Visit www.parkfun.com and take our Spring Valley Program Survey.

InsideWhere in the World is Schaumburg? Pt. 2 ........6Spring Valley General Information ...................10Volunteer News ContentsHelping Hands Ad ................................................7

Volunteer Calendar .......................................... 8-9A Rising Tide of Grass ........................................2The Long Way to America ...................................3What’s Happenin’ ............................................. 4-5Meet Our Summer Interns...................................5

In this issue... An important part of understanding the place you live in is knowing where you came from. This issue of the Natural En-quirer has a very Euro-centric theme, and while not all residents of the northwest suburbs trace their family history back to Europe, that part of the world has had an undeniably oversized influence on our culture and the way we relate to land. This theme has been explored in previous issues and articles, but in this issue we look at the importance that grasses, particu-larly imported grasses, have on our landscape and on our culture. We also look at a chapter of Euro-American immigrant history that most people have likely never heard about. Although the history books (and History Channel programs) are filled with dramatic tales of triumph and tragedy, history is filled with many more obscure, little-known stories of migrations, relocations, and local triumphs and tragedies. As we hear in the 2nd installment of a German travelogue, often the best way to learn these stories is to travel abroad and hear them directly from the people still living in these places. One is always struck by the connections to our own history. The world has always been a global community, with an infinite number of very diverse yet interrelated parts.

Natural EnquirerNewsle t te r fo r Spr ing Va l l ey Suppor te rs and Vo lun tee rs vo l . 2 no .4 • J u ly /A ug . ‘ 11

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In some sense, the American fondness for lawns is appropriate, consider-ing that early civilizations sprouted in grasslands, so to speak. Two-thirds of the world’s major food crops are grass-es—wheat, corn, barley, oats, rice, rye, millet, and sugar cane, to name several. Bamboo, another grass, is used for food and building materials in parts of Asia. Even people with a carnivorous diet are merely eating animal flesh built from grass and/or grains which the cow, pig, or chicken ate. The world we know today would not exist without grasses. They cover nearly one-third of the earth’s continents and approximately one-half of the United States. The grass family (Poaceae) contains the third largest number of species of any plant family. The Chicago area has well over 100 varieties. One of the unique characteristics of grasses is that they grow from the ground up rather than from the tips of their stems like most other plants. Grasses can be browsed repeatedly, and yet will con-tinue to grow upward from their base. This explains why lawns need cutting so often. Here in Illinois, our grassland legacy is well established. Dozens of varieties of native perennial grasses populated the prairie landscape throughout the Midwest. Adapted to cold winters, occasional droughts, and regular wildfires, prairie grasses formed the foundation of a stable and di-verse ecosystem that supported hundreds of wildflowers, im-mense herds of grazing animals, and many Native American cultures for thousands of years. Although the prairies are mostly gone today, one of

our dominant agricultural crops—corn—is a grass.Corn was the first non-na-tive grass to be introduced to the Midwest, arriving in Illinois via trade between native people a little over 1,000 years ago. It had been bred selectively from teosinte, a wild grass, 7,000 years ago by the In-dians of Central America.Unlike most other grasses, which are perennials, corn is an annual. It invests an entire sea-son’s growth in its starchy seed kernels rather than developing an extensive long-lived root structure. In fact, all of our domestic grains are grasses that have sacrificed longevity, via selection by humans, for large nutrient-rich seeds.The most common grass in the eastern states is Ken-tucky bluegrass, a low grow-ing, cool-season, sod form-ing perennial. Most lawn seed mixes today in- clude other grasses such as creep-ing red fescue and perennial rye, added for texture and shade-to ler- ance. Each of

these grasses and the lawns

themselves are European in origin. Ameri-can aristo-crats, such as George Washing-ton and

Thomas Jefferson, like their European brethren, used sheep to maintain the

lawns near their estates. When people’s sensibili-ties changed and livestock around their homes were considered offensive, flocks of scythe-wielding workers were employed to keep the grass mowed. The reel mower was not developed until the 19th century. In America, lawns were a rarity until the latter part of the 19th century, and even then, were only present near the homes of

wealthier people who could afford main-taining one. The lawn has always been a status symbol in America, an attempt by newly successful people to imitate the aristocratic landscapes of Europe.Since most lawn grasses are not well adapted to hot dry summers or bone-chilling cold winters, a lawn in the Mid-west and many other parts of America

requires varying degrees of life support (happily provided by the multi-billion dol-lar lawn care industry and the homeown-ers who, happily or not, purchase these products and services). The ubiquitous presence of lawns in climates unsuitable for them is a testament to how firmly the lawn has become entrenched in our culture and our own sense of what a landscape should look like.Slowly over the past few decades, a counter-culture lawn movement has gained momentum in many areas of the country. Shaggy lawns sporting color-ful native grasses and wildflowers are slowly coming into favor among people with ecological sensibilities (who prob-ably harbor a secret desire to flout the established suburban paradigm). These lawns not only save the cost of fuel, watering, and pesticides, but they free up Saturday afternoons and provide a home on the range for many of the na-tive grasses that were driven out of their former haunts by generations of farmers and new homeowners. Hopefully, this tide too will continue to rise.

Our world is filled by a rising tide of grass! While many suburbanites might take this as a reminder to mow the lawn this weekend, the reference is broader than that. Grasses dominate our landscape and permeate every aspect of our lives whether you live in Illinois, Arizona, Germany, or China.

A Rising Tide of Grass by Dave Brooks

Teosinte

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The immigrants were lured by the prom-ise of freedom: to be able to lead their lives without the constant intrusion of war, to freely practice their religions, and above all, by the promise of free land to till. With all their belongings piled into ox-drawn wagons, they arrived at their promised land, which consisted of unend-ing miles of treeless plains. Hunkered down in mean dug-outs, the pioneers put up with numbing winter cold, raiding outlaws, bands of savages, and packs of starving wolves. The scene, however, is not the 1880s American West. It is 1765 and the locale is the bleak steppe of Russia. In time, these people would be known as the Volga Deutsch and eventu-ally some of their luckier descendents would complete their trek to homes in America.The saga started when a brilliant and ambitious person seized the Russian throne thru marriage, intrigue, and mur-der. Today, we know her as Catherine the Great. She was in fact a German whose original name was Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst. When Russia warred with the Turks and won a sizable chunk of territory along the lower Volga River, she determined that her “landtsmen” would be perfect settlers; hard work and husbandry be-ing their hallmark. They would also act as unwitting buf-fers against the nomadic peoples that were perpetually in motion in the region north of the Caspian Sea. A manifesto was issued and soon thousands were flocking to Russia, pri-marily from areas that were devastated in the recent “Seven Years War”. From the independent principalities of Bavaria, Saxony, Baden, Hesse, the Palatinate, and the Rhineland they came, walking to ports on the Baltic Sea. From there they were transported by ship to the headwa-ters of the Volga, whose southern flow brought them to the doorstep of their new land. Along with promises of freedom, they were granted perpetual immunity from military conscription, a status espe-

cially appreciated by the Hes-sians, whose ruler had turned im-pressment into big business. To each family was allotted 80 acres of land, huge when compared to the generationally subdivided plots in the old country. Eventu-ally the stream of people grew so large that the various German states passed laws stopping this exodus; but, by then, some 30,000 had made the journey.During their first years, the pioneers harvested only sub-sistence crops as they learned how to cultivate the fertile yet moisture chal-lenged soils of the steppe, which were protected by a thick layer of sod. They replaced the crude Russian iron-tipped wooden plows, provided by Catherine’s planners, with moldboard plowshares. When used singly or in pairs, they could penetrate deeper and turn larger tracts of the heavy sod. Instead of available native ponies, many colonists became adept at breeding superior draft horses to pull the tillage equipment. As the colonies and villages spread out on both sides of the Volga River, they were raided by nomad-ic tribes, such as the Kalmuks and the Kirghiz, who considered the area to be

their grazing and hunting grounds. Gangs of robbers and pillaging Cossack rebels completed the litany of difficulties. In the space of 100 years, the colony grew to over 238,000 and their farms were models of productivity to all native Russians. The expanding population was shunted into satellite colonies located in less fertile areas where the climate was

even more arid. Pressure for the need to emigrate to a new location increased when xenophobic feelings within the surrounding Russian popula-tion were com-bined with new laws passed by the govern-ment eroding the

original promises made by Catherine. In 1870, the Deutsch were given 10 years to accept military conscription or leave. Scouts were sent out and America was discov-ered to be the answer to their problem. Of prime importance were not only the personal freedoms that America offered, but also the avail-ability of land due to the Homestead Act of 1862. About 100,000 immigrated by

1900, initially to Kansas and Ne-braska. From there they dispersed throughout the west and to here in Illinois, intermingling with the Eu-ropean Germans. They excelled in dryland farming, which they had practiced for years. They brought with them quantities of Turkey red wheat, which was to become the famous Kansas hard red winter wheat whose propagation spread throughout the continent. Other Volga Deutsch made new lives in the cities with Chicago contain-ing the largest number of them in North America. Some notable

descendents include Sen. Tom Das-chle, Lawrence Welk, Angie Dickenson (Brown), and John Denver (Duchendorf). Our Volga Deutsch were the lucky ones. Collectively accused of collaboration during World War II, the ones who stayed behind in Russia were all deported to Ka-zakhstan by the communist government, never to return.

The Long Way to America by Walter Plinske

Catherine the Great

General Route from Germany to Russian Homelands

Cossack

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Click on program/icon for information and to register online.**To register online you must have a current SPD account with assigned PIN number. To create a new account, visit the

registration desk at the CRC and verify residency. Non-residents may call Spring Valley to set up an account.

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ADULT/TEENGerman Beer BrewingSaturday, July 16 • 6:00-9:00PFriday, Aug. 26 • 7:00-10:00PQuench your thirst and learn the age old art of beer brewing German style!

Nature’s Night Life - ADULTS ONLY!Friday, July 15 • 8:00-10:00PStart your weekend with a relaxing and enlightening evening walk at Spring Valley.

Landscaping with Native PlantsSaturday, July 16 • 9AM-12PMDiscover the beauty and environmental benefits of using native plants in home landscaping. Register through Harper College or call 847/925-6707. Class held at Spring Valley. Course: LLG 0062

No Recipe RequiredSaturday, Aug. 27 • 3:00-6:00PSpend time in the kitchen creating recipes with the freshest ingredients.

ALL AgESFree - Heaven’s WatchJuly 23 • 9:00-11:00P .......Aquila & CygnusAug. 20 • 8:30-10:30P .......NeptuneJoin Chicago Astronomical Society as they set their telescopes for a peek at the night skies.

Just DessertsSunday, July 24 • 10:00A-12:00PHelp gather wild blackberries to make a cobbler and cook it in a Dutch oven over a campfire.

Free - Neighborhood Nature AreasFriday, July 15 • 7:00-8:30PPark St. Claire Conservation AreaDiscover Schaumburg’s hidden jewels, find out what lives there and how these areas are man-aged for the benefit of all.

Spring Valley Walking ClubMonday, June 6 - Aug. 15 • 3:30-4:00PWednesday, June 8 - Aug. 17 • 12:15-12:45PFriday, June 10 - Aug. 19 • 7:00-7:30PSaturday, June 11 - Aug. 20 • 7:30-8:00AEnjoy animal sightings and beautiful flowers as you walk our extensive network of trails.

Sundown Supper on the FarmFriday, July 8 • 6:00-9:00PSaturday, July 30 • 4:30-7:30PSaturday, Aug. 20 • 4:30-7:30PAfter helping with evening chores and making supper, you’ll get a chance to watch the sunset.

Turtle TracksSaturday, Aug. 27 • 10:00-11:30ASee how many turtles you can find and discover how close you can get to them before they dive into the water.

Up and At’em Animal ChoresSaturday, July 23 • 7:30-9:00ASunday, Aug. 7 • 7:30-9:00AMilk cows, feed the livestock and enjoy a light breakfast.

Teacher’s Workshop: Insect Lights in the Night, Songs in the Prairie • For Pre K-8 teachersFriday, July 22, 4:30-10:00P and Saturday, July 23, 8:30A-4:30PDiscover the exciting world of insects. Spend the evening with poetry, songs and crafts, a night hike and a pond dip. $140 (National-Louis or Aurora University graduate credit available. CPS Lane credit or 15 CPDUs available)

Additional workshops are being developed. For up-to-date information, visit www.parkfun.com/Facilities/SpringValley.aspx.

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FAMILYThe following programs have a special family rate. By registering ONE child, it is assumed that a minimum of two people (one adult and child) or a maximum of four people are attending. Do NOT register additional people, they may pay on the day of the program.

Campfire Sing-Along and Star-gazingFriday, Aug. 12 • 8:30-10:00PLearn new songs, sing some old ones, play games, listen to a story and end the evening with s’mores.

Family Camp Out at Spring ValleySaturday, July 16 • 4:00P-10:00APack up the kids, your tent and sleeping bags for a family camp out at Spring Valley.

Firefly FandangoSaturday, July 9 • 8:30-9:30PWitness one of nature’s marvels as the summer sun sets on Spring Valley’s prairies and woods.

Spring Valley Super StarsSaturday, Aug. 6 • 8:00-9:30PStar gazing is for all ages! Learn Greek mythol-ogy, play some games and become experts on at least three constellations.

Cooking at the CabinFriday, July 15 • 5:00-7:00PTry your hand at cooking over an open wood fire, then eat your results.

Fairytales and Bedtime StoriesFriday, July 15 • 6:00-7:00PSaturday, Aug. 13 • 6:00-7:00PBring your child to the farm in their favorite pajamas, enjoy timeless tales and partake in old-fashioned cookies before bedtime.

Hopper HangoutSaturday, Aug. 27 • 12:00-1:30PThere are so many hoppers and each type sings, buzzes or chirps differently.

Lights in the NightFriday, July 15 • 7:30-9:00PFireflies are one of the most fascinating insects of summer. Find out how their bodies are set aglow and what that flash of light means.

Summer Camps at Spring Valley

It’s not too late to sign up! Spring Valley offers a variety of environmental and historic summer camps (full and half-day) for children 5-15 years old.For more information, call 847/985-2100 or click here.

YOUTHA Buzz about BeesSaturday, July 9 • 10:30A-12:00PFind out what the buzz is all about and explore the lives of bees through games, crafts and a hike.

Budding ArtistsSaturday, Aug. 13 • 10:00A-12:00PJoin fellow novice artists studying the work of George Stewart then go on a hike to create a beautiful work of art.

Meet Our Summer InternsEver since I was a kid, I have always loved the outdoors. I looked at it as one giant playground and would always get lost because of my adventurous tendencies. My parents were not too thrilled about this, but I loved climbing trees and hiding in bushes. I have always loved learning new things and about different cultures. Soccer was

a big part of my life in high school and this has continued through college. Currently, I am a senior at Illinois State University studying Geography and Environmental Stud-ies. I aspire to help people, and plan on doing something related to consulting or philanthropy.-- Ryan Weaver

I am originally from Mt. Prospect and am a recent graduate of Illinois State University. I enjoy learning about nature and history, and I love spending time with my family and friends. In my free time I enjoy hik-ing, camping, and doing just about anything outdoors. Aside from that, I also enjoy reading and cooking. In the future, I aspire to work with GIS.

-- Elisabeth Schneider

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amples of the many different kinds of wheat and oats they grew. After going through the room it became very ap-parent that settlers to Schaumburg, IL, brought their culture and agriculture with them to settle their new lands. While they changed some aspects to adapt to their new environ-ment, their core culture was still the same as what I saw at that museum and what they left behind.There was a celebration taking place at the Heimatmuseum Auetal museum for May Day which is the German Labor Day and a public holiday. Most busi-nesses, banks, and municipal offices close for the day. The night before May Day is also celebrated throughout the country. Walpurgis Night, as is it called, is filled with traditional celebrations through Germany. It is a night for brou-haha, dances, and partying. Many fes-tivities include bonfires, maypoles, and a motto of ‘Tanz in den Mai!’ (“Dance into

May!”). At Heimatmuseum Auetal there was a maypole on dis-play and beer and bratwurst for sale as snacks. My first bratwurst in Germany was eaten in the local manner; without a bun and served on a tray with mustard. I promptly asked for ketchup, which to my

chagrin did not taste much like Heinz 57. Once again, I have run out of room. I will write again soon to tell you about

the other museums I visited, as well as how I met the Pied Piper of Hamlin and toured the town dedicated to Baron Von Munch-hausen! If you would like to learn more about the Heimatmuseum Auetal museum and are able to read German, you can visit their website at www.heimatmuseum-auetal.de.

It has been a year since I was in Ger-many. I can’t believe that much time has passed. Just the other day the Germans from the District of Schaumburg visited the farm with the Sister City group to learn a little about our history. The visit made me remember my own experience reminding me of what it was like to be in their shoes in a foreign country. The jetlag came back to me first, as well as how tired I was the first few days. Then I remembered the whirlwind schedule we kept, all the pictures I took, and how excited I was to see everything! History was all around me; ancient and rich. As I mentioned in my previous article about Schaumburg, Germany (see Sept/Oct, 2010), while staying over-seas I had the pleasure of staying with Heinrich and Brigitte Wallenstein. Heinrich, a longstanding member of the Schaumburg German-American Society (the equivalent of our Sister City group), is related to Spring Valley’s historic farm families—the Boegers and the Redeck-ers. I found this fascinating! Learning of Heinrich’s ancestry brought home the reality that the settlers of Schaumburg, IL, had a past. They had somewhere they came from and friends and family they left behind.One of the first nights I stayed with the Wallensteins, we discussed the his-tory of both Schaumburgs until almost midnight. We were so wrapped up in history that I could not help but show them the Schaumburg Township District Library website. We found first-hand accounts of what Schaumburg, IL, was like before it be-came the booming town it is today. If you are also interested in learning more from first-hand accounts, visit the Schaumburg Township District Library at http://archives.stdl.org/digi-talarchive/digitalarchive.asp .We also touched upon the history of languages, High German verses Low German and how different the language of our settlers was from what is spoken in Germany today. Heinrich explained to me that when Fritz Nerge, credited for naming Schaumburg, IL, “hit the table

Where in the World is Schaumburg? Part 2 by Patricia Kennedy Green

with the firmness of an old German sol-dier and shouted, ‘Schaumburg fchall et heiten!’” he was speaking Low German. This also means that the descendents of these settlers would have grown up learning this same Low German. Hein-rich mentioned that he and some of the older generations throughout their district are the only ones who can under-stand this dying version of the German language.

The Wallensteins took me many places during my stay. One was to a local

cultural museum, Heimatmuseum Auetal, in the small town of Auetal. The museum was origi-nally a school house and still has a historic classroom that local

children visit on fieldtrips. In addition to the classroom, there are other rooms through-

out the building; each devoted to the cul-tural aspects shared throughout the district. Another room was devoted to historic grain production. It was amazing to see the familiar flax rippling comb on display since grain and flax are part our programming here on the farm.

The exhibit contained pic-tures of wom-en dressed in folk outfits working flax and of work-ers out in the fields. There were also ex-

Heimatmuseum Auetal

Maypole

Wheat and oats

Supplies for processing flax

Woman working flax fiber

Author in the historic classroom

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Dates to Remember• Sat., July 9 .............................8-10am

Animal Care Meeting• Mon., July 11 ..........................1-4pm

Handy Crafters Meeting• Tues., May 12 ........................6-8pm

Animal Care Meeting• Sat., July 23 ...........................Cancelled

Conservation Workday• Fri., Aug. 5 .............................5:30pm-9pm

Volunteer Picnic• Mon., Aug. 15.........................1-4pm

Handy Crafters Meeting

Volunteer News

Pats on the back to the following volunteers...• Deanna Bruckner, Lynn Eikenbary, Barb Mitchell, Donna

Turner, and Carolyn White for assisting with Chef’s Fest.• Lynn Eikenbary, Venus gintowt, Diane Shore, and

Carolyn White for helping with the spring Green Thumbs school programs.

• gail Ameer, Jerry Brandes, Lynn Eikenbary, Dick and Nancy Ruffolo, Carol Thomas, and Angela Waidanz for assisting with the various bird counts.

• Janet Bedsole, Lynn Eikenbary, Jean Havlir, Penny Perles, Leo Salais, and Carolyn White for assisting with the spring Mighty Acorns programs.

• Dean Bruckner for his attention to the peony beds in preparation for Peonies A’Plenty.

• Bill Bailey, george Bailey, Victor Franks, Pete gigous, Ken Ogorzalek, and Tom Popek for their ongoing weekly maintenance assistance.

• Pat Campbell, Eve Carter, Barb Dochterman, Arthur Jeczala, Melina Lynch, and Joan Vodraska for their continuing clerical support.

Welcome New Volunteers…• Ann Scacco

August 4 Pat Campbell 5 Dan Gryzik 8 Janet Bedsole Karen DeMay 9 Shirley Turpin 12 Bill Bailey 14 Carolyn White Diane Shore Robin Clark 16 Adam Poniatowski

18 Janet Kraus 19 Nara Sethuraman 22 Kristi Overgaard 26 Carol Anagnostopoulos 28 Pete Justen 30 Nancy Filo 31 Doug Vito Nancy Schaefer

Happy Birthday to…July 1 Ron Haskell Shari Rosenquist 4 Elsie Sears 5 Tony Coonrod 8 Tammy Terwelp 13 Andy Caccavari 17 Barb Royce 18 Laurie Tatom Deb Hernandez

18 Mary Matz 21 Donna Turner Tina Rokoszewski 25 Joe Vito 26 Tom Poklen 27 Nancy Fallen 29 Elsie Magnussen

It’s Picnic Time!Mark your calendars for Friday, Aug. 5 and plan to join us at this year’s Volunteer Family Picnic. Bring a fam-ily member or friend to join in the fun. We’ll provide all the fixins’, just bring your appetite! The picnic is co-sponsored by the Spring Valley Nature Club which will present its Ellsworth Meineke Award to a deserv-ing club member and/or volunteer. Invitations will go in the mail in July.

Did you know you were automatically enrolled in the Helping Hands Mileage Club? This program offers registered volunteers an opportunity to redeem points for Park District related rewards. For every hour of volunteer service you give to Spring Valley you earn one point. Points accumulate for one year and may be redeemed at any time up to your anniversary date. Your anniversary date is determined by the month in which you first posted volunteer hours at Spring Valley. Points do not carry over year-to-year so be sure to redeem them before they expire. Have questions about the program or when your anniversary date is? Contact Judy Vito for further explanation.

Congratulations to Jeanette Klodzen for winning an award from The Butterfly Monitoring Network for “Excellent Data Collection for the 2010 Season”.

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Farm Houes: Tue-Fri 9am-2pm • saT/sun 10am-4pm

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•SV Walking Club 7pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30am

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•Sundown Supper on the Farm 4pm

•SV Walking Club 7pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30amAnimal Care Meeting 8am•A Buzz About Bees 10:30am

•Firefly Fandango 8:30pm

•SV Walking Club 12:15pm•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•Cooking at the Cabin 5pm•Fairytales & Bedtime Stories 6pm

•SV Walking Club 7pm•Lights in the Night 7:30pm•Nature’s Night Life 8pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30am•Landscaping with Native Plants 9am•Family Camp Out 4pm

•German Beer Brewing 6pm

•Yoga for Kids 11am Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm

•SV Walking Club 3:30pm

•SV Walking Club 12:15pm

Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm

•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

Animal Care Meeting 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•SV Walking Club 7pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30am•Up and At’Em 9am

•Heaven’s Watch 9pm

•SV Walking Club 3:30pm •SV Walking Club 12:15pm•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•SV Walking Club 7pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30am•Sundown Supper on the Farm 4:30pm

•Just Desserts 10am•Yoga for Kids 11am

•SV Walking Club 3:30pm •SV Walking Club 12:15pm•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

Independence Day

•1880s Venture Camp 9:30am•Safari Adventure 9:30amT-F •Weaving the Web of Life 9:30am

•Summer Science Camp 9:30am•Victorian Finishing School 9:45am•Chores and Chortles Mini 10am

•Ponds, Puddles and Play 9:15am•Skills for Outdoor Survival 9:15amM-F •Valley Ventures 9:15am

•Chores and Chortles 9:30am•Historic Foodways 9:45am•Valley Ventures Half Day Camp 10am

•Animal Crackers Mini 10am•Farmer Boot Camp 2:30pm

•Wee Sprouts 9am•Pioneer Adventures 9:30am M-F •Animal Crackers 9:30am

•Chores and Chortles Mini 9:45am•Rock Hounds 10am•Adventures in Anthropology 10am

•Wee Sprouts 12:30pm•Hoot ‘n Howl Adventure 7:15pm

•1880s Venture Camp 9:15am•Victorian Finishing School 9:30amM-F •Historian’s Apprentice 9:45am

•Bugs ‘n Books 10am •Crafty Kids 10am•Half Day Bug Camp 10am

•Outdoor Play 10am•Insect Mania 1pm

•Bones 1pm

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Bold indicates volunteer activitiesItalics indicates programs which may be taken as complimentary by volunteersSee “What’s Happening” for program descriptions

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

Volunteer Picnic 5:30pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30am

•Spring Valley Super Stars 8pm

•SV Walking Club 3:30pm •SV Walking Club 12:15pm•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•SV Walking Club 7pm•Campfire Sing-Along & Star Gazing 8:30pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30am•Budding Artists 10am

•Fairytales and Bedtime Stories 6pm

•Up and At’em 7:30am •SV Walking Club 3:30pm •SV Walking Club 12:15pm

Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm

•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•SV Walking Club 7pm

•SV Walking Club 7:30am•Sundown Supper on the Farm 4:30pm

•Heaven’s Watch 8:30pm

Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm•SV Walking Club 3:30pm

•SV Walking Club 12:15pm•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•German Beer Brewing 7pm

•Turtle Tracks 10am•Hopper Hangout 12pm•No Recipe Required 3pm

•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

•Gardener’s Delight 3:45pm

Volunteer Meeting 6:30pm

•Valley Ventures 9:15am•Chores and Chortles 9:30amM-F •Animal Crackers Mini 9:45am

•Historic Foodways Mini 10am•Valley Ventures Half Day Camp 10am•Sounds are Alive 1pm

•Farmer Boot Camp 2:30pm•Hoot ‘n Howl Adventure 7:15pm

•Wee Sprouts 9:15am•Chores and Chortles 9:30amM-F •Fossil Frenzy 9:30am

•Historic Foodways 9:45am•Campfire Cooking 10am•Nature Quest 1pm

S p r i n g V a l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 1

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SCHAUMBURg PARK DISTRICT WEBSITE: www.parkfun.com

E-MAIL: springvalley@parkfun.com

MEMBER:

Vera Meineke Nature CenterThe earth-sheltered visitor center provides an introduction to Spring Val-ley’s 135 acres of restored prairies, woodlands and wetlands and three miles of trails. The center contains natural history exhibits that change seasonally, a demonstration Backyard for Wildlife, an observation tower, classrooms, an extensive library, gift sales area and restrooms.

Volkening Heritage FarmStep back into the past for a look at Schaumburg as it was in the 1880s – a rural German farm community. Help with seasonal farm chores, participate in family activities and games of the 1880s, or simply visit the livestock and soak in the quiet. Authentically dressed interpreters will welcome and share activities with visitors throughout the site.

Spring Valley is a refuge of 135 acres of fields, forests, marshes and streams with over three miles of handicapped-accessible trails, a museum featuring natural history displays and information, and an 1880s living-history farm. Spring Valley is open to the general public. Admission is free.

Vera Meineke Nature Center

Volkening Heritage Farm

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Environmental Outreach ProgramWe’ll bring our outreach program to your site. Topics include forests, worms, spiders, mammals, owls, food chains, food webs, wetlands, and the water cycle. Students will participate in hands-on activities, songs, and games. Topics may be adapted to students in grades one through six, and are correlated with Illinois State Standards.

Programs at Spring ValleySchool, Scout and adult groups are encouraged to take ad-vantage of Spring Valley’s Environmental Education Program. Programs change seasonally and are geared for specific age groups. Correlations to the state standards and activity sheets are available on the SPD website, www.parkfun.com.Learn local history with a visit to the Heritage Farm. Elementary and high school students recreate farm life in the 1880s with Hands on History; second graders experience it through Heritage Quest. Children from the age of four through second grade will learn about food farmers and farm animals in Farms and Foods.

Scout BadgesWe offer many opportunities for scouts. Our programs will help with your badge, pin or patch requirements. Call for more information or stop in for a brochure.

SCHAUMBURg PARK DISTRICTBOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:Mike DanielsSharon DiMariaDavid JohnsonGeorge LongmeyerBob Schmidt

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:Jean Schlinkmann

SPRINg VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT:Spring Valley’s mission is to educate area residents regarding the natural and cultural history of the Schaumburg area and how people have and continue to interact with and upon the landscape.

Spring Valley • Schaumburg Park District • 1111 East Schaumburg Road • Schaumburg, Illinois 60194 • 847/985-2100

NATURAL ENqUIRER STAFF:Mary RiceEditorJudy VitoVolunteer CoordinatorDavid Brooks“In this Issue...”Scott StomporGraphic Artist

Spring Valley Birthday PartiesLooking for a unique, fun, and educational venue for your child’s birthday? Spring Valley is the answer! Two party themes are avail-able. A hayride can be added for an extra fee. Call Spring Valley for more information.

Spring Valley Firepit and Shelter RentalsMake your next scout group, business or family gathering something special! Spring Valley offers the use of a picnic shelter and fire pit in a wooded setting near the Merkle Log Cabin. Use of the site includes firewood, trash/recycling receptacles and benches, as well as picnic tables. No alcohol or amplified music permitted. Restrooms are available at the Heritage Farm or Nature Center, a 5–10 minute walk. The adjacent Merkle Log Cabin contains a restroom and may be rented for additional fees.

Hourly use fees:Residents: .............$25 Civic groups: ..............................$25Non-residents: ......$40 Corporate/business groups: ......$55

HOURSNature Center grounds & Trails ..............Open Daily ..............8AM-5PMVolkening Heritage Farm grounds .........Closed .....................Dec.1-March 1

NATURE CENTER/MUSEUM HOURS:Year Round ............Daily* .........9AM-5PM

FARM INTERPRETIVE PROgRAM HOURS:Nov. - March ...........Open for Special EventsApril 1 - Oct. 31 ......Sat/Sun ......10AM-4PM Tue-Fri .......9AM-2PM Mon ...........Buildings Closed

*All facilities closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are held rain or shine.

Participants should dress appropriately for weather conditions.