Community Calendar

Please join us for a free, guided field trip around Boone County to learn about the landscapes, geologic history, and water resources. Hosted by scientists from the Illinois State Geological Survey (University of Illinois, Prairie Research Institute) who are mapping the geology and water resources of Boone County using new airborne technology.

Details:

Host: Illinois State Geological Survey
Date: Monday, November 17, 2025 (raindate: Friday, November 21, 2025)
Time: 9:00-2:00 PM
Meeting Location: Spencer Conservation Area Pavilion located at 1121 N Appleton Road
Format: 15-passenger van and carpool
Bring: Weather appropriate clothes, comfortable shoes, sack lunch
RSVP: jthomaso@illinois.edu by Monday, November 10
*This field trip will be capped at 30 participants – if there is enough interest, we will host another field trip in the spring.

Collaborating organizations: Boone County Conservation District, Northern Regional Groundwater Protection Planning Committee, Boone County Board.

Improve your knowledge of English and become more comfortable speaking in everyday situations. Practice basic English grammar concepts in conversation, learning how to ask and answer questions, expanding your vocabulary, and learning to understand the sounds of spoken English.

This class is intended for adult participants at a low intermediate level of speaking English or higher, but all are welcome to attend.

On September 2 this class will be held in the Bilder Family Meeting Room.

This program requires registration. There will be limited seats for unregistered patrons.

For more information or to register, please contact Britta at brittak@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2100.

The Underground Railroad has a rich history in Illinois, and in the Midwest in general. Join students from Northern Illinois University as they discuss their research about the regional aspects of the Underground Railroad.

This program is free and does not require registration. It is intended for teens and adults.

For more information, please contact Britta at brittak@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 2100.

Join Nellie Bly at the US Embassy in Paris in February 1919. The Great War has ended, and Nellie recounts her adventures as a reporter, in the US, Mexico and as a war correspondent, as she awaits permission to return to the US. Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), this pioneer of investigative journalism is better known by her nom de plume,"Nellie Bly". Bly spent a day in Woodstock in 1895 visiting Eugene V Debs. This is a living history program presented by actress Debra Ann Miller.

Join us Friday mornings this fall for an informal crafting get-together at the Pick Museum. Try the week’s featured activity, bring your own project, or use the supplies provided to do your own thing. Drop in and leave as you need.

This is a great time to meet other crafters, try something new, and decompress before the weekend.

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram (@pickmuseumniu) for a preview of the week's featured activity.

Join the BCCD for a morning of giving back to nature as we prepare native seeds we collected for winter seeding projects! No experience in necessary – we provide the tools and instruction! Registration is required. Register by emailing dgrelecki@gmail.com or calling the office at 815-547-7935.

Party like a Viking at the library’s Norse winter festival! Listen to an epic story about Vikings, create your own Viking gear, and compete in games of skill and daring. Then, stomp and roar with our Viking clan as we raid the library for treasure.

This program is intended for ages 4-12, but all ages are welcome. Younger children will need an adult to assist.

This program will occur twice on November 22, at 11:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m.

Please arrive early as seating is limited. No registration is required.

For additional information please contact Stormy at stormye@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 3310.

Award-winning singer/songwriter Barry Cloyd portrays Joseph Henry Monroe, one of the only drummer boys who actually survived the Civil War. Monroe was the first one to enlist in the war from his small town in Iowa (he was 12 years old) and went on to fight in more than 27 major battles including Shiloh, Corinth, Sherman's “March to the Sea” and others. As there were more than 2,000 songs written about the war during that period, the arc of the war is presented through the music, most of it penned by the soldiers themselves.

Barry has performed this piece many times at a variety of venues including many libraries, several Chatauquas, and The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield. Also included are two original songs that tell the story of The Drummer Boy as a set up to the rest of the story.

This event is free and open to all. No registration is required.

For additional information, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.

Take a golden hour mindfulness walk at The Confluence with Jessie Crow Mermel during the most magical time of day. Quiet your mind and open your senses to the sights, sounds, fragrances, and textures all around. Take time to connect with the land, the waters, the creatures of The Confluence, and with our own inner nature. No experience necessary. This relaxing walk is best suited to folks ages 10 and up. Space is limited to 16 participants, please reigster in advance

The Whiteside Forum has invited one of our favorite speakers, Norm Moline, Professor Emeritus at Augustana College, on Sunday November 23, 2025 to present "Central Asia: From the Ancient Silk Road to the 21st Century" starting at 2:00pm. We will meet at our customary location in the Community Room of the Odell Public Library, 307 S. Madison St. Morrison, IL, and all are welcome to attend this free event.

Prof. Moline will review the history, current situation and physical geography, which includes some of the world's highest mountains, vast grasslands, and deserts, of this crucial and fascinating place. Please join us as we explore this exotic corner of the world, a crossroads of trade and cultures, more familiar to us since the war in Afghanistan, and ask your questions.

For more information about this event or The Whiteside Forum you can contact Marc Adami by email at marcadami53@gmail.com or text 815-718-5347. All Forum events are free and open to the public.

Contact info:

Marc Adami

300 N. Jackson St.

Morrison, IL 61270

C. 815-718-5347

E. marcadami53@gmail.com

The Whiteside Forum, established in 1985, is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit community group which sponsors presentations and discussions of issues of importance and interest to the public. Issues chosen for conferences have an international dimension as well as local interest and importance. The organization is supported entirely by individual, special and business contributions and all events are free and open to the public.