The annual WinterFest at Volo Bog, set for Jan. 12, 2020, offers indoor and outdoor activities that get families walking, listening to bluegrass music and admiring nature photos.
With plenty of snow, attendees can participate in a snow sculpting contest, cross-country ski or snow shoeing. Whatever the weather, visitors can take outdoor tours to learn about the natural area’s unique history as well as discover where animals have been by overnight by viewing tracks in the snow or mud.
“You can tell where the rabbits have been hanging out and if a coyote has been out looking for the rabbits,” for example, said Stacy Iwanicki, natural resources coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which owns and manages Volo Bog.
Though the boardwalk to the center of the bog is in disrepair, bog tours will still be held. “We will be doing truncated bog tours out to the marsh,” Iwanicki said. Friends of Volo Bog are working to find a way to get the part of the boardwalk that leads to the bog’s center repaired.
After a brisk walk or ski, visitors can warm up indoors while walking through a gallery of the annual people’s choice photo contest. Voting is open until Jan. 10 — and awards will be given out during Winter Fest.
“We always have amazing images and this year we had 169 entries from 21 photographers,” Iwanicki said. “We haven’t had that many in years.”
Prizes will be given in eight categories: color plants, beyond the Midwest, black and white, color landscape, color birds, color invertebrates, color vertebrates and human/nature interface.
Visitors can also listen to music, participate in crafts and view nature exhibits during WinterFest. Hot chocolate and other snacks will be sold.
Iwanicki selects different musicians for each WinterFest. Over the years, performers have included a singer/songwriter who performs music derived from the Native Americans, a bluegrass band and a banjo player. This year, River Valley Rangers, a bluegrass band that has performed throughout the Midwest, will play from 1:30 to 4 p.m. indoors at the nature center.
Volo Bog is a national natural landmark, an Illinois nature preserve, and the only quaking bog in Illinois. It consists of more than 1,100 acres of marshes, prairies, woodlands and trails.
“We have a globe showing pins on every continent where people live who have come to visit the bog,” Iwanicki said. “We’re very proud of that. This is a unique ecosystem and it draws people literally from all over the world.”
WinterFest
When: Noon-4 p.m. Jan. 12
Where: Volo Bog State Natural Area, 28478 Brandenburg Road, Ingleside
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Tickets: Suggested donation: $5 adults, children free
Information: 815-344-1294; friendsofvolobog.org
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.