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Exploring Nature & Life Through Mary Oliver's Poetry--July 20
with Kate Herald
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn the basics of poetry at Exploring Nature & Life Through Mary Oliver’s Poetry from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, June 8, July 20 and Aug. 10. Instructor Kate Herald will help students explore allegory and meter using Oliver’s poetry, including “Wild Geese” and “How I Go to the Woods,” as
Participants will then be invited to write and share their own life poem based on their observations at Allerton Park. Register for the entire series at a discount or sign-up for individual classes.
Classes will be held in The Studio with time also being spent outdoors.
$85/person for the entire series or $30/classs. Register by June 5 or three days prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Individual class links:
— June 8
— July 20
— Aug. 10
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Kate Herald teaches people how to tell stories that change the world for good. She holds a Ph.D. in English and uses her background in storytelling research as a learning designer, gender studies professor and curator for TEDxNormal.
Bee Hive Observation 7/21
with Maggie Wachter
Join us on a bi-monthly basis as we observe how honey bees manage hive activity during the summer at Bee Hive Observation on June 2 & 15, July 7 & 21 and Aug. 4.* Classes will include an overview of seasonal influences, followed by a peek inside the hives to observe honey bees at work. Traditional and Flow Hives will be discussed.
Participants should wear long sleeves and pants, loose-fitting garments and no open shoes. You should also bring a protective bee veil and unscented rubber gloves.
$90/person for the entire series or $20/class. Register here for the entire series by May 31 or two days before each individual class.* All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
— Sunday, June 2, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
— Saturday, June 15, 2:30-4:30 p.m. in The Studio
— Sunday, July 7: 1-3 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium
— Sunday, July 21, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
— Sunday, Aug. 4, 1-3 p.m. in The Studio
About the instructor
When Maggie Wachter began her social work degree at the University of Illinois in 2008, she had no idea that she would become a beekeeper. As for honey, she kept a single jar in the back of her kitchen cabinet for recipes. Today she is a master beekeeper who never eats sugar.
Maggie received her first hive as a gift in 2008. By 2010, she was enrolled in the Master Beekeeper course at the University of Florida. From there, things happened quickly to turn her life around. In 2012, she started teaching beekeeping for Parkland Community Education and today she is a beekeeping teacher, honey judge, mead maker and master beekeeper.
She has also participated in honeybee research at the University of Illinois and the USDA.
About The Farms
The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, wellness, outdoor education, storytelling, and science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.
See the complete summer session here.
(SOLD OUT) Adventurers: Water Week 7/22-7/26
with Adventurers Instructor Team
Week 7: July 22-26
Ages: 8-12
There are so many different ways to experience water at Allerton – the Sangamon River, the Reflecting Pond, a water balloon to catch… This week we celebrate water! It brings wildlife diversity to the Park and brings fun to camp. We will be playing games, learning, and tracking down every sprinkler we can find!
Lunch, two snacks, a T-shirt and all necessary materials are included. Campers will need to bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, and a change of clothes/shoes.
Adventurers also have the opportunity to go to the Monticello Family Aquatic Center twice a week. Rider intake forms and payment directly to Piattran are required for pool transportation. Pool entrance is included in camp registration fees.
Acorns: Water Week 7/22-7/26
with Acorns Instructor Team
Week 7: July 22-26
Ages: 5-7
There are so many different ways to experience water at Allerton – the Sangamon River, the Reflecting Pond, a water balloon to catch… This week we celebrate water! It brings wildlife diversity to the Park and brings fun to camp. We will be playing games, learning, and tracking down every sprinkler we can find!
Lunch, two snacks, a T-shirt and all necessary materials are included. Campers will need to bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, and a change of clothes/shoes.
(SOLD OUT) Adventurers: Summer Olympics 7/29-8/2
with Adventurers Instructor Team
Week 8: July 29-Aug 2
Ages: 8-12
Campers, ready your flag! This week will be filled with exciting games and activities. Whether your camper is a natural competitor or a natural spectator, all will have fun at this active week of camp that includes silly copies of some favorite Olympic events!
Lunch, two snacks, a T-shirt and all necessary materials are included. Campers will need to bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, and a change of clothes/shoes.
Adventurers also have the opportunity to go to the Monticello Family Aquatic Center twice a week. Rider intake forms and payment directly to Piattran are required for pool transportation. Pool entrance is included in camp registration fees.
Acorns: Summer Olympics 7/29-8/2
with Acorns Instructor Team
Week 8: July 29-Aug 2
Ages: 5-7
Campers, ready your flag! This week will be filled with exciting games and activities. Whether your camper is a natural competitor or a natural spectator, all will have fun at this active week of camp that includes silly copies of some favorite Olympic events!
Lunch, two snacks, a T-shirt and all necessary materials are included. Campers will need to bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, and a change of clothes/shoes.
Introduction to Wild Mushroom Identification (Full Series)
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn all about the magical world of mushrooms at Introduction to Wild Mushroom Identification from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays, August 3, 10, 17 and 24 in The Studio (August 3, 17, 24), the Greenhouse Auditorium (August 10), and outdoors. Participants will learn to identify various types of wild mushrooms, including some of the most popular and common edible mushrooms. Instructor Lee Schuler will also share information on safety and sustainability.
Classes will begin with a short lecture and slide presentation, then move into the woods for hands-on training. Question and answer periods will also be included.
$110 for the entire series or $35/class. Register by Aug. 2 or one day prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Individual class links:
— Aug. 3
— Aug. 10
— Aug. 17
— Aug. 24
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.
Introduction to Wild Mushroom Identification--Aug 3
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn all about the magical world of mushrooms at Introduction to Wild Mushroom Identification from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays, August 3, 10, 17 and 24 in The Studio and outdoors. Participants will learn to identify various types of wild mushrooms, including some of the most popular and common edible mushrooms. Instructor Lee Schuler will also share information on safety and sustainability.
Classes will begin with a short lecture and slide presentation, then move into the woods for hands-on training. Question and answer periods will also be included.
$110 for the entire series or $35/class. Register by Aug. 2 or one day prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Individual class links:
— Aug. 3
— Aug. 10
— Aug. 17
— Aug. 24
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.