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Outdoor Education

in The Farms: An Allerton Folk School

Winter Botany

$40

with Fran Harty

Calendar Jan 18, 2025 at 10 am, runs for 2 weeks

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn more about the plants at Allerton at Winter Botany on Saturday, Jan. 18 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in The Studio and outdoors.

Instructor Fran Harty will begin each class in The Studio and share information about twig characteristics, fruits and how to use an identification key. The remainder of the time will be spent in the woods to apply what has been learned.

$40/person. Register by Jan. 4All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Fran Harty has taught dendrology at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and similar classes for Allerton Park Corps of Discovery in 2009 and the Illinois Audubon Society in 2015. Fran currently works with the Land Conservation Foundation.

Foraging Walk (March 8)

$35

with Michael Baker

Calendar Mar 8, 2025 at 1 pm

Former Allerton In-Residence naturalist Michael Baker will return to the Park to conduct a Foraging Walk from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 8 at the Sun Singer.

Baker, a professional forager, will give demonstrations of the current uses of edible plants and mushrooms during the walk. Participants will be introduced to a variety of wild edible plants and mushrooms and be instructed on which plants to avoid.

$35/person (all ages). Register here by March 5. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Michael Baker is a professional foraging educator and podcaster in the Chicago suburbs. His show, the Wild Edible World podcast, seeks to educate anyone who will listen on edible plants and fungi, what they taste like, and where you can find them. He is also a co-founder of Remnant Roots non-profit which seeks to adopt vacant lots and turn them into native plant sanctuaries.

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.

Foraging Walk (March 9)

$35

with Michael Baker

Calendar Mar 9, 2025 at 1 pm

Former Allerton In-Residence naturalist Michael Baker will return to the Park to conduct a Foraging Walk from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 9 at the Sun Singer.

Baker, a professional forager, will give demonstrations of the current uses of edible plants and mushrooms during the walk. Participants will be introduced to a variety of wild edible plants and mushrooms and be instructed on which plants to avoid.

$35/person (all ages). Register here by March 5. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Michael Baker is a professional foraging educator and podcaster in the Chicago suburbs. His show, the Wild Edible World podcast, seeks to educate anyone who will listen on edible plants and fungi, what they taste like, and where you can find them. He is also a co-founder of Remnant Roots non-profit which seeks to adopt vacant lots and turn them into native plant sanctuaries.

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.

Foraging Walk (March 29)

$35

with Michael Baker

Calendar Mar 29, 2025 at 1 pm

Former Allerton In-Residence naturalist Michael Baker will return to the Park to conduct a Foraging Walk from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 29. Location TBD

Baker, a professional forager, will give demonstrations of the current uses of edible plants and mushrooms during the walk. Participants will be introduced to a variety of wild edible plants and mushrooms and be instructed on which plants to avoid.

$35/person (all ages). Register here by March 26. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Michael Baker is a professional foraging educator and podcaster in the Chicago suburbs. His show, the Wild Edible World podcast, seeks to educate anyone who will listen on edible plants and fungi, what they taste like, and where you can find them. He is also a co-founder of Remnant Roots non-profit which seeks to adopt vacant lots and turn them into native plant sanctuaries.

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.

Foraging Walk (March 30)

$35

with Michael Baker

Calendar Mar 30, 2025 at 1 pm

Former Allerton In-Residence naturalist Michael Baker will return to the Park to conduct a Foraging Walk from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 30. Location TBD

Baker, a professional forager, will give demonstrations of the current uses of edible plants and mushrooms during the walk. Participants will be introduced to a variety of wild edible plants and mushrooms and be instructed on which plants to avoid.

$35/person (all ages). Register here by March 26. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Michael Baker is a professional foraging educator and podcaster in the Chicago suburbs. His show, the Wild Edible World podcast, seeks to educate anyone who will listen on edible plants and fungi, what they taste like, and where you can find them. He is also a co-founder of Remnant Roots non-profit which seeks to adopt vacant lots and turn them into native plant sanctuaries.

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.

Intro to Beekeeping

$20

with Maggie Wachter

Calendar Mar 30, 2025 at 1 pm

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn about honey bees, one of the most unusual insects in the world, at Intro to Beekeeping from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 23 in The Studio. Bees can survive under diverse climate conditions and are one of the few insects that produce food for humans. And such a food! Keeping honey bees happy and healthy is essential.

In this class taught by Maggie Wachter, learn the basics of starting a new hive: how to get bees, the honey bee life cycle, nutrition, equipment and what to do about mites. Would-be beekeepers and others with a lively interest in nature are welcome.

$20/person. Register by March 20. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

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.

Along the way, she met fellow beekeeper Steve Halfar. Together, they pollinate apple orchards, chase black locust honey and keep their 50-odd hives thriving. They have participated in honeybee research at the U of I and USDA.

During the summer, you can find Maggie and Steve selling honey at the Urbana Market at the Square on the first Saturday of every month. They are thrilled to be at Allerton to share their enthusiasm for nature and honey bees with others.

Foraging Walk (April 12)

$35

with Michael Baker

Calendar Apr 12, 2025 at 1 pm

Former Allerton In-Residence naturalist Michael Baker will return to the Park to conduct a Foraging Walk from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 12. Location TBD

Baker, a professional forager, will give demonstrations of the current uses of edible plants and mushrooms during the walk. Participants will be introduced to a variety of wild edible plants and mushrooms and be instructed on which plants to avoid.

$35/person (all ages). Register here by April 9. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Michael Baker is a professional foraging educator and podcaster in the Chicago suburbs. His show, the Wild Edible World podcast, seeks to educate anyone who will listen on edible plants and fungi, what they taste like, and where you can find them. He is also a co-founder of Remnant Roots non-profit which seeks to adopt vacant lots and turn them into native plant sanctuaries.

Bee Hive Observation (full series)

$100

with Maggie Wachter

Calendar Apr 13, 2025 at 1 pm

Join us on a bi-monthly basis as we observe how honey bees manage hive activity during the summer at Bee Hive Observation from April 13 to August 31. 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.

$100/series or $20/class. Register 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.

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.

Payment plan available: $50 deposit plus 2 payments of $25.00, paid every four weeks.




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