When temperatures plummet, frozen lakes and ponds in forest preserves and elsewhere beckon skaters and ice fishing enthusiasts.
But it’s essential to use caution and good sense when venturing out on any ice, no matter how safe it looks, according to Don LaBrose, district fisheries biologist with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.
Forest preserve personnel do not supervise skating or fishing activities on district lakes. District safety guidelines say that ice should be at least 4 inches thick before sports enthusiasts swing into action, but thick ice in one spot is no guarantee that the pond or lake is frozen uniformly.
“There’s no such thing as (completely) safe ice,” LaBrose warned.
Ice thickness and safety also vary from year to year and day to day, the biologist added.
Trees and tunes: The Morton Arboretum in Lisle continues its 1996-97 chamber concert series with a performance by harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell on Jan. 12; a concert by double reed quartet, “Wizards!” on Feb. 9, and an appearance by the Schulhoff Trio March 9.
All concerts begin at 2:15 p.m. in the arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center and will be followed by a reception in the Founders’ Room. Tickets are $12.50 for each event.
Artists also will be featured in a series of family-oriented children’s concerts at the Arboretum. Sorrell will appear Jan. 11; “Wizards!” will perform Feb. 8, and the Schulhoff Trio will be featured March 8.
All shows take place at 2:15 p.m. at the Thornhill Education Center and will be followed by a reception in the Founders’ Room. Tickets are $5 for each performance.
Sorrell’s youth concert is recommended for children 10 and older. The “Wizards!” and Schulhoff Trio performances are geared to children 5 and up.
Call 630-719-2465 to reserve tickets for either concert series. The Morton Arboretum is on Illinois Highway 53 in Lisle, just north of the East-West Tollway (Interstate Highway 88) and west of the North-South Tollway (Interstate Highway 355).
Plan ahead: If your family or organization plans to have a reunion, picnic, youth camp-out or other event in 1997 at a DuPage County forest preserve, it’s not too early to think about reserving a shelter or open site.
Beginning Jan. 6, picnicking and youth camping permits can be purchased in person or by mail from forest preserve district headquarters, 185 Spring Ave, Glen Ellyn, Ill. 60137. Call the visitor services department at 630-942-6075.
Youth camping permits are $25 per group for DuPage County residents and $50 for non-resident groups. Picnic site permits, based on site size and amenities, begin at $25 for county residents and $50 for non-residents.
