Giant City State Park

2018 Calendar of Events

Giant City State Park

235 Giant City Road

Makanda, IL 62958

September Plant Blindness

Sunday, September 9, 2-3pm All life as we know it literally owes its survival to plants, yet only a handful of people know how to identify them or can explain the importance of

their roles in nature. This inability to see the plants that surround us is termed “plant blindness.” This program will challenge your perceptions about

plants and teach you ways to inform others about their value to humans and nature. No registration required. Meet at the Giant City Visitors Center.

Identifying Grasses Made Easy

September 15, 1-3pm Identifying grasses can be tricky! Join Erin Medvecz with the U of I Extension to learn tips and techniques to help you identify 30 different grasses in

Southern Illinois. After the presentation, take a hike with Erin to identify grasses in Giant City. This program is free and open to the public. Please

register by calling 618-457-4836.

Wild Plants of Giant City

Saturday, September 15, 10am-Noon Giant City State Park is home to hundreds of species of amazing plants. Join Extension Forester, Chris Evans, for an interesting and informative Wild

Plant Hike on the one-mile Giant City Nature Trail. This program is free but registration is required. Please call 618-457-4836 to register.

Hike with a Homeless Dog

Saturday, September 22, 10am-Noon Giant City is partnering with Wright Way Animal Rescue to get our four legged and two legged friends out for a hike together! Participants will have

the opportunity to walk either the moderate one-mile Giant City Nature Trail, or the easy 1/3-mile Devil’s Standtable Trail. The first hike will run

from 11am to Noon and the second hike will run from 12:30-1:30. What a great way to give our canine friends a little exercise and, maybe, help them

find a fur-ever home. This program is free and open to the public but registration is required. Please call 618-457-4836.

October Giant City Rocks!

Saturday, October 6, 10am-Noon Giant City State Park is known for its rocks but do you know how they were formed, or what kind of rocks they are? Join Geologist Joe Devera as he

leads a fun and informative geology hike on the popular Giant City Nature Trail. No registration is required. Meet at the Giant City Visitors Center.

Journey of the Monarch

Saturday, October 6, 1-2:30pm Every fall thousands of Monarch butterflies migrate south to Central Mexico! Giant City State Park is a great stopping point for these small creatures.

Come out and help the University of Kansas track these insects by participating in a tagging program. There will be a short introduction, and then we

will head out to the field to catch and tag as many migrating Monarchs as we can find. This program is free and open to the public. Please call the

Giant City Visitors Center at 618-457-4836 to register or for more information.

Trek N’ Treat

Saturday, October 27, 2-4pm Come to Giant City as we kick off Halloween in the park! Hike the Devil’s Standtable trail for an easy, self-guided hike through the beautiful forest.

Along the trail your family will meet our creature characters who will teach you about some of the wonderful and most misunderstood creatures that

call Giant City home! Treats for all of the hikers! Trail is roughly 1/3 of a mile, and will take 20-30 minutes. No registration required. Arrive at the

Devil’s Standtable anytime between 2 and 3:30.

November ENTICE/Illinois Tree Squirrels

Saturday, November 3, 9am-3pm How much do you really know about squirrels? Come to this workshop and learn about the life history of Illinois’ three species of tree squirrels. We’ll

go for a hike to observe squirrels and evidence of their presence. We’ll look at how you can use squirrel observations to help you meet some of the

Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards in science. Although targeted to teachers of grades prekindergarten, kindergarten, one, two, three

and four, all educators are welcome to register for this workshop. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute

for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For more information or to register please visit the IDNR

website at: https://www.enticeworkshops.com.

Intro to Forestry Saturday, November 10th 1-3pm

Join park volunteer, Jeremy Schumacher, as he discusses what makes a healthy forest. During this hands on presentation, learn all about basal plots,

regeneration surveys and take part in measuring and coring trees. For more information or to register, please call 618-457-4836.

December Illinois Botanizer’s Best of Illinois Nature 2018

Sunday, December 2, 2-3pm

Botanist Chris Benda (aka Illinois Botanizer) travels throughout Illinois every year, visiting nature preserves, leading nature tours for the public, and

encountering all kinds of neat plants and animals. Join him as he presents photographs highlighting his best nature encounters of 2018. No registration

required. Meet at the Giant City Visitors Center.

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New programs are added throughout the year! For an updated list, please visit the Friends of Giant City Facebook site at: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofgiantcity/

All Programs are free unless otherwise noted. Call or visit the Giant City Visitor’s Center for

more information.

January Ecology of Spring Ephemerals

Sunday, January 28th, 2-3pm Spring is a magical time in southern Illinois and one reason is because of the incredible diversity of ephemeral wildflowers. These are plants that

flower in the spring and only last a short time. This presentation will feature a selection of these colorful and conspicuous plants, along with

interesting information about their identification and natural history. This program is free but, please register in advance by calling 618-457-

4836.

February Natural Bee Keeping for Beginners

Saturday, February 3, 10am-Noon Discover the basics of backyard bee keeping! Join local bee enthusiasts Angie and Colin Kuehl as they discuss getting started with bee keeping.

The benefits to beekeeping extend beyond just pollination and honey! Head out to the Visitor Center and find out how you can get started. This

program is free and open to the public but registration is required. Please call 618-457-4836.

Winter Walk in the Woods Saturday, February 10 and 24, 10-11:30am

It may be cold outside, but winter is a great time to get some exercise and fresh air as we take in the natural beauty of Giant City State Park.

Join the Natural Resources Coordinator as we take a leisurely stroll through the winter woods. Trails will range from 1/3 to 2 miles. For more

information or to register please contact the Giant City Visitors Center at 618-457-4836.

March

Full Moon Hike Thursday, March 1, 6:30-8 pm

The trails at Giant City close at dusk unless you are attending a guided hike with the Natural Resources Coordinator! Now is your chance to

hike the one-mile Nature Trail under the magical glow of the full moon. Enjoy the peace and serenity of a late winter night hike while listening

for the occasional call of the Barred or Great Horned Owl. For more information or to register, please call the Giant City Visitors Center at 618-

457-4836.

ENTICE/Wildlife Basics for Early Childhood Educators Friday, March 16, 9am-3pm

This workshop for educators of grades prekindergarten through two will provide you with the information and resources that you need to suc-

cessfully teach about and observe wildlife. You’ll take away numerous resources to use with young children when learning about nature. Profes-

sional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation

Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For more information or to register please visit the IDNR website at:

https://www.enticeworkshops.com.

Hike with a Homeless Dog Saturday, March 24, 10am-Noon

Giant City is partnering with Wright Way Animal Rescue to get our four legged and two legged friends out for a hike together! Participants will

have the opportunity to walk either the moderate one-mile Giant City Nature Trail, or the easy 1/3 mile Devil’s Standtable Trail. The first hike

will run from 11am to Noon and the second hike will run from 12:30-1:30. What a great way to give our canine friends a little exercise and,

maybe, help them find a fur-ever home. This program is free and open to the public but registration is required. Please call 618-457-4836.

Buds and Bark Tree I.D. Saturday, March 24, 1-3pm

Spring is upon us and it’s the perfect time to identify trees by their buds and bark! It may sound daunting, but with some easy tips from Commu-

nity Forester, Jennifer Behnken, and NRCS Soil Conservationist, Margaret Anderson, identification will be a snap! Please register by calling

618-457-4836.

April Butterfly Monitoring Training Workshop

Saturday, April 7th, 1-3pm Interested in learning how you can help monitor the butterfly population in southern Illinois? Join the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network for

an interesting and informative training workshop! Included in the training will be an introduction to the program, how to collect and submit data,

butterfly identification and field instruction (weather permitting). This program is free and open to the public. Please call 618-457-4836 for more

information.

ENTICE/Introducing Early Childhood Students to the Nature of Spring Friday, April 13, 9am-3pm

Spring is a wonderful season for young children to explore nature! There is so much to see and learn. Join us to discover what nature can tell us

in spring. Although targeted to grades prekindergarten through two, all educators are welcome to register for the workshop, but the information

may need to be adapted, as appropriate. You’ll take away numerous resources to use with young children when learning about nature. Profes-

sional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation

Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For more information or to register please visit the IDNR website at:

https://www.enticeworkshops.com.

Spring Wildflower Walks Saturday, April 7,14 and Thursday 19, 10am-Noon

Trillium Trail in Giant City is one of the best spring wildflower trails in southern Illinois. Join the Natural Resources Coordinator as we meander through

the spring woods and take a closer look at these petite beauties. Please register in advance by calling 618-457-4836. This is a moderately difficult two-

mile trail with some steep stair climbing.

The Mysterious Morel Mushroom Saturday, April 14, 1:00-2:30pm

The Morel is one tricky fungus! There seems to be no rhyme or reason to these mushrooms. Park Volunteer, photographer and local nature enthusiast,

Gretchen Steele, has some great tips to help you find the sometimes hard to locate Morel. After a brief presentation, we will head out to the field for a

small hike. While we may not find any mushrooms, participants will have a chance to learn more about what makes a good mushroom habitat. Please call

618-457-4836 to register.

Friends of Giant City Annual Meeting Sunday, April 15, 1-4pm

Would you like to learn more about the Friends of Giant City? If so, why not join us for the annual meeting. From 1-3pm we will venture out to the Tril-

lium Trail for a spring wildflower walk. At 3pm, Meet Friends members and enjoy refreshments during our business meeting. Anyone who is interested

in learning more about the Friends group or the Park is encouraged to attend. Meet at Shelter #1

May What’s So Great About Reptiles?

Saturday, May 5, 10-11am Here at Giant City, reptiles hold a special place in our hearts. Join IDNR Natural Heritage Biologist, Scott Ballard, as he discusses these often misunder-

stood creatures and shows off several different live species. Please call 618-457-4836 to register.

ENTICE/Monarch Mania! Saturday, May 12, 9am-3pm

The program, targeted to formal and non-formal educators, will provide information about the life history and conservation status of the monarch butter-

fly. You will take part in hands-on activities and will receive supplemental educational resources to help you meet several Next Generation Science

Standards with your students. We’ll provide options for actions that you, your students and the community can take to help monarchs. Although targeted

to teachers of grades prekindergarten through five, educators of all grade levels are welcome to register for the workshop. This workshop is part of the

ENTICE ( Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For

more information or to register please visit the IDNR website at: https://www.enticeworkshops.com.

June

Wild Plants of Giant City Saturday, June 9, 4-6pm

Giant City State Park is home to hundreds of species of amazing plants. Join Extension Forester, Chris Evans, for an interesting and informative Wild

Plant Hike on the one-mile Giant City Nature Trail. This program is free but registration is required. Please call 618-457-4836 to register.

Cooking With Wild Edibles Saturday, June 16, 9am-Noon

So you’ve found some dandelion greens, now what? Let forager and cooking enthusiast Alex Holmes show you some new and creative ways to prepare

your wild harvest! The program will begin with a one-mile hike through the forest to learn to safely identify and ethically harvest some of the tastiest

treats the woods provide. Afterwards, a demonstration in cast iron, open fire, and modern cooking with these wild edibles is sure to spark your taste buds.

You’ll never look at a red bud tree the same way again! Please register for this program by calling 618-457-4836.

Rare Plants of Southern Illinois Sunday, June 24, 2-3pm

There is a tremendous biodiversity in southern Illinois. Much of that biodiversity is rare, especially when it comes to plants, as an estimated 20% of plant

species that occur in southern Illinois are at the edge of their range. Join botanist Chris Benda for a program featuring photos of rare plants and interest-

ing information about their ecology, distribution, and status on the Illinois Threatened and Endangered Species list. No registration required. Meet at the

Giant City Visitors Center.

July Owls of Giant City

Friday, July 6, 6:30-8:00pm Whoooo said Giant City has owls? I do, that’s whooooo! At 7pm join Beverly Shofstall from Free Again Wildlife Rehab as she introduces us to some

live owls that you may find at the Park. Arrive at 6:30pm to dissect an actual owl pellet before the presentation! This will be a weather dependent outdoor

program. No registration required. We will meet at shelter #3.

August Fabulous Ferns of Giant City

Thursday, August 9, 6-8pm In summer, Giant City is a lush green environment full of many different species of ferns. This program, conducted by Extension Forester Chris Evans,

will give a hands-on approach to learning all about these green beauties. Join us as we head out to the two-mile Trillium Trail to identify some live spe-

cies. This program is free and open to the public. Please register by calling 618-457-4836.