All About Birds Series Starting at Thomson and Mt. Carroll Libraries
Being in nature, pausing in it, sitting in it and discovering its wonders, brings a sense of calm and renewal.
Discovering our bird friends is one way to accomplish all of this. Join Carroll County Master Gardener/Master
Naturalist Nancy Gmitro for a three part series on birding. Topics to be covered include: Identification by sight
and sound, types of feed and the birds they attract, and make your own bird feeder or house.
To register for this program in Thomson on February 20, 27, and March 19 at 10:30 AM contact the Thomson library at 815-259- 2480. To register for this program in Mt. Carroll on March 19, April 16 and May 21 at 5:30 PM contact the Mt. Carroll Library at 815-244-1751.
Wee Naturalist Meet at Odell Public Library to Learn About Hibernation
Youth ages 4-7 will learn and explore where animals go in the winter! Join the Wee Naturalist at the Odell
Public Library in Morrison on February 22, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. and learn all about hibernation. Space is
limited so register early by calling the library at 815/772-7323. Wee Naturalist is offered by University of
Illinois Extension the 4th Saturday of the month through May.
University of Illinois Extension Hosts Cattle Feeders Workshop March 6 at Sauk Valley Community College
The University of Illinois Extension annual Cattle Feeders Day will be held March 6, 2020 at Sauk Valley
Community College. This daylong seminar will cover nutrition, economics, a market outlook and current topics
in the cattle feeding industry. Topics for the day include: Trade Negotiation Updates and Importance of
Foreign Markets, Value of Rubber Matting in Slatted Barns, Management Considerations and Benchmarks for
Indoor Cattle Feeding Operations, and Real Meat vs. the Alternatives, What is Meat? – What’s the Beef?
The day starts at 8:30 with check in/registration. The program will run from 9AM – 3:30PM. Registration is
$10.00. Register online at: go.illinois.edu/cattlefeeders. Registration deadline is February 28. For more
information contact Mary Nelson at (815) 632-4611.
Address for the meeting is Sauk Valley Community College, 173 Illinois Route 2, Dixon, IL.
Cooking and Booking Club available to local youth
Where can you try new foods, make lasagna, and toss water balloons? At Cooking and Booking of course! 4-H,
KSB, Dixon YMCA, and Oliver’s Corner Market invite youth to this year’s Cooking and Booking Club. Youth
ages 8 through 12, as of Sept 1, 2019, will learn all about good nutrition, food safety, basic cooking skills, new
foods, exercise, and sports.
The club meets on the second Thursday of each month from March 12 through August 13 at 4:30pm in the KSB
Hospital Private Dining Room. Pre-registration is required and can be done at go.illinois.edu/CookinBookin.
University of Illinois U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Local Extension Councils Cooperating
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in any of our programs, please contact 815-632-3611.
The cost of the club is $50. We can’t wait to see you! One may contact Kathy Book at 815-857-3525 for more
information.
Ready Set Grow Gardening Workshop Hosted By Carroll, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside
Counties Master Gardeners
Happy New Gardening Year! University of Illinois Extension is pleased to announce that the registration for the
2020 Ready…Set…Grow… Gardening Workshop is now open! Ready…Set…Grow… will be held on
Saturday, March 21, 2020 from 8:00 am – 2:15 pm at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL.
This event is open to anyone who is interested in plants, enjoys gardening, a teacher or a Master Volunteer, to
name a few. We offer a keynote speaker; 12 breakout sessions over a wide variety of topics including Eastern
Bluebirds: Little Blue Gem in Your Garden, The Cook’s Garden, Fun with Fermentation, “Are My Trees and
Plants in Trouble?” New Invaders Update, and many more; vendors with unique items for purchase; a Master
Gardener Q & A Desk; and Continental Breakfast & Buffet Lunch. This year’s keynote address, Apples,
Getting to the Core of things! will be given by Richard Hentschel, University of Illinois Extension, Horticulture
Educator.
The fee for this program is $45, and registrations will be accepted until March 16, 2020. For more information
or to register for Ready…Set…Grow…, please visit: go.illinois.edu/ReadySetGrowWorkshop or call Ogle
County Extension Office at 815-732-2191.