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Dear Neighbors,
I hope this finds you, family and neighbors well. With the cooler weather and coming resplendent colors, I'm finding more reasons to get outdoors.
A few weeks ago, I was pleased to join my friends at Grayslake's splendid Carillon North community for a short hike in Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve. Special thanks to my friends Bill and Suzanne Morris for organizing.
We headed out to the observation platform, which is a good place to view migratory birds. About 20 years ago, I was hiking out to the middle of the savanna to monitor populations of boisterous sandhill cranes as a volunteer, which were rare and endangered then. Thanks to massive restoration of habitat in Rollins Savanna and throughout the county, you can now see many more during migratory season. We have been aided by countless volunteers over the years in this work, which is invaluable.
Speaking of endangered species, our ace Forest Preserve naturalists have spotted the rare rusty-patched bumblebee in several of our preserves. The colorful pollinator is featured on our Hike Lake County Challenge medallion this year.
Why is this good news? The rusty patched bumble bee population has declined by 87% in the past 20 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bee was placed on the federally endangered species list in 2017.
“We’re ecstatic to see these elusive bumble bees in the forest preserves,” said Pati Vitt, director of natural resources. “Increased monitoring and awareness, including a new program that trained volunteers in the field, are factors in spotting the additional bees.”
I urge you, friends and family to sample our trails, which are in every part of our county. Some trails are short and kid friendly with generous play areas, while others are two miles long and count as two hikes. Hike the equivalent of seven trails and you can acquire a hiking stick shield or dog medal for free. I tell my dog Brogan, who accompanies me, that the tag is for his heroic patience in walking every Forest Preserve trail.
Transportation News
In the fall, construction activity slows down for our transportation division, but they remain busy planning future projects.
