Words of the Woods

The alarm clock is ready to ring for the periodical cicadas of Lake County. The previous mass emergence of these true bugs in 2007 set the alarm for 2024. During spring and summer 17 years ago, millions of cicadas tunneled out of the soil, crawled up trees, sang, mated and completed their life cycle. This will be a magical year for their offspring. In this special-edition episode, host Brett Peto discusses the 2024 emergence of periodical cicadas in Illinois. Links mentioned: Horizons magazineCicada resourcesCicada programs and eventsCelebrating Cicadas special exhibitionConnect with us Sign up for Horizons, the Forest Preserves' award-winning quarterly magazine. Print subscriptions are free, and issues are always available online. This episode was written, hosted and produced by Brett Peto. Featuring research and expertise from Mark Hurley, April Vaos, Samantha Gallagher and Dr. Gene Kritsky at Mount St. Joseph University. Script editing by Rebekah Snyder, Jeanna Martinucci and Kim Mikus. Music from Soundstripe. Cicada audio copyright Dr. Gene Kritsky and SongsOfInsects.com. Audio editing and mixing by Brett Peto. Have questions or comments? Send them to ⁠WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org⁠. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois. Episode cover art © Samantha Gallagher

Host Brett Peto is here with a bite-sized piece of good news. Music: Swoop by The Mini Vandals Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

We’re back with a new short-form episode. It’s tempting to hibernate during winter. But there are good reasons to get outside. Your preserves are home to many winter activities, including sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and, yeah, good ol’ walking. We aren’t the first generations to discover the loads of fun these activities provide, though. Drawing from the Dunn Museum’s collection and archives, Museum Educator Nicole Stocker is here to give us a snapshot of how Lake County residents enjoyed winter outdoors in the past. Music: Covid Come Not Near by Nat Keefe & Hot Buttered Rum Everything Where it Needs to Be by Nat Keefe & Hot Buttered Rum Swoop by The Mini Vandals The Slow Rabbit by Nat Keefe & Hot Buttered Rum Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

Nature is one of the best classrooms around. Study after study shows that time spent outdoors fosters a child’s healthy development. It helps kids manage stress, stimulates their imaginations, and improves their social skills. Alyssa Firkus, Education Manager, and Jenny Sazama, Environmental Educator, have seen these positive effects firsthand. Hear how they like to connect kids with nature—and how nature connects with kids. Season 3 debuts in 2021. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/education Music: Fwends by Reed Mathis Playdate by The Great North Sound Society Swoop by The Mini Vandals Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

The Preservation Foundation is the charitable partner of the Lake County Forest Preserves. What does that mean? When we undertake a project, the Foundation extends and accelerates it. Take the Green Youth Farm at Greenbelt in North Chicago, for example. Or the Dunn Museum in Libertyville. The summer concert series at Independence Grove. Our Adopt-a-Turtle program benefitting the state-endangered Blanding’s turtle. Habitat restoration efforts. And so much more. They wouldn’t be the same without the foundation that, well, the Foundation gives them. Ty Kovach, Executive Director; Rebekah Snyder, Chief Development Officer; Nels Leutwiler, President of the Preservation Foundation; and Karen Hunter, Chair of the Development Committee, discuss how supporting the Foundation supports all of the Forest Preserves’ work. Season 2 runs now through November 17, 2020. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/donate Music: Coffee Stains by Riot Swoop by The Mini Vandals There Are Chirping Birdies In My Soul by Reed Mathis Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

What do trees need computers for? Well, the people working to preserve them do. Our team of IT professionals manages technology that supports hundreds of staff across Lake County. Not only desktop computers, but smartphones, servers, databases, laptops, projectors, and more. Debbie Boness, Information Technology Officer, and Rian Crowley, Database Developer, discuss how we turn technology into technolo-tree. Season 2 runs now through November 17, 2020. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org Music: Coffee Stains by Riot Swoop by The Mini Vandals There Are Chirping Birdies In My Soul by Reed Mathis Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

Crisp fall air. Cider and donuts. Funny, nature-themed skits. An evening in the woods. All of these elements combine into a successful run of Halloween Hikes, our annual autumn event that’s become a tradition for many families. To protect the health and safety of all, we decided not to hold Halloween Hikes in its typical, in-person format this year. Instead, we’re bringing it to you in a new way with a new focus: how exactly do we create a better-than-the-last iteration each year? Eileen Davis, Environmental Educator; Jill Stites, retired Environmental Educator; and Janice Aull, volunteer, reveal behind-the-scenes stories of pumpkin carving, scriptwriting, costume creation, and more. Season 2 runs now through November 17, 2020. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/education Music: Campfire Song by Chris Haugen Swoop by The Mini Vandals Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Walk the Dog by Coyote Hearing Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

We all know nature has value. Perhaps you love its beauty, its serenity, its creatures great and small. On an economic level, it’s recently become possible to quantify some of nature’s beneficial effects—what we call ecosystem services. Carbon storage, flood mitigation, water and air purification. Jim Anderson, Director of Natural Resources, shares his insights into how nature supports human existence, and how we humans can support nature. Season 2 runs now through November 17, 2020. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/GreenStrategy Music: Almost August by Dan Lebowitz On the Windy Road by Dan Lebowitz Swoop by The Mini Vandals Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

The woods are back with even more to say. From the value of nature and ecosystem services, to how we turn technology into technolo-tree, and the benefits of a childhood spent outdoors, plus more, here’s a taste of what you’ll hear this October and November. Music: Swoop by The Mini Vandals Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org. Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

There's magic in a snowflake. But if someone asked you how snowflakes form, could you explain it to them? Jen Berlinghof, Environmental Educator, can help. She's here with an adaptation of one of her posts ("Snowflake anatomy") from our Lake County Nature blog. Read more: https://bit.ly/38IsCFX

The holiday season is hectic. North Mill Creek at Ethel's Woods in Antioch isn't. Take a moment of zen with the soothing sounds of flowing water. And look for another fragment in January 2020. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/ethels-woods

Exactly 204 miles of trails thread through nearly 31,000 acres in the Lake County Forest Preserves. Many are gravel, some are paved, some are mowed grass, and some are woodchip trails. Making connections between communities is key. Helping visitors map their adventures is important, too. Michael Haug, Landscape Architect, and Nick Spittlemeister, GIS Analyst, discuss how these trail systems allow thousands of people to access nature on a daily basis. Season 2 premieres in 2020. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/trails

Thousands of native plant species call Lake County’s nearly 31,000 acres of forest preserves home. All of these plants are unique and interesting in their own ways. Pati Vitt, Manager of Ecological Restoration, and Ken Klick, Restoration Ecologist, each have decades of botanical experience, studying and appreciating plant communities in Lake County and elsewhere. They discuss big trends, big patterns, and big ideas. In short, they ponder plants and why they matter. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/conservation/plant-monitoring/

The 2020 U.S. Census is approaching. But scientists at the Lake County Forest Preserves take a different kind of census year-round—an animal census. Gary Glowacki and Andrew Rutter, both Wildlife Ecologists, and John Vanek, a doctoral candidate at Northern Illinois University, highlight how they collect data about local animals and what insights they’ve drawn so far. Learn more: https://www.lcfpd.org/conservation/wildlife-monitoring/

Among the collections of the Dunn Museum in Libertyville are 1,000 linear feet of archival materials, securely housed in an environmentally controlled care and storage facility. Many have never been on display before. What tales do these letters, postcards, and journals tell? Diana Dretske and Heather Johnson, both Curators at the Dunn Museum, discuss their top three most memorable materials and why these in particular stick out in their minds. Learn more: www.LCFPD.org/museum/collections/

Fall is a great time to think about removing the invasive shrub buckthorn from your yard. But how do you get rid of it and make sure it stays out for good? Matt Ueltzen, Restoration Ecologist II, and Allison Frederick, Assistant Public Affairs Manager, offer their advice on how to say goodbye to buckthorn. Learn more: LCFPD.org/Buckthorn

What are the woods telling us? Have you ever stopped for a moment to listen? Headquartered in Libertyville, Illinois, the Lake County Forest Preserves protects nearly 31,000 acres of land. There are just about as many stories from both humans and nature. This series dives into the diverse projects we undertake to improve quality of life for all Lake County residents and visitors.