Calendar: Prescribed fire field tour for landowners

DUBOIS, Ind. — Prescribed Fire Field Tour for Landowners will be 6 to 9 p.m. ET April 29 at the Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center, 11371 Purdue Farm Road, Dubois.

Speakers will be Ron Rathfon, Extension forester; and Judi Brown, coordinator, Let the Sun Shine In.

Topics will include:

• Benefits of fire as a forest management tool.

• Creating and using burn plans.

• Tools for prescribed fire.

• Use of fire breaks.

• Indiana’s current and proposed laws regarding Rx fire.

• Fire safety.

• Assistance and USDA funding programs.

Rathfon also will lead a tour of tracts recently managed using prescribed fire.

Register for this free event by contacting Judi Brown at 812-631-4904 or jbrown@abcbirds.org. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/yup4u4zt.

Plant Propagation

THOMSON, Ill. — The Plant Propagation Workshop with Master Gardener Nancy Gmitro will be 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. April 15 at the Thomson Public Library, 1005 W. Main St., Thomson.

Bring your crowded plants and a pot from home. There also will be some plants to share.

Spring Wildflowers

MONTICELLO, Ill. — The program Spring Wildflowers with DeWitt and Piatt County Master Gardeners will be noon to 1 p.m. April 15 at the Piatt County Extension office, 210 S. Market St., Monticello.

Learn about the beauty of native spring-blooming plants and resources on cultivating and caring for these plants in your home garden.

Ticks in Illinois

ELIZABETH, Ill. — Ticks in Illinois will be 6 to 8 p.m. April 15 at the Jo Daviess County Extension office, 204 N. Vine St., Elizabeth.

Extension Specialist Teresa Steckler will discuss her research into ticks. Volunteers are being sought to be part of citizen science by collecting data on ticks when they — or their pets — encounter them.

Making Bread

WOODLAWN, Ill. — The Bread Making Workshop for children ages 8 to 18 will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. April 17 at the First Baptist Church of Woodlawn, 301 N Central St., Woodlawn.

Participants will learn how to make banana bread and compound butter while gaining basic kitchen experience.

Register for this free program by contacting the Jefferson County Extension office at 618-242-0780. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/pazpzf9f.

Fisheries Meeting

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The online Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Lake Michigan Fisheries Meeting will be 7 to 9 p.m. ET April 17.

Featured will be speakers from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Purdue University and Illinois Natural History Survey. Workshop topics will include:

• Lake Michigan and Calumet River smallmouth bass movement, Charlie Roswell, INHS.

• Alewife diet and growth rates in Lake Michigan, Anna Hill, Purdue University.

• An update from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Dan Makasuka, IL DNR.

Interior Design

NASHVILLE, Ill. — The Interior Design Workshop for children ages 8 to 18 will be 3 to 4:30 p.m. April 18 at the Washington County Extension Education Center, 9623 Wall St., Nashville.

Participants will learn about the fundamentals of design and craft a decoration for their bedroom or another room in their home.

Register by calling the Washington County Extension office at 618-327-8881. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/4wfnasbz.

Farmers Briefing

GOSHEN, Ind. — Wetland Mitigation and Ecological Restoration will be the topic of the Farmers Breakfast Briefing, 10 a.m. to noon ET April 22 at the Elkhart County Extension office, 17746 CR 34, Goshen.

This monthly event is a great chance for farmers and businesses to connect and learn about a variety of topics. A meal will be provided to participants at no charge.

Charcuterie Board

SAVOY, Ill. — Building a Healthy Charcuterie Board will be 1 to 3 p.m. April 22 at The Windsor of Savoy, 401 Burwash Ave., Savoy.

Extension Program Coordinator Vanessa Jones will discuss selecting wholesome ingredients and arranging a well-balanced spread for a charcuterie board.

4-H Pork Chop Dinner

MILAN, Ill. — The Rock Island County 4-H Pork Chop Dinner Fundraiser will be 4 to 7 pm. April 24 at the Blackhawk Fire Protection District Fire Station, 102 3rd St. W, Milan.

Cost is $10 for a pork chop meal and $5 for a hot dog meal. Each meal includes chips, baked beans, applesauce and dessert. Dine inside the fire station or get your orders to go at the drive-through.

The silent auction will feature pies made by 4-H members and local bakeries.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/jzf7d84f.

Wildflower Hike

OTTAWA, Ill. — The Spring Wildflower Hike will be 10 a.m. to noon April 26 at Nell’s Woodland, 2000 Alexis Ave., Ottawa.

Spring ephemeral wildflowers can only be viewed for a brief period of time, between the ground thawing and the forest canopy leafing out. Master naturalist volunteers will guide participants through each natural area to search for these rare springtime blooms.

Supermarket Dash

ROCKVILLE, Ind. — The Supermarket Dash Food Drive will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET April 28 at Kirby Foods, 1250 N. Lincoln Road, Rockville.

The event will help restock the shelves of the Parke County Food Pantry with donations of canned goods, nonperishable food and hygiene products.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/p79af4pk.

Invasive Plants

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Nature’s Uninvited Guests: The Impact of Invasive Plants will be 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. April 29.

Jamie Viebach, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, will discuss some common-to-Illinois invasives and what to do about them.

Gardening Q&A

URBANA, Ill. — The online Gardening Q&A Session will be 6 to 7 p.m. April 29.

Extension experts will answer plant and gardening questions.

Meaning of Flowers

CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. — The Meaning of Flowers will be 6 to 7 p.m. April 29 at Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley.

Did you know that pink carnations mean gratitude and red roses mean love? Various flowers and floral arrangements have taken on subtle and secret messages that allow us to express our unspoken feelings.

Boone County Master Gardener intern Brianne Ambrose will discuss how to send the most appropriate floral message to your friends and family.

Watershed 101

BELVIDERE, Ill. — The program Watershed 101 will be 6 to 7 p.m. April 30 at the Boone County Extension Meeting Room, 205 Cadillac Court, Belvidere.

A watershed provides homes, communities and businesses with fresh drinking water, recreational opportunities and other vital resources. Extension Watershed Outreach Associate Nicole Haverback will discuss the watersheds in Boone County and the importance of taking care of the water we interact with daily.

Cost is $5. Register by calling 815-544-3710 or visit https://tinyurl.com/4eyrratf.

Container Gardens

MANSFIELD, Ill. — The program Container Gardens will be 6 to 7 p.m. April 30 at the Blue Ridge Township Library, 116 Oliver St., Mansfield.

Learn about the advantages of gardening in containers and tips for creating a beautiful flower container garden. Participants will create a tabletop flower container to take home.

Cost is $10. Register at https://tinyurl.com/sr6w9yxa.