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Outdoor Education
in The Farms: An Allerton Folk School
Winter Botany
with Fran Harty
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. 4. All 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.
Intro to Birding and eBird
with Nate Beccue
Experience Level: Beginner (all ages)
Learn more about birdwatching at an Intro to Birding and eBird on Fridays, Feb. 21 and 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in The Studio and outdoors.
Allerton Natural Areas Manager Nate Beccue will help students learn about bird identification during the cooler months, when fewer species are on the landscape. Participants will learn how to identify year-round residents as well as winter visitors by focusing on distinctive features like plumage patterns, feeding behavior and vocalizations.
Winter species at the Park typically include woodpeckers, nuthatches, owls and finches, each adapted to survive the harsher conditions.
A key aspect of the course will be learning to use eBird, a tool for birders developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which allows users to log their sightings, track seasonal patterns, access local checklists and help anticipate which species are likely be seen. The app also includes real-time data to help birders identify hot spots within the Park, making it easier to locate wintering birds. It also helps in global conservation efforts by compiling valuable data about bird populations and trends.
Each class will be split between learning in the classroom and birding in the field. A limited number of binoculars will be available on a first-come basis. At times the hikes will leave the trails, so please dress accordingly.
$20/person (all ages). Register by Feb. 17. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email Nate Beccue at nbeccue@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.
Foraging Walk (March 8)
with Michael Baker
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)
with Michael Baker
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)
with Michael Baker
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)
with Michael Baker
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
with Maggie Wachter
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)
with Michael Baker
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.