SPD - Spring Valley Nature Center & Heritage Farm

Celebrate the great outdoors and learn about all things dairy every weekend throughout the month of June!

☀️ Stop by the Nature Center to learn how to prepare yourself for summer and learn tips for being safe on the trails! Children can also make a nature journal.

🐄 Enjoy 'udderly' delicious homemade ice cream at Heritage Farm along with fun crafts and activities!

We had a great time at our first Garden to Glass class! 🌿🍹 Be sure to register for our upcoming July and August classes - we'll be making different cocktails each time! https://bit.ly/3LFZtxZ

‼️Volunteers needed for our Monarch Butterfly Release program‼️ Spend an hour or two each week helping to rear monarch butterflies at the Nature Center and assist with our public release programs held each day! 🦋

No prior experience is needed, we'll teach you everything you need to know! Shifts are scheduled each day from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-4 p.m., June 6 until the end of September. 📞 Please call us at 847-985-2100 if you are interested in helping with this popular program.

Join us today from 12 p.m.-3 p.m. for Rhubarb Fest at Heritage Farm! A variety of indulgent sweets will be offered as well as a limited supply of rhubarb plants for purchase in the museum shop! FREE admission for all ages. www.parkfun.com/event/rhubarb-fest

Make Spring Valley a part of your Memorial Day weekend plans! 🇺🇸

🥾 Grounds and trails open daily: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

🍃 Nature Center open daily: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

🏠 Heritage Farm Visitor Center/Museum Store open Wed.-Sun.: 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. CLOSED on Memorial Day.

🐃 Bison's Bluff open daily: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (Play sessions are one hour).

𝗡𝗘𝗪! Spring Valley's Annual & Seasonal Discount Passes can save you and your family money on Bison's Bluff admission, events and program fees! www.parkfun.com/spring-valley/annual-pass ☀️ Our Summer Family Pass includes:

✔️ Free admission to Bison's Bluff and all Spring Valley events from June-Sept.

✔️ Discounts on summer camp and program registrations for any youth, adult or family program offered between June 1 and Sept. 30.

✔️ 4 event guest passes you can share with friends.

We celebrated our last Forest Playschool class of the school year with fun nature-related crafts and activities! We hope all of our students can use everything they've learned to have an amazing summer with lots of outdoor adventures! 🌳🌻⛅

Mix up unique garden-themed cocktails on the farmhouse porch, then wander the farm’s grounds and historic buildings while you sip at our 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 class! 🌿🍹 https://bit.ly/3LFZtxZ

Register for all three dates, or just one — there will be new cocktails each time!

🍹 Wednesday, June 1

🍹 Wednesday, July 6

🍹 Wednesday, Aug. 3

It is with great sadness that we share the news that one of Spring Valley’s longest serving volunteers has passed away recently. Lynn Eikenbary began volunteering with the Spring Valley Nature Club prior to the Park District opening Spring Valley in 1983.

Lynn was a physical education teacher with District 54 for many years, was a recipient of the Nature Club’s Ellsworth Meineke Award in 1988, served on the Nature Club’s board of directors and as Club President for several years in the 1990s, and was the Village of Schaumburg’s Volunteer of the Year in 2015. She assisted with virtually every aspect of Spring Valley’s operations over the years and was a passionate birdwatcher and amateur naturalist. She was a great friend to Spring Valley and a friend to many staff and volunteers. She will be sorely missed. ❤️

Meet Frieda and Wolfgang! 🐮 We're so happy to have cows back at the farm! Grounds are open daily from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. - stop by and say hello! 👋

Spring Valley staff have been visiting the District's KASPER sites throughout the last few weeks to bring the kids a fun nature experience! 🐔🐸

6-year-old suburban boy finds new family for motherless baby bird

We love it when people (especially kids!) look out for our wildlife friends! Way to go, Hawk! 👏🏼

6-year-old suburban boy finds new family for motherless baby bird A motherless baby bird is home with a new family thanks to the quick-thinking of a six-year-old kid.

Reminder‼ The pre-order deadline for heirloom vegetables and herbs is May 9! 🍅 Items can also be purchased at Spring Valley May 21-22. www.parkfun.com/event/native-plant-heirloom-vegetable-sale

Learn about wildflowers and rhubarb at the Nature Center and Heritage Farm throughout the month of May!

🌸 Stop by the Nature Center to learn about the anatomy of a flower, how to identify woodland wildflowers and even make a free flower craft to take home!

🌱 Learn about rhubarb, a unique culinary plant, at Heritage Farm! We will have cooking demonstrations and activities in the farmhouse and specialty food items will be for sale in the Museum Shop.

FREE Family Pop-up Tomorrow: Presto Pesto!

Drop in at Merkle Cabin to learn about invasive garlic mustard and go home with a delicious pesto recipe that you can use for dinner this weekend!

🆓 Free program for all ages

🕓 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (Drop in anytime)

📍 Merkle Cabin, a 10 minute walk from the Nature Center parking lot

For more information, call 847-985-2100.

Check out all of the fun programs and events taking place at Spring Valley this summer! ☀️ 🌻 Resident registration is available now. Non-resident registration begins May 11.

😎 Our online Summer Program Guide is now available! Resident registration is available now. Non-resident registration begins May 11. 😎 View the guide here: https://adobe.ly/3FghMbJ

Introduce your little one to life on the farm at our 𝗟𝗶𝗹' 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 class! 🚜🐷🐔 Each week we'll learn something new about the farm and all its animal friends, while playing games, making crafts, doing chores and getting dirty! Class is for ages 3-5 with an adult. https://bit.ly/3LGOeX7

Please Note: Due to inclement weather, Walpurgis Night has been canceled.
⛈

👀 Keep an eye out for all of Spring Valley's summer programs and events in Schaumburg Park District's Summer Program Guide! ☀️

‼️SAVE THE DATE‼️ Our Summer Program Guide will be available online beginning May 4! Resident registration will be available immediately. Non-resident registration begins May 11.

Happy ! 🌳🌲 Celebrate the beauty and importance of trees on a walk throughout Spring Valley! Our trails offer 135 acres of fields, forests, marshes and streams (open daily, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.).

We are looking to plant 150,000 trees with our partners Kimberly-Clark this . That’s a lot of trees. But how will these trees make a difference? Check it out, these 150,000 trees will:

☁Sequester carbon
☀Mitigate heat
🌲Restore our nation’s forests
💚Provide jobs and livelihoods around the world

Help us make this a reality when you post on social media using the hashtag . It's as easy as sharing this post and including . Planting trees has never been so easy

LAST CHANCE to order native shrubs, wildflowers and grasses! 🌻 Pre-orders for native plants must be placed by April 29. www.parkfun.com/event/native-plant-heirloom-vegetable-sale

🍅 Heirloom vegetables and herbs can be pre-ordered through May 9, or purchased at Spring Valley May 21-22.

Rain no problem at Schaumburg Earth Day Party

"But the ideal that we encourage people to strive for is Earth Day every day. It's important to think about protecting the environment every day of the year, not just once a year." Well said, Dave Brooks! 🌎♻️

Rain no problem at Schaumburg Earth Day Party Sometimes Mother Earth doesn't want to cooperate with a celebration held in her honor. But that was just fine Sunday in Schaumburg, where the park district's Earth Day Party moved indoors at the Spring Valley Nature Center.

Earth Day party held at Schaumburg forest preserve

Did you catch Spring Valley and our very own Dave Brooks on the news today?! 📺 Thanks to WGN TV for doing a special feature on our Earth Day Party! 🌎🎉

Earth Day party held at Schaumburg forest preserve SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The rain didn’t stop an Earth Day party at a nature preserve in Schaumburg. Composting, seed bombs and words filled the atmosphere at Spring Valley Nature Center and Sanctu…

Happy ! 🌎🌳♻️🌷 Join us this Sunday from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. for our Earth Day Party!

Plus, learn more about all the ways that YOU can help invest in our planet at earthday.org.

Happy ! 🌎🌳♻️🌷 Deepen your connection to the Earth with fun games and demonstrations, and learn how you can live more sustainably at our Earth Day Party this Sunday at Spring Valley!

Pigs are back at Heritage Farm! 🐷 It will take them a little while to get used to their new home, so you may not see them out and about until they're brave enough to come outside and explore!

Stop by our 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 this Saturday, April 23 from 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Celebrate the spring weather and find out what plants are springing to life or blooming! 🌿☀️ This is a free, drop-in event for all ages.

We are SO thankful for all of our Spring Valley volunteers. Happy !

Happy to all of our wonderful volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to improving the quality of life in our community! Whether it be by helping at special events, joining in conservation efforts, or cleaning the chicken coop at Spring Valley...we appreciate everything you do! THANK YOU! 👏

Have you always wanted to start a veggie and herb garden, but weren't sure where to start? Join us for our new adult 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀! 🌱

The April session will explore which plants are appropriate for our zone, which are easy/fussy to grow, which will take over and which give you the biggest bang for your buck! The second session in May will explore tips and tricks for success in direct seeding, plant spacing for a bountiful harvest and more! https://bit.ly/3uGZWuy

Sunset Fire and Picnic on the Prairie is canceled due to the weather. The rain this week has made it too wet to do all the necessary prep work to safely conduct the burn. All registrants will receive a refund. Please call 847-985-2100 if you have any questions. We hope to host the event next year!

Our Heritage Farm Museum Store & Historic Farmhouse will reopen for the season this Friday! Hours will be Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 🥚🥕 The Museum Store will be stocked with farm fresh eggs, organic vegetable seeds, maple syrup, handmade goodies and more!

Our cattle and hogs are expected to return once our pastures dry out and our fields take on a greener color. 🐮🐷 Look out for them in mid-April (we'll be sure to announce their arrival)!

In honor of our last , here are a few fun facts!

🦋 When monarch caterpillars eat milkweed leaves, they collect toxins that are produced by the plant which remain in the body after they transform into a butterfly. This provides protection from birds and other predators.

🌾 Fibers extracted from the milkweed plant can be used to manufacture paper, while the milky sap can be used to make rubber. Native Americans used fibers from the stem of milkweed to make ropes and twine.

🌱 Milkweed ‘silks’ (the floofy bits attached to the seeds) were used as stuffing for floatation devices in the USA during the WWII as well as to make pillows.

⌛ Milkweed can survive 2 to 25 years in the wild, depending on the species and environmental conditions.