Winnebago County’s forest preserves are a treasure that many county residents take for granted.
That sentence may seem familiar to you. It was published in an editorial in the Rockford Register Star in 2013 when Mike Holan took over as executive director of the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District.
More county residents are aware of the preserves and enjoy them thanks to the work Holan and his staff have done in the last decade plus.
Holan is retiring at the end of the month and his successor, who may have been chosen by the time you read this, has big shoes to fill.
Holan’s last major public event was the annual Hooked of Fun youth fishing derby June 14 at Four Lakes Forest Preserve in Pecatonica.
The Forest Preserves of Winnebago County (the name was changed in 2014) in partnership with the Flatlanders Chapter of Muskies Inc., hosted 202 children ages 3 to 16 who caught bluegills, bass and catfish. It was the first fishing experience for some of the youngsters and their parents.
The Forest Preserves and the Flatlanders each had sponsored kids fishing-related events for years. The two organizations agreed to partner this year and host one big event. We hope we can continue the partnership and provide an even better experience for the children and their parents in the years to come.
The first 100 participants received Zebco rods and reels free thanks to grants and donations received by the Flatlanders. Winnebago County sheriff’s deputies grilled hot dogs and representatives from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources were there to entertain attendees with animal displays.
The Forest Preserves gave prizes for those who caught the biggest fish in various age categories. There also were drawings for fishing-related prizes.
The Flatlanders gave away gift cards for two bicycles: one for a boy and one for a girl. Thank you to Robb Sinks at Kegel’s Bicycle Store in Rockford for working with us to provide the bicycles.
The Flatlanders also thank their parent organization, Muskies Inc. for its donation. Other contributors were the Hugh Becker Fund, Consumers Credit Union, Tri-Beta Club, and the Loves Park Fraternal Order of Police.
One of Holan’s priorities when he took the role of executive director was to get “the citizens of Winnebago County to understand the importance of forest preserves and open space and the role they play in providing for a healthy community.”
Events such as the Hooked on Fun fishing day is just one of the ways to get people out to the preserves.
You also can get the Preserve Passport, a free program to help you connect with nature. It used to be a paper passport, but, of course, today there’s an app for that.
Check the forest preserves website for details. https://www.winnebagoforest.org/preserve-passport
Four Lakes is one of the 44 forest preserves in Winnebago County.
There are more than 11,000 acres you can use for hiking, fishing, paddling, cross-country skiing, bird-watching or just to enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors.
That’s about a 1,000-acre increase from when Holan took over. Increasing land holdings “so we can protect our natural heritage” was also a priority.
“And lastly to provide outdoor and natural resource educational programs for the citizens and in particular the youth of the county.”
Holan articulated those priorities during an online chat with the RRS editorial board shortly after he got the job in Winnebago County.
He and his staff addressed those priorities well. We should all be grateful for the work that has been done and the natural resources that are so close by. Let’s not take them for granted.
Wally Haas is the president of the Flatlanders Chapter of Muskies Inc.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Forest preserves are a community treasure you can get hooked on | Opinion
Reporting by Wally Haas / Rockford Register Star
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