News letter articles and announcements
Amanda’s AOF Film Wins!
Amanda’s Film on AOF’s Kuechmann Arboretum placed at this year’s D95 Film Festival! We couldn’t be more proud of her!!
Getting Kids Outside: A Unique Nature Playscape Coming to Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich, Illinois – November 9, 2020
The Village of Lake Zurich Board has approved the proposed Ancient Oaks Foundation (AOF) project to build a nature playscape inside of last year’s development of Kuechmann Arboretum. The nature playscape named “Kuechmann Kove” is not a […]
Interview with a Local on Jumping Spiders
1. Describe jumping spiders to an audience that may not know that they exist.
Jumping spiders are the largest family of all species of spiders. They can be found just about anywhere in nature if you’re looking closely, they’re smaller than […]
Amidst Coronavirus Going For A Walk Can Reduce Stress
We have many great walking trails right near us. A few of our favorites are Kuechmann Arboretum, Oak Ridge Marsh Nature Park, and Brierwood Nature Preserve! These are particularly great areas because they don’t have equipment that can hold onto germs, yet exploring the outdoors here can help reduce stress. Per a […]
Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) Partnership Award
L to R: Beth Slaughter (LZ CUSD 95), Judi Thode (President of AOF), Kevin Scheiwiller (LZ Tree Commission), Bonnie Caputo, Elke Kadzielawski, and Jenna Stanonik (LZ Parks & Recreation Department).
The Ancient Oaks Foundation, along with the Village of Lake Zurich and Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95, were honored […]
2019 Engagement With Parks Report
People visit their local park and recreation facilities twice a month, on average, with one in 10 visiting weekly, if not daily
Sixty-four percent of survey respondents indicate they visited a local park and/or recreation facility within a month of participating in the survey.
Eighty-five percent of the public considers high-quality park and recreation amenities important factors when […]
Volunteers & Grants Help Support Local Green Spaces Including New Arboretum
Eagle Scout Liam Harper
On a recent Saturday morning, a dozen Boy Scouts from Troop 93 of St. Peter Church arrived at the Oak Ridge Marsh Nature Park on Lions Drive for a volunteer workday. What they found was some new seed collecting equipment, courtesy of a grant from the Vital Lands […]
How Animals Beat the Summer Heat
Did you ever wonder how animals beat the heat?
The other day I was wondering as I dripped while walking two very hot dogs…”How do wild critters do it?’ I was so hot, but I was headed home to air conditioning and a cold ‘one’!
Nature is full of surprises! I found out […]
Glowing for Love: Fireflies Around Town
Wow! Oh, what a night!
Is it me or has the night erupted in sparkling and twinkling stars right on earth!
This is a great year for fireflies! I think they enjoyed our long and lingering wet spring and hot, humid summer.
You do know that they aren’t flies at all! They […]
Terrific Turtles and How To Help Them Cross the Road!
What can be as big as a trash can lid and use its tongue to attract fish??? A Common Snapping Turtle! This is true!
Snapping turtles start out small, smaller than a quarter. They hatch from eggs and can live up to 70 years and weigh in at over 80 lbs. Not that we have seen […]