Good Natured in St. Charles: Kane County Certified Naturalists training to launch Jan. 9

When was the last time you looked at the keeled scales on a water snake’s back? Or watched migrating warblers glean insects from newly emerged tree buds?

Would you recognize a hellgrammite – the larva of the dobsonfly – if you saw one? Better yet, would you want to?

If any of these observations sound even remotely appealing, by golly, do we have a deal for you! Part outdoor education, part social network, part self-help group for incurable nature nerds, Kane County Certified Naturalists is a year-long program designed for adults who want to learn more about the natural history of our great county, and also find out about ways to put that knowledge to good use.

A collaborative effort between the Forest Preserve District of Kane County and the Geneva and St. Charles park districts, KCCN soon will start its 18th year of carrying out its mission statement: “To build a community of well-informed citizens who apply their ecological knowledge and skills to habitat restoration, environmental education and community service.”

KCCN begins in January with six weeks of core courses in basic ecology, geology, Kane County ecosystems and ecological restoration. These classroom sessions, which are held on six consecutive Thursday evenings, are followed by four Saturday field trips when the weather warms in April, May and June. During these excursions, class members visit area parks and forest preserves that best illustrate the concepts discussed during class.

Specific dates and topics for this year’s core classes, which will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles, are:

• Jan. 9 – Ecology and Birds

• Jan. 16 – Geology and Soils

• Jan. 23 – Woodlands and Mammals

• Jan. 30 – Watersheds, Wetlands and Groundwater

• Feb. 6 – Prairies and Insects

• Feb. 13 – Phenology/Climate Change, Herpetology and Wrap-Up

• Feb. 20 (snow date)

As for field trips, class members will meet from 9 a.m. to noon at the following parks and preserves:

• April 12 – Geology at Hickory Knolls

• April 26 – Woodlands at Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve, Elburn

• May 24 – Wetlands at Ferson Creek Park and Ferson Creek Fen, St. Charles

• June 21 – Prairies at Dick Young Forest Preserve, Batavia

From there, participants will have until April 30, 2026 to complete an additional 30 hours of continuing education and/or volunteering at any one of the three participating agencies. The continuing-education requirement can be fulfilled by attending the frequent Learn From the Experts courses that tackle a variety of topics. Volunteering is easy, too! Each district offers ecological restoration work days, most on a weekly basis; other opportunities include helping with programs and special events, and hosting visitors at Creek Bend Nature Center and Peck Farm Park’s Butterfly House.

A one-time fee of $350 covers costs for the entire year, including 10 months of Learn From the Experts courses. Upon completion of these requirements, graduates are celebrated with pomp and circumstance, along with a campfire during an evening ceremony attended by not only family and friends but also the growing legion of other KCCNers re-upping their certification.

If you’ve read this far, there’s a good chance you’re interested in participating. If so, but you still have questions, we have answers! We will hold our annual KCCN information session at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles. (Need directions? Go to https://www.stcnature.org/find-the-fun.)

We also have a Frequently Asked Questions document that I’d be happy to send to you; just shoot me an email at the address below.

And finally, if you’ve read enough and would like to go ahead and sign up, we’ve got you covered there, too. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8, and closes at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, and is handled through the Geneva Park District. Visit www.genevaparks.org, call 630-232-4542 (main office) or 630-262-8244 (Peck Farm Park) or register in person at Sunset Community Center (710 Western Ave., Geneva) during regular hours of operation: Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reference the program code 5411901-01.

Class size is limited, so if you’re thinking about enrolling, don’t put off your decision for too long. Water snakes, warblers, hellgrammites and a host of other Kane County nature wonders – and nature enthusiasts – are waiting for you!

• Pam Otto is a naturalist and the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at potto@stcparks.org.