Winter Wilderness Adventure -- February 4, 2010

Three dozen OLLI members braved the cold to participate in our Winter Wilderness Adventure on Thursday, February 4.

We traveled to Starved Rock State Park to watch eagles and take a wintry hike to the top of Starved Rock. Joining us on our adventure was Maury Brucker, President of the Illinois Audubon Society. Maury provided wonderful insights about bird conservation efforts throughout the state, and gave great eagle watching advice and assistance, too.

Our guided trolley tours took us to the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center, where we heard experts talk about the history of bald eagles in Illinois. We stepped out onto the balcony to view the eagles, and spotted several in trees and on an island in the river. The trolleys then transported us to Buffalo Rock, where we saw even more eagles and gazed at the frozen waterfalls along the way.

Back at Starved Rock, our docent, Abby, took some members on a hike around the park, while others braved the icy conditions to climb to the top of the rock.

It was another great day of learning, and OLLI extends heartfelt thanks to Maury Brucker and the staff at Starved Rock State Park for making our trip even more delightful.

For more information about our trip, please visit the Illinois Audubon Society and Starved Rock State Park.