Forest Preserve District offers tree ID workshop Oct. 20 at Homer Lake and free Harvest Fest Oct. 25 at Lake of the Woods
MAHOMET - The Champaign County Forest Preserve District has two hands-on fall programs on its calendar, a tree identification workshop at Homer Lake on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and Harvest Fest & Touch-A-Truck at Lake of the Woods on Sunday, Oct. 25, according to the district's event pages.
The Pop Up Tree ID Workshop runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Walnut Hill in Homer Lake Forest Preserve. Participants learn to use a field guide to spot the features of common local trees, then take a short guided hike to identify mystery trees and go home with an identification key. The whole program is outdoors. The page does not list a cost or registration; call 217-896-2455 for details.
Harvest Fest & Touch-A-Truck runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Museum of the Grand Prairie. It is free, needs no registration and is open to all ages, with pumpkin carving and decorating, hayrack rides, apple peeling and a close look at equipment the district uses in its preserves. A limited number of carving pumpkins will be sold for $5, with supplies provided, and children must be accompanied by an adult, the page says. Information: 217-586-2612.
Source: Champaign County Forest Preserve District, Pop Up Tree ID Workshop, https://www.champaignforests.org/events/details/pop-up-tree-id-workshop, and Harvest Fest & Touch-A-Truck, https://www.champaignforests.org/events/details/harvest-fest-touch-a-truck-1