Forest Preserve offers bee, bike and hiking programs

Check out the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s upcoming programs, which include bees hotels and beekeeping, bike recycling and a yoga and hike combo. Program registration is available via the District’s online Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org. Zoom links will be sent upon registration. Face masks are required for in-person programs. Here is the lineup:

Virtual Pollinator Crafts – Bee Hotels (Zoom Webinar): 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 8, online. Free, ages 10 or older. Contact phone, 815.886.1467.
From the comfort of your couch, learn how to build a hotel for your garden’s buzz-iest workers! Participants will investigate solitary bees that help gardens flourish and get pointers on different bee-friendly options they can try at home. Registration is required.

Recycle Your Bicycle: 6 a.m.-7 p.m. April 10-25, Monee Reservoir, Monee Township. Free, all ages. Contact phone, 708.534.8499.
Be green and repurpose your old bike by dropping it off on the north side of the concessions’ paved parking lot. No bike is too old or rusty! Bikes are given to Working Bikes, an organization that refurbishes bicycles for kids, individuals with disabilities and families in developing countries for transportation. Registration is not required.

Pollinator Crafts: Bee Hotels: 1:30-3 p.m. Saturday, April 10, Isle a la Cache Museum, Romeoville. Free, ages 6 or older. Contact phone, 815.886.1467.
Build a hotel for your garden’s buzz-iest workers! Visit Isle a la Cache’s pollinator garden for inspiration while we investigate the solitary bees that help gardens flourish. Create a tiny bee hotel to take home. Register by Thursday, April 8.

Happy Mornings Yoga and Hike: 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 11, Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Channahon. Free, ages 18 or older. Contact phone, 815.722.9470
This program will take place entirely outdoors. It includes a 30- to 40-minute all-levels yoga session, a 30- to 40-minute hike along scenic trails and time at the end to journal about your experience. Registration is required by Saturday, April 10.

Living History Encounter – Personal Hygiene: noon-3 p.m. Sunday, April 11, Isle a la Cache Museum, Romeoville. Free, all ages. Contact phone, 815.886.1467.
Discover 18th-century tips on cleanliness, beauty secrets, grooming habits and even laundry guidelines. During Living History Encounters, you may find cooks, seamstresses, voyageurs, soldiers or craftsmen sharing their talents. This is a drop-in program; come anytime between noon and 3 p.m. Registration is not required.

Meet a Beekeeper: 12:30-2:30 p.m. Sundays, April 11, May 2 and June 6 at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. Free, ages 18 or older. Contact phone708.946.2216.
Meet local beekeeper Mike Rusnak to discuss the art and craft of beekeeping. Ask Rusnak questions and meet other beekeeping enthusiasts. Rusnak has more than 15 years of beekeeping experience to share. Pick up specific beekeeping tips or simply learn more about the world of beekeeping. Registration is not required.

For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.