There’s so much to do in our region! Here’s a look at upcoming lectures and educational enrichment.
February
Domestic Servants in the 19th Century
Feb. 21, 1 p.m. Erika Holst discusses the rise of domestic servants in middle class homes, the social class impact, the individuals who held these roles, their duties and more. $5/members free. Tinker Swiss Cottage, 411 Kent St., Rockford, (815) 964-2424, tinkercottage.com.
Fresh and Local: Seed Exchange
Feb. 21, 2-4 p.m. Join a local food expert for tips on saving seeds and selecting what will work in your garden. Seeds will be available for exchange. If you’ve saved seeds, please bring some in for exchange. All seeds provided are Non-GMO, organic. RPL, East Branch, 6685 E. State St., Rockford, (815) 965-7606, option 2, rockfordpubliclibrary.org.
1859 Belden School Open House
Feb. 21, March 21, April 18, 1-4 p.m. One-hour presentation by a local resident who shares his/her knowledge and expertise, followed by an open-house format. Docents will share the history of this restored one-room schoolhouse, built in 1859. Free. Belden School, 52 Heatherdowns Lane, Galena, Ill., (815) 777-2000, beldenschool.org.
Return of Bison to Nachusa Grassland
Feb. 22, 2 p.m. After 200 years, bison have returned, and staff and volunteers have spent 28 years creating the proper habitat. Learn more about the herd, site preparations, ecosystem research and visitor expectations. Free. Winter Lecture Series. Byron Forest Preserve, byronforestpreserve.com.
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson
Feb. 22, 2 p.m. Jessica Michna, who has appeared many times for the Winter Lecture Series, will give a first person impression of Edith Gault, second wife of Woodrow Wilson. Historians believe that following her husband’s stroke in 1919, she actually was the first female president of the U.S. Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, (815) 397-9112, midwayvillage.com.
Development of Rockford’s East Side
Feb. 22, 2 p.m. How and why did the growth on the east side get started? Is this kind of development unique to our city? How does this development impact our community and the people who live here? Discussion by a panel of local experts. Midway Village, Rockford, midwayvillage.com.
Lilies in the Rock River Valley
Feb. 28, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Learn simple propagation techniques, hear about the wide variety of lilies that flourish in our area and how to design a garden with lilies so some are in bloom all summer long, from Woodruff Imberman, past president of the Lily Society. Klehm Arboretum, Rockford, (815) 965-8146.
POWs of the Civil War
Feb. 28, 1 p.m. Learn about Chicago’s Camp Douglas, Union training facility and from 1862-1865, a Confederate POW camp that held 30,000 prisoners. Presentation by David Keller using Civil War photos, PowerPoint and static displays. $5/members free. Tinker Cottage, Rockford, tinkercottage.com.
Immigration Symposium
Feb. 28, 2 p.m. Two lectures on immigration history and its impact on American society, followed by a discussion from a panel of local experts. Midway Village, Rockford, midwayvillage.com.
Winter Wildflowers
Feb. 28, 2 p.m. See wildflowers in the winter and take a short hike to find plants under the snow. Free. Byron Forest Preserve, byronforestpreserve.com.
March
Archaeology of the Stateline
March 1, 2 p.m. UW-Milwaukee PhD grad student and archeologist Sara Pfannkucke talks about what has been found at several local archaeological sites. Byron Forest Preserve, byronforestpreserve.com.
Post-Modernism
March 3, 6 p.m. “What is it? Where is it going?” First Tuesday Lecture Series. Rock Valley College Student Atrium, 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford, rockvalleycollege.edu.
Earthquakes, Volcanoes & Storms
March 4, 7-8 p.m. Three-course light dinner & speaker presentation. The politics of natural disasters, presented by Dr. Travis Nelson. $35 per couple plus tax and gratuity. Fried Green Tomatoes, 213 N. Main St., Galena, (815) 777-3938, visitgalena.org.
Beekeeping Class
March 8, 2-4 p.m. Learn beekeeping techniques, tools of the trade and everything else there is to know about these awesome little insects, and the important role they play in our lives. Byron Forest Preserve, byronforestpreserve.com.
Seed Starting and Propagation
March 14, 9:30-11 a.m. John Moors, Klehm Director of Collections, discusses seed selection, growing supplies, artificial lights and caring for tender young plants. Included with admission; members free. Klehm Arboretum, Rockford, (815) 965-8146.
Pi Day
March 14, 11 a.m. Join the worldwide celebration as we play with circles and shapes and puzzles and games based on the number that results when dividing the circumference of a circle by its diameter. Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 963-6769, discoverycentermuseum.org.
Rockford Leadership in the 1890s
March 15, 2 p.m. Hear about the “Reluctance & Chaos” of Rockford’s political leaders’ reluctance to deal with immigration laws and the business leaders’ attempts to pick up the slack. Midway Village, Rockford, midwayvillage.com.
“A New Birth of Freedom”
March 18, 7 p.m. Educator, historian and author Tom Howe on “Why the Civil War Matters.” Part of Green County & the Civil War speaker series.Free. Monroe Theatre Guild (MTG), 910 16th Ave., Monroe, Wis., (608) 325-5700, civilwargreencounty.org.
April
“Music of the Civil War Period”
April 1, 7 p.m. Presented by Ingerid Kvam, Monroe Middle School music teacher and expert on Civil War music. Green County & the Civil War. Free. MTG, Monroe, (608) 325-5700.
“The Homefront”
April 15, 7 p.m. Al Stauffacher, well-known Monroe educator, talks about “Life in Civil War Green County.” Green County & the Civil War. Free. MTG, Monroe, (608) 325-5700.
National Astronomy Day
April 25, 4 p.m. Check out our three telescopes, make a space-based craft and take our astronomy quiz as we view the night sky. Free. Weiskopf Observatory, 7993 N. River Road, Byron, Ill., (815) 234-8535, byronforestpreserve.org.