2025 Elkhart Historical Society Wildflower Nature Walks

Perhaps Punxsutawney Phil was correct in his prediction for more winter, but soon that will give way to a gentler weather pattern. The beauty of spring wildflowers accompanies the bird songs of migrating flocks heading for their traditional nesting grounds and starts our spring lineup.

The Elkhart Historical Society is looking forward to offering guided wildflower walks on Elkhart Hill every Saturday in April starting April 5th with two walks a day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., at a cost of $15 per adult and $10 per child. If you have a group of 10-20 you can arrange to have a private wildflower tour during the week or on Sunday afternoons in April. If scheduled on Tuesday-Friday, lunch can be included. Lunch can be reserved on the same form, at an additional cost for adults for $12 and children (aged 10 and younger) for $6. All tours leave from the Country Bumpkin at 103 Gov. Oglesby St., Elkhart, IL 62634.

On the morning of Saturday April 26, the Historical Society is fortunate to have Biology Professor Tony Rothering from LLCC demonstrate the banding of both migratory and local songbirds during special tours at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The 2 p.m. tour will feature both flowers and birds with the help of our amazing birders, Dr. Lara Borgerson, Joe Funk, and Rhetta Jack.

Rothering is a federally permitted bander, who last year successfully recorded and released over 120 birds during his annual Elkhart Hill banding session. The event is done during the spring migration on Elkhart Hill, an incredibly biodiverse “island” (oasis) to the birds. Elkhart Hill measures approximately 600 acres of mature hardwoods, but is surrounded primarily by monocultures of corn and soybeans fields, where very few hedge rows or groves of trees remain. For the many species of migrating warblers, Elkhart Hill offers a much-needed rest and refueling stop, on their journey north to breeding grounds in the upper Midwest and Canada. We are hopeful that some of these winged travelers will be among those banded on Saturday, April 26. You won’t want to miss it. Rothering’s work helps to catalog the changes in migration patterns caused, in part, by weather and loss of habitat.

Reservations are required and should be made by calling (217) 947-2238 between 8 a.m. -7 p.m. Once you receive a call back confirming your reservations, payment should be sent within 5 business days to the Elkhart Historical Society, at PO Box 255, Elkhart, IL 62634, arriving no later than March 14, 2025. Cash and checks may also be dropped off at The Country Bumpkin Shop at 103 Gov. Oglesby St. in Elkhart, IL 62634 Wednesdays – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Reservation forms may be downloaded from the elkharthistoricalsociety.org website.