Daily Archives: August 10, 2021

Saturday, August 21, 9:30 am – 11:00 am – Nature Identification Workshop at Gore Place

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Visit Gore Place on Saturday, August 21 at 9:30 am and learn about our new project on iNaturalist. iNaturalist is an online platform that allows users to record observations, identify living things, and contribute to a body of data used by scientists and researchers around the world.

We are launching a project to record as many of the living things as we can find on our grounds. Join us for this in-person program to learn more about our iNaturalist project and start making observations.

No experience? No problem! During the first portion of the program, we will learn about iNaturalist and how to make and upload observations. We will then move out to the grounds to practice.

This workshop is designed for adults and teens. Children are welcome, but must be 13 years or older to create an iNaturalist account.

The first half hour of this program will take place indoors at our Carriage House. Participants must wear masks or face coverings while indoors.

Participants are required to wear masks at outdoor museum programs if they have not been vaccinated, according to state and local regulations. Gore Place staff will wear masks at all times.

If you or your child require an accommodation to more fully participate in this program, please contact us before registering. Free. Register at https://goreplace.org/whats-on/nature-identification-workshop

Sunday, August 15, 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm – Soil: It is Not Dirt, Online

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Dwayne Anderson, University of Illinois Master Gardener, and Gemini Bhalsod, Educator for University of Illinois Master Gardener Program, will discuss the importance of soil health for ecosystems and native plant gardens.

You will learn about soil components, soil inhabitants and why soil should be viewed as a living system. The speakers will explain the soil food web and two key cycles for dynamic, living soil: the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle. They will examine factors required for good soil health and discuss practices you can use to maintain and improve your soil for the benefit of your native plantings.

Dwayne Anderson grew up on a small Great Plains farm where he developed a love for the natural world. When approaching retirement from a career in federal service, he became a Master Gardener with the University of Illinois Extension Service. Dwayne’s Master Gardener work focuses on soil management and vegetable gardening. He volunteers intensively with local school and community gardens to educate others and help provide fresh produce to cafeterias and farmer’s markets. Dwayne’s soil management practices include minimal tilling, crop rotation, cover crops and organic material replenishment.

Gemini Bhalsod is a Cook County Horticulture Educator with the University of Illinois Extension Service. Gemini educates youths and adults on plants, gardening and environmental stewardship. She leads and trains Northern Cook County Suburban Master Gardeners who educate the community on high-quality, researched-based horticulture information from composting to native plants. Gemini holds a Masters’ Degree in Crop and Soil Science and a Bachelors’ Degree in Plant and Environmental Biology with a specialization in Science, Technology, and Environmental Public Policy from Michigan State. Her professional affiliations include the American Horticultural Society, the American Society of Horticultural Science and the Environmentalists of Color Network.

This Zoom presentation is free to the public. Registrants will receive a Zoom link via e-mail two days before the presentation. Free, but registration is required through Eventbrite HERE.