Community Events

Barrington Polo Club Annual Event

Saturday, September 11

The Riding Club of Barrington Hills and the Barrington Hills Polo Club request the pleasure of your company at the Kalaway Memorial Landowners Polo Match Saturday, September 11th, at the Oakwood Farm polo field on Deepwood Road. The gates open at 11:00 a.m. This event is dedicated to our many trail landowners for sharing their property with Riding Club members. Please join us in expressing our appreciation. The first match, "The Battle of the Sexes" will begin at noon. The feature match, "The Kalaway Landowner Cup" will begin at 2:00 p.m. The polo matches are open to the public. General Admission is $15; no reservations are necessary. Bring a picnic for a field side lunch. Limited tailgate spots are available for $75. The "Best Tailgates" will receive Peter Wessel Memorial awards! The "Best Ladies Hats" will also win prizes! For tailgate reservations and information, contact Megan West at (847) 854-1415.

Barrington Hills takes home the Champion Ribbon for Best Basil in Kane County!   Sarah Kenney, Planning and Zoning coordinator of Barrington Hills, was awarded the Champion Ribbon with her 'Zesty Basil Ice Cream Recipe' during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the start of the Kane County Fair, St. Charles. The chosen recipe, as tasted by dignitaries such as Jesse White, is actually VERY tasty.

Celebrate a Spring Creek Conservation Victory on

Saturday, June 12!

The Spring Creek Forest Preserve is being dedicated as a globally significant Important Bird Area (IBA). One June 12, you and everyone interested are invited to come out and share the celebration on guided bird walks.

What is so monumental about this milestone is that Spring Creek meets the global IBA criteria because of habitat restoration work so many of us have done in the last few years. It is because of the large numbers of rare grassland birds that now nest here, particularly the globally rare Henslow¹s sparrow, that Spring Creek now has this important status.

It is truly inspiring to experience the morning air full of rare birds and birdsong. And it came about only through the dedicated actions of the Spring Creek Stewards, Audubon, Citizens for Conservation, Bird Conservation Network, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Sierra Club and most importantly the landowner and partner in restoration,
the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

This recognition is again proof of the power of being a steward, restoring health to nature that depends on us. Help the grasses, wildflowers and birds celebrate on June 12th. Assemble at Penny Road Pond parking area (on Penny west of Sutton Road). Enjoy a June morning, while being serenaded by winged beneficiaries of our work.

Bird walks will start at two times 7 AM and 8:30 AM. Please RSVP to Janis Wesley jwesley@audubon.org including which time you¹ll attend and how many will be in your party. Dress for a walk in nature.

You¹re Also Invited On June 10th. At 10AM on Thursday, June 10th, there will be a brief press event and ceremony announcing this dedication (and that of other newly recognized sites throughout the state). Many officials will attend, and it would be great to have Spring Creek supporters there to meet them (and cheer!). This event is also at the Penny Road Pond forest preserve picnic area.

Barrington Hills Students Head to History Fair

Two Barrington Hills' students received Superior award status at the Chicago Metro Area History Fair competition. Local resident students Ella and Grant Ekstrom and their Barrington cousins, Sarah and Megan Siebert, are among the top 5 winners who proceed to the History Fair State Competition May 6 and 7 in Springfield.

Volunteers Begin Spring Schedule

Citizens for Conservation Restoration

Invite Birds and Butterflies into Your Yard

Anyone can create a bird-friendly yard. Marian Thill, Master Gardener, will share her secrets and inspire you when she presents “Backyard Gardening for Birds and Butterflies” at the Barrington Area Library on Saturday, March 20.

Thill has documented 75 species of birds and 21 species of butterflies in her yard, which was once a typical suburban yard but now is certified by Illinois Audubon as backyard habitat.

With over 30 years of gardening experience, Thill has simple suggestions for both beginners and avid gardeners as well as for those with only a small patch of grass. She will explain how you can attract a surprising diversity of birds.

The free program sponsored by Citizens for Conservation (CFC) begins at 9:30 a.m. Coffee and informational displays will be available at 9:00. Please RSVP to the CFC office at 847-382-SAVE if you plan to attend. Donations to cover costs will be accepted at the door.

This is the third in the 2010 series of community education programs sponsored by CFC. The final program on rain gardens will be on April 24.

Citizens for Conservation - 2010

Educational Program Kick Off

For more information on the CFC 2010 Program Click Here to Download the PDF.

Co-existing with Coyotes

Whether you know it or not, you are probably living with coyotes. These adaptable creatures live in all parts of the state, including urban and suburban residential areas. Largely nocturnal, coyotes often keep a low profile; but in some areas, they are increasingly a nuisance. How can we learn to live with our state’s largest native predator which fills a vital ecological niche?

Chris Anchor, chief biologist for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, will discuss the fascinating behavior of coyotes on Saturday, January 23, opening the 2010 Citizens for Conservation Community Education series. A terrifically popular speaker in past years, Anchor will be back with exciting new research results.

The program will be presented at the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Hwy. at 9:30 a.m.. Coffee and conversation begin at 9:00. Donations to cover expenses accepted at the door. Please RSVP to the CFC office at 847-382-SAVE.

Save the Date for the 2010 Barrington Garden Faire

Hands of Hope 2010 Wish List

For more information on the needs for this year's fundraiser please contact Laurette Grove at (630) 802-1974 (Cell Phone), or Bernie Kaspar (847) 997-3334 (Cell Phone.). Go to www.handsofhopeonline.org for details of what is needed and information about the Barrington Hills based event scheduled for June 18th and 19th, 2010.