Lara Danzl is looking at some leaves starting to change color at Kennekuk County Park . Photo by Jennifer Bailey
Because the colors might not last a long time locally , she advises people not to over schedule themselves in the fall with their busy lives .
“ When it ’ s peak you got to get out and see it because you don ’ t know
DID YOU KNOW ?
how much longer it ’ s going to last ,” she said .
Conservation district staff encourage people to picnic and soak up the sunshine , hike , bicycle , mushroom hunt , go fishing , bird watch
In June 2021 the VCCD installed traffic counters at Forest Glen , Kennekuk and Lake Vermilion parks . A year ’ s collection of data to May 2022 shows ( these are vehicles and not people ): Forest Glen Preserve saw 51,702 vehicles , Kennekuk had 83,669 vehicles and Lake Vermilion saw 50,000 vehicles . An average was used for Lake Vermilion due to errors with the placement of the data collector . The VCCD purchased two additional counters that will collect data on the number of people at Heron County Park and along the Kickapoo Rail Trail . and take a drive through the parks .
Danzl said she finds more edible mushrooms in the fall than she does in the spring . There are chanterelles , hen of the woods and chicken of the woods mushrooms .
“ You need to be 100 percent confident before you cook and eat any mushroom ,” she added .
For other fall activity suggestions , Danzl also said if someone always drives a certain direction through the parks , she suggests they drive it the other direction because it will look completely different . People also can take different directions on the trails .
“ When you come out to see the different seasons , you ’ re going to
14 ILLIANA MAGAZINE — FALL 2022