Boone-Dutch Creeks Watershed Alliance

06/23/2026

Help tend the Petersen Park Pollinator Garden on a midsummer evening and take home free native plants for your own yard!

This garden on the shore of a picturesque pond, has been growing every year as a partnership between local environmental groups, the Youth and Family Center of McHenry County, and the Parks Dept. of McHenry, IL. A group of volunteers called Neighbors Helping Pollinators tends this garden regularly. Come to learn about the plants and insects who make their habitat here, help keep the garden looking beautiful, and choose some native plants to bring home. See full details here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BUYReuaFY/

06/22/2026

Come celebrate pollinator week at Yonder Prairie for a pollinator bioblitz! Look for a variety of bees, butterflies, day-flying moths and more! Yonder Prairie has high-quality habitat that attracts some unique insects. We will help identify the different pollinators we find. This is a great way to get involved in citizen science and learn more about local pollinators, plants and other insects. Regiter TODAY! https://conservemc.org/event/pollinator-bioblitz/

06/22/2026

Celebrate Pollintor Week by joining a wonderful group of volunteers this Wednesday to help maintain the Rain Garden at the Lost Valley Visitor Center at Glacial Park in Ringwood. Help out and learn from each other. This garden is a great example of how to plant a small area that is beautiful but more acceptable in neighborhood areas. Interested volunteers should be able to bend (we are basically hand weeding) and manage outdoor light work. This location has plenty of parking and indoor bathrooms. Volunteers should bring gloves, and water to drink, and wear tick prevention. This group meets regularly usually the last Wednesday of the month from 10 am - noon. See the full list of local Pollinator Week events here: tinyurl.com/PollinatorWk

06/19/2026

Take part in a local Pollinator Week event! The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County are sponsoring the program, BLUEBERRY AWARDS CELEBRATE BOOKS THAT CONNECT CHILDREN TO NATURE from 4-5 pm, Monday, June 22 at Cary Public Library, 1606 Three Oaks Rd, Cary, IL. It will introduce you to the children’s literature award founded in Illinois that honors great books that strengthen kids’ connections with nature!
Please register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsEsSRKTyl6IC5k8KSmqgDMJJ8NOdRWerIBaHp2YmTQRiZ-Q/viewform so we can send you a reminder email on June 22.

06/05/2026

Read our latest quarterly newsletter! Click here:

06/03/2026

Visit Boone Creek Fen Nature Preserve in Bull Valley, IL on June 12, 2026 beginning at 10 am. What a rare opportunity! This pristine location is surrounded by privately owned land and is home to myriad native species. Learn about and experience this unique place. Scan the QR code to learn more or visit https://forms.gle/qkEaWXCKjvuyqWPh9 to register for this event.

05/14/2026

Try an alternative to big chemical. It works and protects our native wildlife.

05/11/2026

It is not too late! Listen to reknowned author Robin Wall Kimmerer's kick-off presentation at youtube.com/live/fwhiXpg0SsI?si=7w4c2QtRwFSmUWXP then get yourself signed up for the challenge at www.lesslawnmorelife.com

The more people you share this inspiring meassage with, the better. We can all help make a difference, one plant at a time. Happy planting!

05/07/2026

JOIN US!
We’re using these simple buckets to cut down on mosquitoes.

The buckets attract them to lay eggs—then stop them before they become biting adults.

No fogging. No sprays.
A low-cost option that doesn’t harm the life in your yard 🌱

MosquitoBucketChallenge.com

Six steps to natural mosquito control. The Mosquito Bucket Challenge is a safe, affordable way to control mosquitoes without harming kids, pets, or pollinators.