Heller Nature Center Hosts Earth Day Event Saturday

All ages are invited to the Heller Nature Center's fifth annual day of conservation of environmental stewardship on Saturday, April 20.

Celebrate Earth Day by joining the staff at the Heller Nature Center in at 2821 Rigde Rd. in Highland Park from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20 to improve natural areas for wildlife and visitors alike. Please dress for the weather and getting dirty! Call (847) 433-6901 to register. Visit the website to learn more about the nature center. Heller Nature Center is a nature preserve in north western Highland Park complete with trails, a nature center with museum and several features throughout the site such as a pond, bonfire circle and bird habitat. The center offers a piece of wild Illinois that is not otherwise available in the area.

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Mild Winter Might Mean More Coyotes

Have you seen any coyotes in Highland Park this winter? The mild winter weather might mean there are more coyotes roaming the city. Here's what to do if you see one.

The mild winter weather might be causing more coyotes to hang around Highland Park, according to a Heller Nature Center naturalist. Want Highland Park news in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter. A picture sent to Patch by a Highland Park resident on Thursday of a coyote in a Clavey Road and Red Oak Lake backyard prompted me to reach out to Leah Holloway, who has worked for the Park District of Highland Park for more than four years, to see what it is about this city that appeals to coyotes. "We have a healthy coyote population in Highland Park," Holloway said. She pointed to the city's many parks and open areas as factors that could appeal to them. "It's just a really great neighborhood for them." Coyotes are about the size of a medium…

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Cross-Country Skiing Trails Now Open in Highland Park

Enjoy cross-country skiing in Highland Park.

Finally there is enough snow for some outdoor sporting action! The cross-country skiing trails are now open at Heller Nature Center in Highland Park, according to the Park District of Highland Park's Facebook. Cross-country skis are currently being rented. Heller Nature Center, located at 2821 Ridge Road, in Highland Park, has three miles of ungroomed trails. Residents can rent skis for the day whenever snow conditions permit (4” base or greater). Overnight rentals are not available. Rental packages include no-wax skis, boots and poles. Sizes available for age 6 through adult. A driver’s license or $20 deposit is required per set of skis. Reservations are not accepted. Cash, check or credit card payments are accepted. Call (847) 433.6901 …

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Patch Picks

Patch Picks For Fall Foliage

Find ways to enjoy the beautiful colors in and around town.

After a long hot summer, the crisp air of fall and the bright colors of the leaves are a refreshing change. Take this opportunity to get outside for a walk or a bike ride in one of the many beautiful places we've found to enjoy the foliage. Or let us know where you like best in the comments section below. Heller Nature Center, Highland Park This 97-acre property maintained by the park district offers three miles of marked trails for casual strolls to admire the scenery or serious nature hikes, as the land is maintained as a haven for native plants and animals. Here you'll find a forest, prairie, wetlands and savanna. Visitors can bring picnics on the trails through this oak-hickory forest, but must leave bikes and motorized vehicles in the…

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Joanna Schneider

12:17 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Fall is by far my favorite season! Crisp air, stunning colors, what's not to love? I definitely want to grab my bike and check out a few of these spots. Thanks for the round-up, Joanna!   more ›

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Heller Nature Center Celebrates Fall with Autumn Fest

Families gather at Nature Center to celebrate the beginning of the new season.

Hundreds came to Heller Nature Center last Friday to celebrate the changing of the season last Friday for the annual Autmn Fest celebration. This was the 12th year Heller has hosted the event. Kids and their parents enjoyed a number of fall related activities including pony rides, educational crafts and games, food, a pumpkin hunt, a petting zoo, hay rides through the woods, and a bonfire. For the second year a food drive was held to benefit a local food bank. Working Bikes Cooperative, a Chicago non-profit, also took part for the first time this year collecting old or unwanted bikes. "We're celebrating Fall. It's just a fun family-friendly event," said Nature Center manager Jeff Smith. "This is our 12th year and it gets bigger and better …

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Harvesting Honey at Heller

Volunteers join nature center employees to gather summer sweet.

Heller Nature Center is a sweet place to spend the day. This past week it got even sweeter as employees and volunteers harvested honey from the 20 or so colonies of honeybees that make up the Center's apiary. The bees have been in residence at the Center for over 10 years now, but the honey has only been harvested and sold since 2003.  The primary purpose of the apiary is education, but the honey is bottled and sold at the Center, as well as Sunset Foods when the yield is large enough. Proceeds from any honey sales go back into education programs provided by the Nature Center. "The primary purpose is education," said Nature Center manager Jeff Smith. "We do lots of education programs with school groups and the public. They also serve a …

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