Forest Preserve’s Pollinator-Packed August Peaks with ‘Hummingbird Fest & Nature Celebration’
Tiny hummingbirds will be celebrated in a big way during the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s third annual “Hummingbird Festival & Nature Celebration.”
The free, all-ages event is set for 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. From 3-5 p.m., members of Thorn Creek Audubon Society and Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders will capture and band hummingbirds while spectators watch the activity on a big screen.
“The fest has something to offer for a variety of audiences,” said Suzy Lyttle, a Forest Preserve interpretive naturalist. “The grand finale is the hummingbird banding, which everyone young and old absolutely loves.”
The festival includes artisanal vendors, free bike rides, slacklining, tree climbing, crafts, hummingbird activities and the Musical Petting Zoo by Plum Grove Strings. This year’s event also includes blown glass demonstrations, insect and snake displays, a hummingbird activity trail, “jam sessions” with buckthorn branches, a “seed bomb” creation station, and a nature-themed art exhibit by Frankfort artist Richard Schmidt.
Three seminars will be offered: “All about Composting” at 1:30 p.m., “Nature Photography Tips” at 2 p.m. and “Bird Tracking with eBird” at 2:30 p.m. The seminars will take place in a tent behind the nature center. Hay bales will be set up in lecture-style seating, but attendees are welcome to bring their own camping chairs. Registration is not required.
Hummingbird Fest is one of many pollinator-themed activities happening in August at the Forest Preserve District. For more information on butterfly, bee and pollinator garden programs and how to get free milkweed seeds, visitwww.bit.ly/pollinatormonth.