others, organizers said.
The program cost is $2 a class. Advance registration is not required.
For more information, call Paul Heinkel or Amanda Creighton of Senior Services at 630-897-4035.
IMSA student earns Eagle Scout designation
Neel Shanbhag, a sophomore at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, recently was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout after spending 70 service hours improving the Sai Samsthan Temple in Aurora.
Shanbhag, 16, who participates with Boy Scout Troop 849, was inspired to help the temple where he attended Sunday classes.
The Aurora resident said that he had recently visited the temple and believed the doors to the rooms needed to be updated.
“The plan was for a few Scouts and me to replace the six old and damaged one-panel doors with new six-panel doors,” he said in a statement. “The aesthetic of the temple changed as now it looks more appealing and heart-warming.”
He received his Eagle rank during his board of review on Jan. 27.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts program. Students can earn the rank after completing a comprehensive community service project.
DuPage receives grant for green analysis, upgrades
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded DuPage County a grant of nearly $450,000 for clean energy and energy efficient programs, county officials announced.
Funded through the federal $20.5 million Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, the funding will be used to make green upgrades to the county’s government campus in Wheaton, including two electric vehicle charging ports to accommodate four cars outside the 505 Judicial Office facility.
It will also pay for more solar panels on the roof of the 421 Administration Building and LED light upgrades campus-wide as well as for a workforce analysis to identify supply and demand for clean energy-related jobs and to provide clean energy-related job training based on the analysis’ findings, officials said.
