ECO Workshops

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WHO & WHAT:  Do you love being outdoors?  Enjoy learning about nature, the environment and wildlife?  What about outdoor skills such as geocaching, fire and shelter building, orienteering and navigation?  Love to explore, listen for and find wildlife?  Then our eco-series of workshops may be for you!
 
WHEN:  We are offering programs in Grundy, Kankakee and Will Counties.  The locations and topics will vary depending on the time of year (February – colder and less daylight vs. May – warmer and more daylight) and location.  They will in one of the Extension offices or offsite at a forest preserve or other natural area.
 
TIME: Programs are 1-2 hours long.  Most programs consist of an outdoor skill, environmental/nature and wildlife topics.  Details of each program will be posted as they are finalized.  The dates & times will not change.

WHERE:  If the location shows an offsite facility, this is where it will be held.  If the event lists the extension office, it may change to an offsite locations within a few miles.  For example, Kankakee Extension office may change to Kankakee Forest Preserve.  If the program is at an offsite facility, it may get moved to the Extension office due to inclement weather.  You will know at least 12 hours prior to the program.
 
REGISTRATION and DETAILS:  The most up-to-date information will be located on this page.  However, REGISTRATIONS will always be on our tri-county (Grundy, Kankakee, Will) website.  Links to register will be next to the Save-the-Date listings.   
 
FEES:
  • If you are in an the ECO Club, there is typically no charge to attend a workshop.  To enroll in a county ECO SPIN Club, just add the club as a second club in 4-H online.  There is no fee for 4-H members to join an ECO SPIN Club.
  • If you are In 4-H and not enrolled in an ECO SPIN Club, the typical fee is $5 per person per event with a maximum of $15 per family.
  • If you are not in 4-H, the typical fee is $10 per person per event.
Wildlife Science
Throughout our series of wildlife workshops, youth will be exposed to a wide variety of wildlife – live, mounted, and pelts/furs/skulls, etc.  They will learn about animal adaptations and their ability to survive, habitats, the impact humans have on them and what we can do to help them.  They will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities, explore local natural areas and meet wildlife experts.  The workshops are designed to build upon one another but you are not required to take them in order as we will review the concepts from earlier levels prior to each workshop.

Resources – We based the majority of the Wildlife 1, 2 and 3 workshops on the Purdue University Extension:
  • Wildlife Science 1, 2 and 3 (March 2017)
  • 4-H Wildlife Manuals 4-H 903 (level a), 904 (level b) and 905 (level c) (Revised 12/2003)

https://4h.extension.illinois.edu/members/projects/natural-resources

Fair projects – Grundy, Kankakee and Will County exhibit day at the state fair is Sunday, August 16.  If youth would like to complete wildlife as a state fair project, below are helpful resources:
Projects & activities on your own (links coming soon):
  • Bird feeders
  • Animal homes
  • Art
  • Chick embryology
  • Citizen scientist
  • Wildlife journal
Wildlife Science - Level 1
State fair project information (https://4h.extension.illinois.edu/members/projects/natural-resources)

Level 1 introduces the wildlife groups: mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles. You will learn about the similarities and differences among these groups and then study each one.
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During this workshop, youth will:
  • Meet live animals up close.  Animals may include snakes, turtles, Madagascar hissing cockroach, and more!
  • Learn about one or more of the topics below:
    • Introduction to Wildlife
      • Secrets of survival… Whoooo needs water anyway?  Animal Needs – food, shelter & water
      • Yep, I’ll just grow some feet!  Why not?  Animal adaptations to increase chances of survival
      • Where’s your backbone?  What in the world is a herptile?  Is a butterfly a bug?  Animal Classification and why it’s important
      • Introduction to vertebrates: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles & amphibians
    • Food
      • How do animals teeth affect what they eat?  Or does what they eat affect their teeth?  Herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores
      • The important of every living creature – even mosquitoes… What’s the difference and what happens if we remove one piece of the chain/web?  Food chains and food webs
    • Shelter
      • Habitats of Illinois: Aquatic, woodland, grassland/prairie and urban
      • Give me my space!  Each animal prefers different amounts of space
    • Water
      • Where in the world do they find it?
    • From fawns to cubs to joeys – parents and their young
    • Where did all the prairies go?  Human Impact on habitat
    • Wildlife as a fair project
Wildlife Science - Level 2
State fair project information (https://4h.extension.illinois.edu/members/projects/natural-resources)  

Level 2 activities help you use your basic knowledge of wildlife from Level 1 to explore more complex wildlife topics.

During our workshops, youth will:
  • Meet live animals up close.  Animals may include snakes, turtles, insects, etc.
  • Learn about some of the topics below:
    • Adaptations and unique features that enhance their chances of survival 
      • Beaks and bills
      • Legs and feet
      • Ears, eyes & teeth
    • Shelter
      • Habitats of North America
      • Migration
    • Food
      • Do you want to be a fish or an eagle?  - Predator vs prey
      • The hawk ate the rabbit that ate the grass - Producers, primary and secondary consumers
      • Life in water
    • Where have all the bison (not buffalo) gone?  Human impact on wildlife, population growth or decline
    • Careers in Wildlife– Get PAID to work with wildlife!
    • Teaching opportunities (Teen Teachers)
    • Wildlife as a fair project

Horticulture - Floriculture - Project c - Plant Propagation and Terrariums/Dish Gardens

In the Horticulture - Floriculture Project C workshop, youth will learn about plant propagation, terrariums and dish gardens.  They will have the opportunity to create new plants from existing plants and create a terrarium or dish garden. 
 
Youth will work on two different projects focusing on plant propagation and terrariums or dish gardens.
 
The first half of the workshop will cover plant propagation.  Youth will:
  • Learn the basics of plant propagation – what, when, and how
  • Select from kitchen vegetables or house plants and take cuttings, divide or layer the plants or extract seeds for new plants
  • Prepare and plant your cuttings and/or seeds
  • Learn how to care for your new plants
The second half of the workshop will cover terrariums and/or dish gardens.  Youth will:
  • Learn about the soil, environmental and water needs of different plants
  • Select seeds, cuttings or plugs for use in your terrarium
  • Create and learn to care for your terrarium or dish garden

Renewable Energy

Junior SOLAR Sprint

Youth will learn about:
  • Renewable energy (solar power) and its importance in future sustainability
  • Physical forces
  • Automotive design
  • Engineering methods
They have the opportunity to design, build and test a solar-powered model car using a variety of resources.  

Suitable for youth in grades 5-8