Buzz n' Bloom The - Lake Katherine
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The
Buzz n' Bloom
JANUARY, 2022
A Triannual Newsletter by Lake Katherine
Nature Center and Botanic Gardens
Contents
Get to Know the LK Crew - 1
Updates and Events - 2
Woolly Bears + Craft - 3-4
Try it Out! Activities - 5-6
Featured Article: Lake Katherine:
A History - 7-10
Get to Know the LK Crew - Animal Edition!
American Toad
Favorite Past-time: Soaking in my water
bowl.
Favorite food: Crickets or worms!
Early bird or night owl: Night owl! I am
mostly a nocturnal animal, but I hop
around during the day sometimes too.
Whiskey the Corn Snake
Favorite Past-time: Digging in the dirt!
Favorite food: Small rats, or big mice.
Early bird or night owl: Early bird. I like to
be awake during the day and soak up the
warm suns rays!
Staff Recommendations
The Wild Woods Guide by Doug Bennet and Tim Tiner
is an original, insightful, and easy read for those interested
in learning about the flora, fauna, and natural phenomena
of the Great North Woods (the regions of New England
and Eastern Canada.) Many of the subjects covered pertain
to the wildlands of Illinois as well, as we share much of the
1
same ecology.
Updates
Lake Katherine is following all up-to-
date Covid-19 laws and guidelines. In
effect January 3rd, 2022, all patrons
attending events, private or those
organized by Lake Katherine, that
serve food and/or drinks must show
proof of vaccination. All K-12
programs are exempt from vaccination
mandates. Mask requirements for
indoor activities have remained the
same: All persons over the age of 2
entering the building will be required
to wear a face mask.
Upcoming Programs and Events
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Botanical Painting Night Fitness February
of Service January 19th, 7-9pm February 19th, 9-1pm
January 17th, 9:30-11:30am Gather inspiration from native Lake Katherine is challenging
Join Lake Katherine naturalists plant prints to stencil or free- the community to join us for
our first Fitness February Event!
in restoration work to honor hand paint beautiful flowers and
Activities will include
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of grasses of your choice on a piece
snowshoeing, sled races, yoga
Service. of wood. Sip on two glasses of
with The Do Good Movement,
wine, or a non-alcoholic and more!
Winter Night Hike beverage while you unwind. Registration Required: Look on
February 10th, 6-7:30pm our website and social media for
Explore wintery Lake Katherine Tasteful Terrariums further updates!
after dark! Hike with a naturalist February 24th, 7-9pm
from the Nature Center to the Bring out your inner child and
Visit Lakekatherine.org for
Children's forest and learn about layer dirt, pebbles and plants to
more details.
winter wildlife while you stay create a beautiful terrarium to
Seasonally themed youth and
warm by a fire with a cup of hot bring a unique piece of green art
homeschool programs are
chocolate. to your home! Sip on two glasses
available also for sign-up
of wine, or a non-alcoholic
now!
2 beverage while you craft.
Woolly Bears
By Tara Rosenwinkel So how can an insect predict the
weather? Woolly bears have bands of rusty
Have you ever been on a walk in late
brown and black colors. It is believed that
fall or sometimes even the winter time and
the length of their bands is the key to the
noticed a fuzzy caterpillar walking across
forecast. If they have longer black bands
your path? The strange sight is quite
than the rusty brown bands, it will be a
common if you live in the U.S, Canada, or
harsher and longer winter. If there is more
Mexico. These little fuzzy creatures are
rusty brown bands than black bands then
called Woolly Bears. They’re the caterpillar
the winter will be milder and shorter. The
stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth and are
reason this become a phenomenon is
trying to find a warm place to overwinter.
because of the scientist Dr. Howard
Woolly bears have fur that surrounds
Curran. He did a study back in 1948 at
their body, which is called setae. The setae
Bear Mountain, New York to test if the
are vital for their survival throughout the
bands of this caterpillar had predicted the
winter months. It allows the caterpillar to
winter weather. His hypothesis was
control the rate at which they freeze. They
supported but not proven to be true.
will almost completely freeze themselves to
As it has been further investigated, the
withstand the frigid winter temperatures so
caterpillar’s bands don’t actually predict the
they can emerge in the spring time and
winter weather. The bands indicate its age,
continue the process in becoming the
species, and the growth of the caterpillar.
Isabella tiger moth.
However, if you do come across one, it is
So why bring up these insects at all? These
still fun to observe and believe in the
caterpillars have an interesting myth
legend of the woolly bear and its
surrounding them. It is believed that they
forecasting powers.
are able to forecast the winter weather!
There is no proven science behind them
predicting the weather but it is fun to
believe.
3
Make Your Own Woolly Bear Friend
1 2
4
3
4
Try it Out! Winter can be a challenging time for people's physical and mental health, however it's during these cold months that it's even more important to take care of ourselves. Keeping a log such as this can be a great way to encourage healthy choices, and to look back on to inspire you that you can do it! 5
Try it Out: Stay Active!
Winter Bucket List
Rent Snow Shoes at Lake Katherine
Take a Winter Nature Hike
Set up a Bird Feeder and Watch the Winter Birds
Stargaze (Winter is a Great Time to See Constellations!)
Have an Outdoor Bonfire (look for our Winter Night Hike
in February)
Go Ice Skating
Go Sledding
Make a Snow Man
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Lake Katherine: A History
by Gareth Blakesley
Prehistoric History Ancient History
440 to 395 million years ago, the More recently a series of glacial
Chicago area was under a great periods from around 14,000 to 10,000
shallow tropical sea, located near the years ago caused any accumulated
equator. Over time sediments from material rock and stone to be removed
ancient shell bearing animals were from the landscape. As these glaciers
deposited and accumulated. The stopped or retreated they would leave
deposits compacted, hardened, and piles of crushed rock known as
eventually turned into limestone, moraines, which are the hills that you
which hardened even further as find in the Palos region. Examples of
magnesium replaced the calcium in it these are the Tinley Park and the
to become dolomite. As the ancient Valporaiso Moraine. During one of
earth shifted, the seas retreated from these glacial retreats, glacial ice
what is now Illinois and the area retreated but not fully, leaving a lake in
eroded down to a fairly flat plain with the area now known as Lake
dolomite at it's base. Michigan. The still frozen glacier
blocked the flow of surface water to
the Atlantic Ocean, and caused the
water to flow through the moraine to
the west in two areas: the Calumet Sag
valley, and the Des Plaines valley.
Collectively these two water systems
are known as the Chicago Outlet. This
water flow eroded down through the
moraines exposing the dolomite
bedrock.
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Building the Canal Excavated Bedrock
The Calumet-Saganashkee Canal The bedrock that was excavated
to the north of Lake Katherine was during the canal building process is
excavated between 1911 and 1922 in mostly made up of dolomite
order to re-direct waste water from limestone. This material was placed
Lake Michigan into the Illinois River. along the canal banks, covering the
The low area between the moraines, previous vegetation and ecosystems.
the Cal-Sag valley, was a convenient This overburden is what makes up the
and profitable location for a canal to hills that line most of banks along the
be built. The creation of the Canal entire canal. There were two reasons
completed the connection between for this: leaving debris was convenient
Lake Michigan and the Des Plaines and cost effective; the other was to
River, therefore connecting industry help shield the barges of coal and
from the Great Lakes watershed and other industrial products from being
the Mississippi River basin. seen by communities nearby.
Essentially, Lake Katherine's
Landscape is an outcome of the
combination of human and natural
works.
8
Nature Center Lake Katherine’s lake was created
The immediate area along the during this period of time and its
canal, now Lake Katherine was official definition is a wet detention
somewhat forgotten. On its southern basin. It slows storm water runoff
edge, a gun club was established and before it enters the Cal Sag canal
ran from 1938 until it was closed in which is about 20 ft lower than the
1986 and moved to Frankfurt. The lake. It is designed with shallow area
Lake Katherine site itself had become that were planted with water lilies to
an unofficial dump/spoil site, until the create habitat for wildlife. We have
late Mayor Eugene Simpson crafted an continued this naturalization with
idea in the late 1980s of creating a planting emergent wetland plants
nature center based on the north along the edges and conducting
woods. His plans materialized through ecological management of the site,
the City of Palos Heights on land by removing invasive species and
leased from the Metropolitan Water planting native species. You may see
Reclamation District of Chicago this works through all seasons
(MWRD own much of the Cal-Sag whether it be woody removal,
edge). The former gun club structure planting of tress or even prescribed
was moved in 1989 from its original burns. These are all techniques we
location to its current location on the use to try create a more biodiverse
grounds of Lake Katherine and was site.
originally intended to be the nature Lake Katherine Nature Center’s
center. Another building was built very presence owes itself to the
instead to house the nature center and geological and industrial past of this
the gun club became known as the area. As current stewards of the
clubhouse, which is primarily used for land, we look forward to continuing
event rentals. to improve it's beauty, biodiversity,
and provide outdoor education and
recreation.
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