WHITING, Ind. (August 10, 2022) The bi-state Labor Day Bike Ride will be held Monday, September 5, at this year’s 19th annual Active Living Faire.
Bike ride
Sponsored by the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI), the 15-mile ride, with frequent stops along the way, will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a sign-in near the Visitors Center at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, 12949 S. Avenue O, Chicago. Bike riders are required to wear helmets.
Riders will view parts of the watershed while enjoying early autumn colors. “We will take a look at efforts to reconnect Wolf Lake and Powderhorn Lake and the progress of the project,” according to Michael Boos, executive director of AWLI.
Hike
A second event, a hike, begins at 1 p.m. at Eggers Grove Forest Preserve. Entrance is at East 112th Street and S. Avenue E. After entering the forest preserve, drive to the Stop sign at the T-intersection and turn left (east). Drive past the brick caretaker’s building into the east lot, and park.
Marianne Kozlowski, co-steward at Eggers Grove, will lead the hike. It will be a tour of fruits of the season: wild cherry, elderberry, viburnum — nannyberry, blue-fruited dogwood, American hazelnut, wild grape, cat briar, rose hips, and poison ivy.
“Asters and goldenrod might be in bloom,” she adds. “Grasses will be showing seed heads: bottlebrush, silky rye, Canada rye, little bluestem, cordgrass, big bluestem, and Indian grass.“
Kozlowski also will give an overview of Eggers: history, environments, past restoration work and future plans. Hikers should wear long pants, sturdy shoes and long-sleeve shirts.
Registration
On-line registration is required for both events. Consult AWLI’s website at www.wolflakeinitiative.org. Registration deadline is August 27.
The Active Living Faire is organized to promote health and fitness for visitors to the Wolf Lake watershed. AWLI is a not-for-profit organization and land trust seeking to protect and enhance the thousands of acres that comprise the Wolf Lake watershed.
