information provided by the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative
WHITING, Ind. (May 14, 2023) – A morning bike ride and an afternoon walk will be featured at the 23rd annual Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands Wind & Water festival on Saturday, May 27.
Sponsored by the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative, the festival begins at 9 a.m. near the Visitors Center parking lot at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, 12949 Avenue O, Chicago.
To join the 15-mile bike ride through the Wolf Lake watershed, participants should arrive at 8:45 a.m. Bikers will visit the new connection with Powderhorn Lake, Indian Creek, Eggers Grove, George Lake, and Wolf Lake. Riders will return to the Visitors Center about 11:30 a.m., and are required to wear helmets.
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 spring wildflowers (Mayapple, bellwort, early meadow rue, sandwort, spring cress), sedges (oak sedge, fox sedges), and shrubs (blue-fruited dogwood, viburnum, American hazelnut).
“The hawthorns will probably have finished blooming,” she adds, “but the viburnums may have just started and there are spectacular sweeps of viburnum flowers for hundreds of feet along the east marsh.”
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.
On-line registration is required for both events. Consult AWLI’s website at www.wolflakeinitiative.org. Registration deadline is May 24.
The Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative is a bi-state not-for-profit organization and land trust seeking to protect and enhance the thousands of acres within the Wolf Lake watershed, which serves a population base of 3.4 million.
