Events, News & Activities
Monarchs & Music: The Monarch Mania Fun Fair 2022
Sun., August 14, 2022
12:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Crystal Lake Main Beach
300 Lakeshore Dr., Crystal Lake, IL
Migrate to the beach for the afternoon to enjoy this Free Event, and learn all about Monarchs.
Fall Gathering with Special Guest Chad Pregracke
Tues., Sept. 13, 2022
Time: TBA
George Williams College of Aurora University
350 Constance Blvd., Williams Bay, WI 53191
Are you ready to be inspired? Chad Pregracke, 2013 CNN Hero of the Year, is living proof that one person can make a difference. Join us for a special Fall Gathering . . .
Pollinator Safari, Free Family Event
Due to Rain, event is rescheduled to Sun., June 26, 2022, 1-4 PM
Boloria Meadows NP
7219 Millburne Court, Bull Valley, IL 60050
Rain Date: June 26
Hikes, crafts, exhibits, photos opps and more on this family-friendly afternoon . . .
Friends of Hackmatack NWR Summer Gathering
Tue., June 14, 2022
6:30 PM
Small Waters Education NFP
15820 IL-173, Harvard, IL
We are extending an invitation to join us for our Summer Gathering. Meet at Small Waters at 6:30 for hot dogs on the grill and cold sodas!
We’re excited to share info on a new 80+ acre property . . .
2022 Annual Meeting: Our 10-Year Celebration – Register Now!
Tue., Nov. 8, 2022
Time: TBA
The Dole
401 Country Club Rd.
Crystal Lake, IL
Friends, mark your calendars! Preparation is underway for an amazing 10-year celebration of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
Our event will be held at The Dole in Crystal Lake . . .
Call for Artists! The Nature of Hackmatack NWR Art Show
Accepting Submissions May 2022 – Oct. 1, 2022
Artist from ages 4 – adult are welcome to create artwork that reflects the NATURE of our area. All media are accepted, including written work and poetry. The show will be on display at the Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake, IL.
World Migratory Bird Day At Turner Tract
Saturday, May 14, 2022 8:00 am -10:00 am Learn all about birds at this free event. During this 2-hour event, adults and children can take a guided bird walk through the site's woods and prairie. Fun activities to learn about how birds make use of...
World Migratory Bird Day at Glacial Park
Saturday, April 30, 2022 8:00 am -Noon Learn all about birds at this special event. Activity Stations and Bird Passports will be available between 8:00 a.m.and 12:00 p.m. at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park. Get your passport stamped as...
Sneak Peak: Celebrating 10 Years of Hackmatack NWR
Mark your calendars for the 10-Year Hackmatack NWR Annual Meeting Celebration! November 8, 2022 Gala Members Celebration & Art Show Dole Mansion/Lakeside Center Crystal Lake, IL We want your art! Bookmark The Nature of Hackmatack to view the...
Celebrate Eagles Along the Fox River
Saturday, January 22, 2022 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM McHenry Dam Algonquin Dam Carpenter Dam Get Directions Winter is a perfect time to see eagles in the wild as they congregate to feed near the open waters at dams along the Fox River. The In Search of...
Live Raptor Show: Eagles of Illinois
Saturday, February 26: Note date change 2 Showings: 11 AM & 1:30 PM Prairieview Education Center 2112 Behan Rd. Crystal Lake, IL See eagles in person at this indoor event hosted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and McHenry County...
National Wild Refuge Week
October 9 - 16, 2021 National Wildlife Refuge Week, observed the second full week of October each year, celebrates the great network of lands and waters that conserves and protects Americans’ precious wildlife heritage. The Refuge System, managed...
The Big Sit 2021
Sunday, October 10, 2021 7 AM - 5 PM, Activities throughout the day Back Patio at Lost Valley Visitor Center Glacial Park 6705 State Rte. 31 Ringwood, IL The concept is simplicity itself: find a good place for bird watching and count all the bird...
Walk for the Wild to Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week
Saturday, October 16, 2021 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Prairie Trail, Richmond, IL Walk with Friends of Hackmatack NWR! We invite you to join us for a 5K walk on the Prairie Trail on Saturday, Oct. 16. We’ll meet up in the north parking lot at Richmond...
Monarch Mania Family Fun Fair 2021
Sunday, August 15, 2021 12:30 PM - 4 PM Free Family Fun Fair Crystal Lake Park District Main Beach Pavilion (rain or shine!) Free Admission to Beach for all Fair Goers You are invited to the 7th Annual Monarch Family Fun Fair. Migrate to the beach...
Summer Gathering
Tuesday, June 8, 2021 5:30 PM Village of Spring Grove Hatchery Park 2314 Hatchery Rd, Spring Grove You are invited to join fellow Friends of Hackmatack NWR members for a tour of Spring Grove's Hatchery Park. Located at the site of the first...
Spring Gathering 2021: Orchids in Our Midst
Tuesday, March 9, 2021 Virtual Friends Gathering via Zoom Gather 6:30, Program 7:00 PM Orchids are considered indicator species of habitat quality, and generally are rare throughout their range, yet the orchid family is one of the two...
World Migratory Bird Day 2021
Sunday, May 16,...
Annual Meeting 2020: Cultural Diversity & The Future of Conservation
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 6:45 PM - 8:15 PM Virtual Meeting via Zoom Join in for our virtual annual meeting. Register at tinyurl.com/FOHNov2020 and we will send you the Zoom link for the meeting. Cultural Diversity and the Future of Conservation:...
The Big Sit 2020
Sunday, October 11, 2020 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Parking lot at Powers-Walker House in Glacial Park 6705 State Rte. 31 Ringwood, IL The Big Sit is an annual, international, non-competitive bird-watching event founded by the New Haven (Connecticut) Bird...
Latino Conservation Week
Self-Guided Tour at Hackmatack NWR July 19 - 26, 2020 Turner Tract N541 Co. Trunk H Genoa City, WI In celebration of Latino Conservation Week, the Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge invites Latino families (and all other individuals and...
Hackmatack NWR Featured in Northwest Quarterly Live
Photo from Northwest Quarterly Live, by David C. Olson For well over a century, Chicago-area residents have been drawn to the wilderness as a refuge from stressful city life. And in the northern collar counties, many residents are familiar with...
Friends Gathering Spring 2020: Conserving Blanding’s Turtle
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 7:00 - 9:00 PM Lost Valley Visitor Center, Glacial Park 6705 State Rte. 31, Ringwood, IL Conservation of the Blanding’s Turtle at the Lake County Forest Preserves Gary Glowacki, Wildlife Ecologist, Lake County Forest...
In Search of Eagles 2020
Saturday, February 15, 2020 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM In Search of Eagles in the Wild Join us at any of four locations: Fox River Dams and Lake Geneva at Fontana. Bring your binoculars or share ours. We'll also have spotting scopes and fun activities for...
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