 Northern Illinois
offers lots of opportunities to enjoy the out of doors - bike trails, forest preserves, parks, golf courses, etc.
Have you considered canoeing or kayaking? A few upcoming canoe/ kayak races include the Des Plaines River
Canoe Marathon on May 17and the Mid-American Canoe & Kayak Race on June 7.
These races offer a variety of divisions and
fun for both the novice and the experienced canoeist. The Des Plaines race begins in Libertyville and
ends in Mt. Prospect. More information
is available at http://www.canoemarathon.com/.
The Mid-American race has a choice of two
starting points, St. Charles or Batavia, and ends in Aurora. Go to http://www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org/?q=node/554
for more information and to sign up.
For the die hard
canoeist, the USCA National Stock Aluminum Canoe Marathon Championships will be
held on May 16th. The course
is 14.2 miles long from Vernon Hills to Wheeling. More information is available at http://www.canoemarathon.com/alumnats.cfm. ENCAP, Inc. employee Pat Hickey will be
competing in the USCA Nationals, lets wish him luck.
| 
Mixed stands of native warm season grasses provide excellent cover for wildlife, but establishing the first stand required patience and knowledge. Opinions differ somewhat on planting dates. The issue with planting
time is to allow the plants to get as large as possible during the
growing season so that they can survive frost conditions. Plantings up to a month after corn planting and late
fall dormant seedings are practical. Mid summer and early fall
plantings are riskier but can be completed with the right expertise and
the right weather.
