The second annual Prairie Fest, hosted by the Glenview Park District was held on Saturday at the Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie & Tyner Interpretive Center, offering families a free day of discovery.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors gathered for educational and interactive activities and family-friendly fun, to learn more about the prairie during the fall months, and to uncover what’s being done in Glenview to preserve this natural habitat, through trail walks, guest speakers and interaction with outside nature experts.
“The Prairie looks its best in the fall, when everything comes alive and native plants are at their peak, with the early autumn blooms of August and September,” Glenview Park District, environmental education supervisor, Judy Picicco said.
“This is also the time of year that seeds develop and native plants bear fruit, and animals feed off them,” Picicco added.
According to Picicco, Prairie Fest was started last year with a grant from the Judy Beck Foundation enabling the Glenview Park District to offer family craft activities at the event for free and to create the signage and advertising for the new event last year.
This year’s activities included a Touch/feel table inviting visitors to investigate the types of animals that can be found on the prairie and an Augmented Reality Sand table offering a real time demonstration on how topography and water flow affect the natural landscape.
“Family fun crafts included build a birdhouse where visitors could decorate a small wooden birdhouse to take home for native birds to use, build a prairie bug or forb, color specimens of prairie flora and fauna, or build a prairie sound puzzle,” Picicco said.
Tatiana Chihai of Prospect Heights attended Prairie Fest with family.
“My kids love all crafts that relate to nature and we are building these bird houses to bring home and hang on our balcony,” Chihai said.
Guided Trail Walks with prairie restoration expert, Gayle Laboda, led families around on the trails for an explanation of what’s in bloom and a firsthand showcase of native species that visitors can find on the prairie.
“Illinois used to be made up of 60% tallgrass prairie and now the prairie is disappearing,” Laboda said.
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“There is so much to learn about this important ecosystem, about the many native plants that still provide for our medicine and nutrition,” Laboda said.
Eileen Sutter, volunteer steward from North Branch Restoration Project, participated as a nature expert.
“An event like Prairie Fest introduces and preserves the native plants and animals of the prairie that are part of our country’s heritage — helping to ensure that this rich natural landscape will not be lost to our children,” Sutter said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.