Jason Knade, of Palos Park; his wife, Marcelina; and daughters, Zofia, 6, and Kaya, 3, braved the weather last Saturday afternoon to take part in Lake Katherine's Earth Day BioBlitz. (Photos by Kelly White)
Lake Katherine celebrates with Earth Day BioBlitz
By Kelly White
Earth Day is an annual celebration is an opportunity to raise awareness and advocate for change around the issues most impacting our planet and to celebrate the beauty of Mother Earth. It is held globally every year on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
It was no surprise that Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens, 7402 Lake Katherine Dr., Palos Heights, took part in the initiative with an Earth Day BioBlitz last Saturday.
“The mission of Lake Katherine embodies the spirit of Earth Day. Not only with its presence; but with its programs and presentations,” Palos Heights Mayor Bob Straz said.
Much has been achieved since former Palos Heights Mayor Eugene G. Simpson first had the vision to create a nature center in the heart of Palos Heights.
Nearly 20 years ago, Lake Katherine became a non-profit park and since then a dedicated team of staff and volunteers have utilized fundraising, donations and grants to fulfill Lake Katherine’s goal of connecting people to nature and encouraging good ecological practices.
Now, Lake Katherine is an 85-acre public park consisting of gardens, woodland, wetlands, prairie, and a 10-acre manmade lake. The park was created in 1988 for the purpose of providing public recreation opportunities for residents of Chicago’s southwest suburbs, and the lake was excavated as a retention basin to hold storm water before it flows into the Cal-Sag Channel.
The nature center continues to develop and educate the public on the importance of celebrating nature. In the past decade, there has been much restoration effort with teams of volunteers regularly removing buckthorn and planting around 50 native trees every year.
“Lake Katherine is one of our favorite places to visit in Palos Heights,” Roger Schweikert, of Palos Heights, said.
During the community event that aimed at discovering as many living things as possible in a specific area and timeframe, Lake Katherine’s Earth Day BioBlitz celebrated Earth Day by allowing local area residents to join Lake Katherine staff and volunteers to discover the variety of life on the trails, under rocks, on tree trunks, or in the garden beds.
Sophia Shukin, Naturalist at Lake Katherine, explained the name of the event.
“A BioBlitz is a community event that aims at discovering as many living things as possible in a specific area and timeframe,” Shukin said. “BioBlitz’s help organizations, cities, parks and more to better understand and appreciate their natural surroundings.”
Attendees were just asked to bring their phone and sense of discovery. The data gathered was collected in iNaturalist, an online mapping and identification website. The data could then be accessed by researchers, staff, and visitors to better understand and appreciate their surroundings.
Participants were also able to learn about completely new species, put names to species they see often but may not have known the name of before, and contribute to the scientific community Lake Katherine’s Naturalists work hard to entail.
Shukin said it is important to not only recognize, but to celebrate Earth Day.
“Appreciation of nature, learned at any age, is the key to ensure the survival of the forests, prairies, wetlands, and oceans,” Shukin said. “If you love and understand something, you will want to protect it. Earth Day is a great day to actively do something fun and productive in nature to learn more about the environment yourself, and to inspire others to join.”
Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens, 7402 Lake Katherine Dr., Palos Heights, held an Earth Day BioBlitz on April 22.
Local News
Cook County Animal and Rabies Control offers pet safety tips
Spread the loveParts of Cook County could see up to 12 inches of snow over the next day as a winter storm moves across the area starting tonight. Cold weather creates hazardous conditions for residents and their pets. The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control reminds residents to take special precautions to keep…
Winter storm could bring heavy snowfall
Spread the loveParts of Cook County could see up to 12 inches of snow over the next day as a winter storm moves across the area starting tonight. The county’s Department of Transportation and Highways is monitoring conditions and has resources on standby to keep the 1,500 lane miles the county maintains, safe for drivers.…
Polk insists residents should use 9-1-1 when they need help
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva With snowstorms and bad weather hitting the area, first responders and 9-1-1 operators are taxed and stretched out. But Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk said that should not deter people from calling 9-1-1. He insists on it. At the Jan. 24 village council meeting, Polk made a passionate speech…
District 230 waits for judge’s decision on mask mandates
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Stagg and Sandburg students, parents and teachers are awaiting the decision of a Sangamon County judge to find out if there is any change in the mask mandate. District 230 was one of 145 districts in the state taken to court by parents who are against the mandate and believe…
Summit approves deal with CEDA for water assistance
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Help may be on the way for some Summit residents that have trouble paying their water bills. The Summit Village Board recently approved an ordinance authorizing an agreement by, and between the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County. It’s a vendor agreement for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance…
Willow Springs hires Grace as village administrator
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Citing his experience in Lyons, Willow Springs Mayor Melissa Neddermeyer said Ryan Grace was the best of five finalists interviewed for the job of village administrator. Grace, 38, had been public works director in Lyons the past four years, working on a wide range of village issues and events in…
Body of missing Forest View woman found
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The search for 20-year-old Charisma Ehresman of Forest View is over. The body of the young woman was found Friday evening in her vehicle in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood, on the city’s west side, which borders Oak Park. The car had apparently been there for several days. The Cook County…
Heritage Middle School cheer team takes first
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Congratulations are in order for the Heritage Middle School Cheer Team. The team competed for the first time on Saturday, January 15, at Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont and took first place. It was a huge accomplishment for the team and Summit School District 104 is very proud of…
Area Sports Roundup: Sandburg bowls ’em over at state; Marist cheerleaders win sectional
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Is there a state trophy coming for the Sandburg boys bowling team in the future? With this unpredictable sport, that’s hard to predict. But after a fourth-place finish in the IHSA state tournament, held Jan. 28-29 at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon, the needle is pointing up. The…
Intense dance performance nets Evergreen Park sixth place at state finals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Actual competitive dancing returned to the state level this year and Evergreen Park’s dancers couldn’t be happier. The Mustangs are on the rise, and the team enjoyed its highest state finish by placing sixth in Class 1A in the IHSA state meet held Jan. 28-29 at Grossinger Motors…
Neighbors
Advocates underscore need for statewide reentry programs
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois legislators this week approved a bill to restructure an oversight board in charge of distributing state money to courts that provide prison alternatives, while other criminal justice measures introduced throughout the session remain stalled. House Bill 4409 would change the makeup of the Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight…
Ban on wildlife killing contests ‘unlikely’ to clear state Senate this session
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com A measure that would prohibit contests that award cash or prizes for killing certain wildlife is unlikely to clear the Senate after narrowly passing the House last week, according to its Senate sponsor. House Bill 2900 would ban the practice of holding wildlife contests that reward participants with…
A security camera caught an employee beating a patient. It took 11 days for anyone to take action.
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. Cameras in the common areas of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center were supposed to make the troubled southern Illinois facility safer for the approximately 200 people with developmental disabilities who live there. But…
Potawatomi land transfer advances in Illinois House
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would help the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation expand their newly established reservation in DeKalb County advanced out of a state House committee Tuesday, despite concerns about the tribe’s long-term plans for the property. House Bill 4718 would authorize the state to hand over…
Would-be union of legislative staffers accuse Welch of undermining organizing effort
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Seven months after Democratic Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch advanced a measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, members of his own staff on Tuesday blasted the speaker for allowing the bill to languish. The legislation has not seen any action since its passage…
As legislative session adjournment looms, a rush to regulate carbon capture industry
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A technology that some say is a key tool to address climate change and others say is a cash grab for heavy industry could face new regulations – if lawmakers can find the time before their scheduled adjournment this week. Carbon capture and sequestration technology is…
Nursing home industry unlikely to see much help from Springfield in tough budget year
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com It’s been four years since some of the worst scenes of COVID-19 played out in locked-down nursing homes during the early months of the pandemic. But while most of the world has moved on, the nursing home industry is still reeling from COVID, which exacerbated pre-existing challenges in…
Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ. The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Hundreds of bills pass, including changes to state’s biometric data privacy law
By HANNAH MEISEL COLE LONGCOR & ALEX ABEDDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers passed more than 200 bills this week ahead of their scheduled May 24 adjournment. Many of the measures will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker, including a bill that changes how damages accrue under Illinois’ first-in-the-nation biometric data privacy law.…