Community Calendar

Happy National Trails Day!
To celebrate National Trails Day, join a BCCD environmental educator and bike park of the Long Prairie Trail*! We will start at the County Line Road Trail Head parking lot, stop in Capron for a break and a treat, and then head back. Total trip mileage is 4-5 miles. This program is perfect for families and those who want an introduction to the Long Prairie Trail, but all are welcome! Those that want a longer bike ride are welcome to join us and then continue along the path!

Registration is required. To register, email dgrelecki@bccdil.org or call 8155477935.
Bikes and equipment are NOT provided. Helmets are required.

*The Long Prairie Trail is a 14.2 mile multi-recreational path that spans east to west across northern Boone County.

Join Severson Dells Nature Center for these family-friendly, open-house style events. Each month will have a different nature theme full of hands-on, minds-on activities for guests of all ages to participate in. In June learn all about the magnificent star that keeps us all alive through experiments, sun printing and more.

The Forest City Rainbow Chorus invites you to join us for our annual Pride Concert, "Through the Fire, We Persist!" Featuring popular music from Broadway, folk, gospel, and more! Event is free and open to the public; free-will donations appreciated.

Drop in to learn how you can contribute to science and document wildlife in our prairie! Open to all ages, participants may monitor our monarch population, check the snake boards, learn to identify plants, and get inspired by the majestic midwest prairie ecosystem.

RSVP online to receive a reminder email and updates on what’s blooming in our prairie.

Step back into the 18th century and try a hands-on craft rooted in early American life. The program begins with a short introduction to historical samplers — what they were, who made them, and what they reveal about everyday life in colonial America. Young people once stitched samplers to practice needlework and demonstrate skill, and the pieces they left behind remain some of the most personal records of early American girlhood we have.

Afterward, participants will create their own burlap sampler using simple embroidery techniques inspired by that tradition. As part of the America250 commemoration, this program invites you to explore history through making. Free and open to the public. Recommended for ages 10 and up. All materials provided.

Join us for this engaging presentation shining a light on the groundbreaking women who helped shape our understanding of Earth's ancient past. Through compelling stories and remarkable discoveries, explore how Mary Anning, Mary Ann Mantell, and Sue Hendrickson overcame barriers, made world-changing contributions, and forever altered the field of paleontology. Educational, inspiring, and accessible for all ages, this is a fresh look at the often-overlooked pioneers behind some of history's greatest fossil discoveries.

Presented by Anderson Taylor, a dinosaur enthusiast, young historian, and founder and curator of the Cambridge Natural History Museum in Cambridge, Illinois. In August 2024, at just nine years old, he turned a lifelong passion for prehistoric life into a real museum — a space where curiosity, science, and imagination come together. With a simple mission to show people of all ages that science is fun, fascinating, and full of adventure, Anderson champions the real scientists, especially women, whose discoveries made history.
This program is free and open to the public.

Before smartphones and darkrooms, there was sunlight. Join us for a hands-on introduction to cyanotype printing — a technique invented in 1842 and used by Anna Atkins, considered the first woman photographer, to create botanical images still held in museum collections today. Participants will watch a short video from the Victoria and Albert Museum, then make their own prints using cyanotype paper, natural objects, and the sun. Free and open to the public. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Engage your senses with story time, a craft and a nature activity designed for younger children and their families. Each participant leaves with a free book.

Our summer story time with the South Beloit Public Library returns! Join us on Friday mornings for reading and activity time under our cottonwood tree. This series will introduce our local plant and animal friends to help build nature vocabulary, as well as American Sign Language vocabulary. Recommended for children ages 2-6, siblings welcome.

Please register in advance because space is limited. Thanks to support from the Judith H. Adams Fund for the purpose of nature literacy, we are able to offer this program series for free.

Do your kids need something positive, fun, and engaging this summer? 4-H staff, McHenry County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom teachers, and 4-H Ambassadors are offering a summer 4-H club experience that introduces youth to a variety of exciting 4-H project areas in a relaxed, summer setting.

What Will Youth Explore?

This summer club provides a glimpse into the 4-H program and encourages independent learning through engaging, hands-on activities:
Agriculture Adventures:
McHenry County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom instructors will share a short lesson and activity each session.
Outdoor Exploration:
Learn about birds, reptiles, mammals, and insects through games and hands-on experiences.
STEM Challenges:
Explore science, technology, engineering, and math with fun problem-solving activities.
Cultural & Creative Arts:
Express creativity through art and cultural activities.
Promoting Self-Care:
Emphasis on social-emotional health and proper nutrition.