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 “Spring will continue, with or without us,” said
Elkhart native Gillette Ransom recently when asked about the annual
spring nature walks on Elkhart Hill. The Elkhart Historical Society
hosts the walks each Saturday in April. Though the activity is
outside, the size of the group that would participate would make it
a possible violation of the public gathering rules.
Ransom said that the first walk that was set for Saturday, April
4th, and will definitely have to be canceled. There is a good
possibility that the walk on April 11th will also have to be
canceled as a result of the coronavirus.
Ransom said that they are still hopeful for getting the last two
walks in and will use the message on the answering machine for
placing reservations as their best way to update the schedule for
this year.
The Elkhart walk is a beautiful way to welcome spring to Logan
County. The hill is filled with wildflowers that bloom from early
spring to late season. Among the highlights of the walk are the
carpets of Bluebells that grow wild on the hill in large quantities.
In early spring the woodland is also filled with
birds of many varieties and guests have the chance to spot and
identify as many as possible.
The Saturday tours also include a guide, often times Ransom herself,
who shares stories of the hill, the folklore connected to some of
the wildflowers and much more.
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On the schedule this year is a special bird banding
event on April 25th that will include special guest Tony Rothering.
He is a biology professor at Lincoln Land Community College and was
the special guest last year for the last weekend of the spring
event. During that time he led a catch-band-release program to tag
birds that migrate to and reside on Elkhart Hill.
If and when the walks take place this year, there will be two tours
each Saturday, one at 10 a.m. and a second at 2 p.m. Tours also
offer a lunch option at Wild Hare Café, if permissible.
To make a reservation, get details on pricing and find out when
tours may start up, call 217-947-2238.
[Nila Smith] |
