Gardenfest
2026-04-11 08:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
Saturday, April 11, 2026

8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Luecht Auditorium at MCC
Building B, 8900 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake
Registration ends March 28, 2026
You must register each attendee separately
General Admissions includes continental breakfast and lunch

Learn more

BMP: Talk and Tour - The Food System We Built and the One We Need
2026-04-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Soil and Water Conservation District, 2222 Dean Street, Woodstock, United States
Join the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and McHenry County Department of Planning and Development for Our First BMP Talk and Tour of 2026
The Food System We Built – and the One We Need
Friday, April 17, 1-3 pm
McHenry-Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District Building
2222 Dean Street, Woodstock
This Talk and Tour will feature Scott Brix, one of the original co-founders of the Food Shed Co-
op, who will present “The Food System We Built – and the One We Need.” His talk will explore
how local food movements and community-owned cooperatives can contribute to creating a
more resilient and sustainable food system.
From global supply chains to McHenry County farmland, this talk will explore how the way we
grow and distribute food impacts our environment. Scott Brix brings a unique perspective as
both a food industry professional and co-founder of the Food Shed Co-op, sharing insights into
soil health and sustainability—and how local food movements and community-owned co-ops
can help move the needle toward a more resilient and sustainable food system.
Scott Brix brings decades of experience in food science, engineering, and biotechnology. His
years in the corporate food and agriculture sector left him increasingly disillusioned with an
industry that often puts profit ahead of people, the planet, and real food. Determined to create
an alternative, he helped launch the Food Shed Co-op – rooted in local, sustainable food
systems that strengthen small, non-industrial farmers, local producers, and the community.
After the presentation, a tour of the Food Shed Co-op, at 2390 Lake Shore Drive, will highlight
BMPs in action at the facility.
These Popular Talk and Tour programs showcase Best Management Practices successfully
implemented in McHenry County. The programs are a collaborative effort with the
Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and the McHenry County Department of Planning
and Development.
Sign Up

Sterne’s Fen Restoration Workday
2026-04-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Sternes Woods Park, 5617 Hillside Rd, Crystal Lake, IL, 60014
THE GROUP

We meet once a month at Sterne’s outdoor pavilion, 5617 Hillside Dr. from 9-11AM. Volunteers have a chance to learn about restoration ecology and what makes Sterne’s Fen special. Please bring a water bottle and a pair of work gloves. The park district will supply loppers and bow saws. Invasives like honeysuckle and buckthorn are crowding out the native fen species. The brush also prevents the use of controlled burns on the fen. Email Brice Alt, volunteer site steward, to receive a monthly workday reminder: bricemaieralt@hotmail.com.

THE PARK
Sterne’s Woods & Fen became an Illinois State Nature Preserve in 1994 to preserve and protect its unique ecology. A fen is a rare type of wetland in which cold groundwater that is high in calcium and magnesium seeps to the surface. The unique water chemistry supports plants that grow nowhere else. Sterne’s Fen is home to at least 10 rare or endangered plant species. The surrounding parkland acts as a buffer to the fen and includes prairie, oak savanna, and flatwood ecosystems. Every one of those ecosystems can benefit from the efforts of volunteers. Join us once a month and learn about them!

THANK YOU
Much thanks to the local groups who have volunteered with us at Sterne’s: the MUDD trail running club, the Silver and Sleepy Hollow Creeks Watershed Coalition, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, the BREAK, Jacobs High School Interact, Crystal Lake South Elementary, Girl Scout Troop 888, Cub Scout Pack 156, and Boy Scout Troops 158 and 368. We can accommodate community groups! Just give us a heads-up of how many volunteers to expect.
NEWS
A video about Sterne’s Fen: https://youtu.be/DMVPl80PDQ0
Park district updates: https://www.crystallakeparks.org/project-updates#SternesFen
Who was Ted Sterne? The Crystal Lake Historical Society article: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h61unofnnnx06kg/Ted%20Sterne%20.pdf?dl=0
ECOLOGIC RESTORATION
By volunteering at a Sterne’s workday you’re helping with the ecologic restoration of an exceedingly rare type of habitat.
To learn more about restoration ecology, here’s a quick video: https://youtu.be/VNwQ6cRMTKI
Sterne’s Fen has a management plan: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ekp2nfniddn1d6/1989%20management%20plan.pdf?dl=0
