Silver & Sleepy Hollow Creeks Watershed Coalition

10/20/2026

Greetings volunteers! Our next workday will be next Sunday, October 25, from 9-11AM.

THE GROUP
We meet once a month at Sterne's outdoor pavilion, 5617 Hillside Dr. from 9-11AM. Volunteers have a chance to learn about restoration ecology and what makes Sterne’s Fen special. Please bring a water bottle and a pair of work gloves. The park district will supply loppers and bow saws. Invasives like honeysuckle and buckthorn are crowding out the native fen species. The brush also prevents the use of controlled burns on the fen. Email Brice Alt, volunteer site steward, to receive a monthly workday reminder: [email protected]. Next month's workday will be Nov 22.

THE PARK
Sterne’s Woods & Fen became an Illinois State Nature Preserve in 1994 to preserve and protect its unique ecology. A fen is a rare type of wetland in which cold groundwater that is high in calcium and magnesium seeps to the surface. The unique water chemistry supports plants that grow nowhere else. Sterne’s Fen is home to at least 10 rare or endangered plant species. The surrounding parkland acts as a buffer to the fen and includes prairie, oak savanna, and flatwood ecosystems. Every one of those ecosystems can benefit from the efforts of volunteers. Join us once a month and learn about them!

REGISTRATION
The Crystal Lake Park District now requires all volunteers to register ONCE at this link : https://www.crystallakeparks.org/volunteer-opportunities
You only need to register as a volunteer one time, and then you can help at Sterne's Fen and elsewhere. Visit the link for the minimum age requirements.

10/12/2026

Hello, Stickney Run Volunteers!

The next Stickney Run workday will be this Saturday October 17th from 9 to Noon. Exciting news: we have completed our tree and brush clearing work in the woods south and west of the parking lot, and last week we planted 200 native trees and shrubs in this same area. We can now declare victory and move on! Well done! With the completion of our clearing work in the woods by the parking lot, we will move on to the woods south of the reservoir, focusing inside the loop trail. This area holds some nice spring ephemeral populations, but it has been neglected, and so the usual suspect invasive species have encroached.
We will begin to work our magic on this area this Saturday. We will be mostly cutting buckthorn and similar-sized stems.

Please bring your own drinking water and bug spray, and I will have tools, gloves, safety glasses, and a light snack.

As usual, we will meet in the Stickney Run parking lot off of State Park Road, just east of Barreville Road in McHenry. If you are under the age of 18 and wish to attend without a parent or guardian, please have a parent or guardian sign the attached form and bring it with you.

Please drop me a note if you plan to attend. Let me know if you need more concise directions.

I hope to see you there! In the event of inclement weather, always check your email before you leave the house - no email means we are ON! Email, text or call me with any questions (cell is 224-612-1803). Thanks! Looking forward to working with you!

Pete Jackson
Site Steward, Stickney Run

10/05/2026

Hey Stickney Volunteers,

District staff and volunteers will be planting 200 trees and shrubs at Stickney Run this Friday, October 9th from 10 to 12. I invite you to help out, the holes will be dug for us so all we have to do is plant and cage the plants provided. This will be a nice enhancement to the woods by the parking lot we have been working on for several years!

This is a District-sponsored event and I do not believe they are requiring registration, so feel free to just show up. Hope to see you!

Pete Jackson, Steward

09/29/2026

Our restoration of Sterne's Fen is so close to finished. A great crew worked Sunday to clear away more of the buckthorn and honeysuckle from the site. Not too many more workdays will be needed to have the area completely open! You can help! We're at the Fen on the 4th Sunday of every month from 9 - 11 am! Come join us!

09/03/2026

Hello, Stickney Run Volunteers!

Well, it sounds like the temps may finally cool down a bit by this weekend, so our next workday at Stickney Run will be this Saturday, September 5th from 9 to Noon. We will resume our brush-cutting work. MCCD- certified chainsawyers and brushcutters are welcome, along with folks who can haul and stack brush. Hopefully, we will be working in temps in the 70s. We'll have to keep an eye on the weather, with a slight chance for rain. No big trees on this one, mostly smaller-diameter shrub stems. We'll have a bit of a hike from the parking lot. I'd like to finish off that small savanna south of the fen that we worked in earlier this year.

Please bring your own drinking water and bug spray, and I will have tools, gloves, safety glasses, and a light snack.

As usual, we will meet in the Stickney Run parking lot off of State Park Road, just east of Barreville Road in McHenry. If you are under the age of 18 and wish to attend without a parent or guardian, please have a parent or guardian sign the attached form and bring it with you.

Please drop me a note if you plan to attend. Let me know if you need more concise directions.

I hope to see you there! In the event of inclement weather, always check your email before you leave the house - no email means we are ON! Email, text or call me with any questions (cell is 224-612-1803). Thanks! Looking forward to working with you!

Pete Jackson
Site Steward, Stickney Run

08/18/2026

Greetings volunteers! You're invited to our next workday at Sterne's Fen this Sunday, August 23, from 9-11AM.

THE GROUP
We meet once a month at Sterne's outdoor pavilion, 5617 Hillside Dr. from 9-11AM. Volunteers have a chance to learn about restoration ecology and what makes Sterne’s Fen special. Please bring a water bottle and a pair of work gloves. The park district will supply loppers and bow saws. Invasives like honeysuckle and buckthorn are crowding out the native fen species. The brush also prevents the use of controlled burns on the fen. Email Brice Alt, volunteer site steward, to receive a monthly workday reminder: [email protected]. Next month's workday will be Sept 27.

THE PARK
Sterne’s Woods & Fen became an Illinois State Nature Preserve in 1994 to preserve and protect its unique ecology. A fen is a rare type of wetland in which cold groundwater that is high in calcium and magnesium seeps to the surface. The unique water chemistry supports plants that grow nowhere else. Sterne’s Fen is home to at least 10 rare or endangered plant species. The surrounding parkland acts as a buffer to the fen and includes prairie, oak savanna, and flatwood ecosystems. Every one of those ecosystems can benefit from the efforts of volunteers. Join us once a month and learn about them!

REGISTRATION
The Crystal Lake Park District now requires all volunteers to register ONCE at this link : https://www.crystallakeparks.org/volunteer-opportunities
You only need to register as a volunteer one time, and then you can help at Sterne's Fen and elsewhere. Visit the link for the minimum age requirements.

Enhance your life while giving back to the community through various volunteer service opportunities with the Crystal Lake Park District. Volunteers are essential to the success of our programs and special events. Get started by completing an application!

05/21/2026

Hello, Stickney Run Volunteers!

Our next workday at Stickney Run will be this Sunday, May 24th from 9 to 11 a.m.. We will be doing some leisurely walking to pull garlic mustard, This will also be a good chance to take a look at what wildflowers are popping up and to see how our restoration work is looking this spring!

I recommend that you bring drinking water you can carry with you. Mosquitos are out so bring bug spray. Be sure to wear long pants, not leggings. I'll have bags, work gloves, and a light snack.

As usual, we will meet in the Stickney Run parking lot off of State Park Road, just east of Barreville Road in McHenry. If you are under the age of 18 and wish to attend without a parent or guardian, please have a parent or guardian sign the attached form and bring it with you.

Please drop me a note if you plan to attend.

I hope to see you there! In the event of inclement weather, always check your email before you leave the house. Email, text or call me with any questions (cell is 224-612-1803). Thanks! Looking forward to working with you!

Pete Jackson
Site Steward, Stickney Run

05/20/2026

05/19/2026

Special Notice: We're still pulling garlic mustard at Sterne's Fen. We would love to have your help tomorrow morning (Wednesday, 5/20) from 8 - 10 am.

Wild garlic mustard is a highly destructive invasive species in the United States, but anyone can help stop its spread.

04/20/2026

Happy Spring! Our next workday will be this Sunday, April 26, from 9-11AM. This month is our annual garlic mustard pull. It can be helpful to have a flathead screwdriver or weeder to loosen soil around their long tap root. The park district will provide garbage bags for the garlic mustard, however volunteers are welcome to bring their own weeders and gloves. Please join us this Sunday, April 26, from 9-11AM.


Garlic Mustard
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/garlic-mustard/

THE GROUP
We meet once a month at Sterne's outdoor pavilion, 5617 Hillside Dr. from 9-11AM. Volunteers have a chance to learn about restoration ecology and what makes Sterne’s Fen special. Please bring a water bottle and a pair of work gloves. Invasives like garlic mustard, honeysuckle, and buckthorn are crowding out the native species. The brush also prevents the use of controlled burns on the fen. Email Brice Alt, volunteer site steward, to receive a monthly workday reminder: [email protected]. Our next two Sunday work dates are: May 17 and June 28.

THE PARK
Sterne’s Woods & Fen became an Illinois State Nature Preserve in 1994 to preserve and protect its unique ecology. A fen is a rare type of wetland in which cold groundwater that is high in calcium and magnesium seeps to the surface. The unique water chemistry supports plants that grow nowhere else. Sterne’s Fen is home to at least 10 rare or endangered plant species. The surrounding parkland acts as a buffer to the fen and includes prairie, oak savanna, and flatwood ecosystems. Every one of those ecosystems can benefit from the efforts of volunteers. Join us once a month and learn about them!

REGISTRATION
The Crystal Lake Park District now requires all volunteers to register ONCE at this link : https://www.crystallakeparks.org/volunteer-opportunities
You only need to register as a volunteer one time, and then you can help at Sterne's Fen and elsewhere. Visit the link for the minimum age requirements.


One of our garlic mustard piles last year.

Wild garlic mustard is a highly destructive invasive species in the United States, but anyone can help stop its spread.