SCOTTSBURG, Ind. — Purdue Extension in Scott and Washington counties invites anyone interested in establishing and maintaining a home lawn to participate in the four-session DIY Lawn Care program from 6 to 8 p.m. ET Thursdays, April 7-28, at the Train Depot, 90 N. Main St., Scottsburg.

Session topics include: Basics of Taking Care of Lawns; Lawn Pests and Problems; Weed Identification and Management; and Seeding Establishment and Lawn Renovation. There are both in-person and virtual options for participating. Cost is $20 per person or $30 for two individuals from the same home or business sharing program materials.

Macon County Honeysuckle Sweep

DECATUR, Ill. — Help prevent the spread of invasive species during the Macon County Honeysuckle Sweep from 8 to 11 a.m. April 3 in Fairview Park, 2095 W. Eldorado St., Decatur.

Amur Honeysuckle is an invasive species that is a threat to biodiversity. It takes over an area quickly and blocks sunlight so native flowers, shrubs and trees can’t grow.

Bring your own gloves, pruners and loppers. Participants will meet in the pool parking lot.

Get Walkin’ Program

Spring is here. Be sure to get our and enjoy it! Walking is an easy way to start and maintain a physically active lifestyle. Walking is accessible to almost anyone, doesn’t require specific skills or fancy workout clothes and equipment.

Need some motivation but don’t have time to attend a class? Get Walkin’ is a free, email-based walking initiative. Starting date is April 4. You will receive a total of 16 emails, two per week for the first month and one per week for the next two months.

Soil Testing Week 2022

MARSHALL, Ill. — Put your soil to the test! Collect samples on your own and drop them off at the Clark County or Edgar County Extension office during Soil Testing Week April 4-8. Collection bags are available for pick-up between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Clark County Extension office, 15493 IL-1, Marshall; and the Edgar County Extension office, 210 W. Washington St., Paris. Results and recommendations will be sent to you. Crawford County residents are asked to drop off their samples at the Clark County office. Visit go.illinois.edu/soil to learn when and how to take a soil test.

The cost is $15 per sample, payable to KSI Labs. For more information, call 217-465-8585 or 217-826-5422.

Be Heart Smart

The virtual Be Heart Smart series will be at 5 p.m. ET April 4, 11, 18 and 25. Join Abbi Sampson, Purdue Extension health educator and registered dietitian, to learn how to reduce your risk for heart disease. By the end of this program, you will be equipped to make simple changes to your everyday life and improve your heart health.

Cost is $5. To register, call 765-653-8411 or email sampsona@purdue.edu.

Digital Ready Business

The Purdue Extension Digital Ready program is designed to help small businesses learn to leverage online tools and services to grow their business. Workshops are designed to take about an hour and include a presentation from a trained Extension educator, activities, handouts and more.

Register for one or more of these virtual workshops to take advantage of digital tools to grow your business. For session descriptions visit www.cdext.purdue.edu/dr. Classes are $25 per session and are limited to 50 people per class. All sessions are held virtually from noon to 1 p.m. ET: Claim Your Online Turf, April 5; Website Basics, April 6; Grow Your Virtual Customers, April 7; Search Engine Optimization, April 12; Email Analytics & Marketing, April 13; Podcasting 101, April 14; How to Blog Successfully, April 19; Introduction to Social Media Platforms, April 20; Social Media Plan & Content, April 21; Social Media Analytics & Marketing, April 26; Emerging Business Technologies, April 28; and Digital Storefront, May 3.

Register at tinyurl.com/47fm72v7. For more information, visit www.cdext.purdue.edu/dr or contact Kristi Whitacre at kwhitacr@purdue.edu or 812-462-3371.

Reversing the Exodus

FREEPORT, Ill. — The program Reversing the Exodus: Strategies for Attracting & Retaining Young Adults in Rural Communities will be from 5 to 7 p.m. April 5 at the Greater Freeport Partnership Office, 110 W. Main St., Freeport.

Based on census data, 87 of Illinois’ 102 counties experienced population decline between 2010 and 2020. Almost every rural county in Illinois has experienced an outmigration of its youngest and brightest talent and the trend appears to be continuing.

The April 5 program will discuss several research-based strategies that communities can implement to help reverse the trend, including insights into how remote work may provide more opportunities for people to migrate back to rural communities. The program will be followed by a young adult panel discussion.

“There are so many things that are impacted by the outmigration of young adults from rural communities, including school enrollment, availability of quality health care, future leadership, a skilled workforce and business development” according to the presenter Pam Schallhorn, community and economic development specialist for Extension. “Developing a strategic plan to address outmigration and attract young adults back into rural communities could have a major impact on a community’s future.”

There is no cost to attend; a light supper will be offered beginning at 5 p.m., followed by the program at 5:30 p.m. Register at tinyurl.com/ycktx3vz. For more information, call 815-235-4125.

DeWitt County Prime-Time Health

CLINTON, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension in DeWitt County and Warner Hospital and Health Services are offering Prime-Time Health, a program designed for adults and seniors, from 10:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, April 5-26 at the DeWitt County Extension office, 8425 Katie Road, Clinton.

The series will cover topics such as aging well, stress management, the value of nutrition in reducing disease risk, and increasing physical strength.

Mykenzie Green, a Dr. Sears Wellness Institute certified health coach, will lead the classes.

This series also is offered as an online, self-paced course with weekly group discussions. To learn more about this format, call 217-937-5275 or email events@warnerhospital.org.

Cost is $10. Register at tinyurl.com/sm9adnn5. For more information, contact Caitlin Mellendorf at chuth2@illinois.edu or 217-877-6042.

Ticks of Illinois

The online program Ticks of Illinois: Biology, Bite Prevention and Management will be from 2 to 3 p.m. April 6.

Tick-borne illnesses are a concern for anyone who spends time outdoors. Learn about the ticks in Illinois that are a risk for human health, disease agents found in ticks by the statewide surveillance program by Illinois Natural History Survey Medical Entomology Lab, tick bite prevention, and land management techniques to reduce tick encounters.

The program will be presented by Holly Tuten, Illinois Natural History Survey vector ecologist. Register at tinyurl.com/2p8rrb8c.

Prescribed Fire Workshop

KNOX, Ind. — Do you have CRP fields or other native warm-season grass stands on your property? Interested in learning about prescribed fire and other grassland management tools? The Learn-to-Burn Woodland Prescribed Fire Workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT April 7 at the Starke County Public Library, 152 W. Culver Road, Knox.

This workshop will cover CRP and Mid-Contract Management options, including herbicide, interseeding, and disking, as well as prescribed fire planning, safety, equipment and a demonstration burn (weather permitting).

Cost is $25. Register at tinyurl.com/5h5sfrte.

Illinois Cottage Food Law update

MARSHALL, Ill. — Have you ever considered selling homemade food at a farmers market? Learn what you need to know about the Illinois Cottage Food Law in a free workshop at 6:30 p.m. April 7 at the Clark County Extension office, 15493 N. State Hwy. 1, Marshall.

“The governor signed an amendment to the Illinois Cottage Food Law in January of this year,” says Mary Liz Wright, nutrition and wellness educator from Illinois Extension. “Everyone should learn the details before they begin preparing food out of their home.”

Saturdays with a Master Gardener

STERLING, Ill. — Choosing the Right Ground Covers will be the topic of the Saturdays with a Master Gardener program from 10 a.m. to noon April 9 at the Whiteside County Extension office, 12923 Lawrence Road, Sterling.

Have an area in your yard where nothing will grow? Find a ground cover that will dress up your landscape.

Seed Starting and Spring Gardening

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Seed Starting and Spring Gardening will be the first topic of the Garden Workshop Series from 10 a.m. to noon April 9 at the Jones Park Greenhouse, 1200 N. Park Drive, East St. Louis.

Participants will learn seed-starting techniques and plant up to six summer vegetables to start growing inside the Jones Park Greenhouse and take home when they are ready to transplant in your garden. They will also practice direct seeding and transplanting spring crops in the Jones Park Garden and take seeds home for their own garden.

McHenry County Gardenfest

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. — McHenry County Gardenfest will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 9 at McHenry County College, 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14, Crystal Lake.

Keynote speakers will be Nina Koziol, a garden writer and horticulturist, who will discuss The Gardener as an Artist; and Chris Benda, a botanist and past president of the Illinois Native Plant Society, who will present Botanical Humor: You Never Knew Plants Were So Funny.

Breakout sessions will include Improving Your Garden Soil, Pests and Disease in the Garden, McHenry County College Greenhouse Tour, All About Tea Gardens, All About Dahlias, Weed Management in Vegetable Gardens, Growing Mushrooms in Your Backyard, Preventing Weeds with Living Mulch, You Can Grow It From Seed, Unexpected Edibles, Container Gardens, Native Landscapes for Winter Beauty, and Dragons & Damsels: The Amazing World of Odonata.

Cost is $45. Register at www.mchenry.edu/gardenfest.

Prairie State of Mind

DECATUR, Ill. — Carolyn Mason Annual Education Day: Prairie State of Mind will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 9 at the Rock Springs Nature Center, 3939 Nearing Lane, Decatur.

Programs include Nature Journaling, Tour of the Homestead Prairie Farm with Prairie Scavenger Hunt, and Make a Journal.

Cost is $15, which includes breakfast. Register at tinyurl.com/mwxdj8xv.

For more information, contact Doug Gucker at dgucker@illinois.edu or 217-877-6042.

4-H Council Fish Fry

ROCHESTER, Ind. — The Fulton County 4-H Council Fish and Tenderloin Fry will be 4 to 7 p.m. ET April 9 at the Fulton County 4-H Fairgrounds, 1009 W. Third St., Rochester.

Dine-in or drive-through cost is $11 for adults.

Funds from the event support 4-H programs. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/yc23mhz4.

Calendar: DIY Lawn Care Series