Fall Concert on the Deck featuring Mark Reed & Waddy– Saturday, Oct. 13
The Byron Forest Preserve District will be hosting a free Saturday night fall Concert on the Deck at the Jarrett Prairie Center Museum featuring Mark Reed & Waddy on Oct. 13 from 6-8 p.m. at 7992 North River Road in Byron. Enjoy live acoustic light rock and blues on the preserve’s new 2,600 square foot prairie overlook deck while watching the sun set over the 400 acre Jarrett Prairie Nature Preserve. The national award winning Jarrett Prairie Center Museum will be open for viewing and a cash bar will be available. For more information call the Byron Forest Preserve District at 815 234-8535, Ext. 200 or visit their website at www.byronforestpreserve.com.
Byron Forest Preserve to offer Bald Hill Prairie Preserve Big Tree Tour on Saturday, Oct. 13
The Byron Forest Preserve District will be offering a free guided tour of the Bald Hill Prairie Preserve in Mount Morris on Saturday, Oct. 13 starting at 9am. If you have never had the chance to see Bald Hill Prairie Preserve or cannot make the half mile trail walk to see the Big Tree Champion then sign up for this tour. Byron Forest Preserve District staff will drive around the preserve for a tour of this beautiful new preserve. Due to the steep terrain and type of vehicles used, this tour is not suitable for people who depend on the use of a wheelchair, however. Advance registration is required by Wednesday, October 10 by calling the Byron Forest Preserve offices at 815 234-8535, Ext. 200. The tour will meet at Bald Hill Prairie Preserve parking lot located at 5502 North Silver Creek Road in Mount Morris.
How to Fix a Broken Oak Savanna – Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 4:30 p.m.
In celebration of Illinois Oak Tree Awareness Month (Oaktober) join Byron Forest Preserve District Restoration Specialist, Greg Keilback and Superintendent of Education, Mark Herman for a free guided tour of the Jarrett Prairie Nature Preserve’s recent oak savanna restoration project on Wednesday, Oct. 17 beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Jarrett Prairie Center located at 7993 North River Road in Byron. Last winter the Byron Forest Preserve District Restoration Department along with volunteers from the Middle Rock Conservation Partners took on a special project to restore an old oak savanna and removed several acres of thick, overgrown, invasive bushes and trees and followed up with spring herbicides and controlled burns. Now, eight months later the results have been dramatic. A variety of native oak savanna plant and animal species have returned to the area that include shooting stars and red headed woodpeckers. For more information regarding the tour call the Byron Forest Preserve District at 815 234-8535, Ext. 217.
