Calendar: Learn how to grow a tea garden

BELVIDERE, Ill. — Boone County Master Gardener Jennifer Crider will present the program Tea Gardens, 6 to 7 p.m. June 5 at the Ida Public Library, 320 N. State St., Belvidere.

Learn about different types of tea gardens and the tea garden design components that make these great spaces to enjoy tea. Various plants used to make tea also will be covered.

Upcoming County Fairs

May 26-June 2 – Martinsville Agricultural Fair, 620 S. York St., Martinsville, Ill.; www.martinsvilleagfair.com; info@martinsvilleagfair.com; 217-382-5512.

May 28-June 1 – Greene County Agricultural Fair, 123 N. Route 108, Carrollton, Ill.; thegreenecountyfair.com; 217-942-3094.

June 4-8 — Pike County Fair, 210 W. Clay St., Pleasant Hill, Ill.; pikecountyfair@gmail.com; 573-754-2436 or 217-779-0287.

June 4-9 — Macoupin County Fair, 21368 State Rte 4, Carlinville, Ill.; www.macoupincountyfair.org; 217-854-9422.

June 5-8 — Floyd County 4-H Fair, 2818 Green Valley Road, New Albany, Ind.; www.floydcounty4h.org; floydcofairgrounds@gmail.com; 812-949-8119.

June 5-9 – Macon County Fair, 3700 N. Westlawn Ave., Decatur, Ill.; www.maconcountyfair.com; staff@maconcountyfair.com; 217-875-0135.

June 8-15 – Perry County Fair, 1041 Secretary Road, Pinckneyville, Ill.; https://www.facebook.com/perrycounty.fair.5; info@perrycoilfair.com; 618-790-4868.

June 10-15 — Brown County Fair, 802 Memorial Drive, Nashville, Ind.; 812-988-5495.

June 10-15 — Jennings County Fair, 4920 N State Hwy 3, North Vernon, Ind.; https://jenningscountyfair.com; jencofairboard@gmail.com; 812-346-3056.

June 10-15 — Shelby County Fair, 500 Frank St., Shelbyville, Ind.; https://www.facebook.com/shelbycountyindianafairgrounds; 317-392-1612.

June 12-16 – Sangamon County Fair, 318 W. Birch St., New Berlin, Ill.; www.sangcofair.com; info@sangcofair.com; 217-488-2685.

June 13-16 – Piatt County Jr. Fair, 523 S. Jefferson St., Cerro Gordo, Ill.; piattcountyfair.blogspot.com; fair@piattcountyfair.com; 217-763-6313.

June 14-23 — Hamilton County Fair, Route 14 West, McLeansboro, Ill.; facebook.com/HamiltonCountyIllinoisFair; hamiltoncoilfair@gmail.com; 618-926-1813.

June 15-22 — Vermillion County Fair, Fairgrounds Road, Cayuga, Ind.; www.vermillioncountyfairboard.com; 812-249-2026.

Small Animals Show

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — The Jackson and Williamson County 4-H Small Animals Show will be 9 a.m. to noon June 1 at the Jackson County Extension office, 402 Ava Road, Murphysboro.

Categories include dogs, cats, small pets, rabbits and poultry. Those participating must be registered 4-H youth enrolled in the appropriate fair project areas. Guidelines and policies can be found in the Jackson County 4-H Handbook or Williamson County 4-H Handbook.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/5drwwz7d.

Periodical Cicadas

CLINTON, Ill. — Periodical Cicadas with DeWitt and Piatt County Master Gardeners will be 10 a.m. June 1 at the Weldon Springs State Park Schoolhouse, 4734 Weldon Springs Road, Clinton.

Periodical cicadas are among some of the longest-lived insects, with life cycles of either 13 or 17 years, and they’ll be emerging across Illinois this year. Periodical cicadas look a little different than annual cicadas. Periodicals are smaller and have black bodies with orange-wing veins and red eyes. Learn about the lives of periodical cicadas as well as the impact they may have on our landscapes this year.

For more information, email Beth Miglin, Extension horticulture program coordinator, at bmiglin@illinois.edu.

What’s the Buzz?

NORMAL, Ill. — The Summer Enrichment Camp program What’s the “Buzz” About? The Secret Life of Honeybees will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 3-7 at Unity Community Center, 632 Orlando Ave., Normal.

Participants will learn about a bee’s life cycle , how to set up a hive and the role of a beekeeper.

This free camp is open to youths entering grades first through sixth grade. Lunch will be provided. Register by visiting https://tinyurl.com/4jrmsfs9.

Sew Amazing

STERLING, Ill. — The Sew Amazing youth sewing workshop will be 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays, June 3-24, at the Sterling Public Library, 102 W. 3rd St., Sterling.

Participants ages 10 to 14 will create a patch pillow, bag and a pillowcase. Sewing machines and basic supplies provided.

Cost is $20. Register at https://tinyurl.com/krzywj5p.

Homegrown Healthy

OREGON, Ill. — Homegrown Healthy, a series that combines weekly topic lessons with a gardening and nutrition component, will meet 5 to 6 p.m. Mondays, June 3-Aug. 12, at the Oregon Public Library, 300 Jefferson St., Oregon.

Extension Horticulture Educator Bruce Black will introduce a new topic each week, followed by hands-on lesson in the garden, tasting a recipe made with garden produce and concluding with how to store the produce. Participants are welcome to bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on.

Leadership Training

PLAINFIELD, Ind. — Facilitative Leadership training will be June 4-6 at MADE@Plainfield, 1610 Reeves Road, Plainfield.

The three-day class focuses on creating an inclusive culture of collaborative learning in teams, communities and organizations. It is for both new and experienced leaders, managers, facilitators and graduate students who would like to develop or improve their facilitation skills.

The schedule is 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET June 4; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 5; and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 6.

Cost is $625 and includes lunch on all three days and all materials. Register at https://tinyurl.com/y6d2kyft.

Healthy You

ROCKVILLE, Ind. — The five-week program Steps to a Healthy You will be noon to 1:30 p.m. ET June 4, June 11, June 18, June 25 and July 2 at the Parke County Extension office, 1472 N U.S. 41, Rockville.

The program focuses on a healthy Mediterranean-style diet.

Cost is $10. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2bnn7fe4.

Preserve the Season

NORTH UTICA, Ill. — Preserve the Season will be 5 to 6 p.m. June 4 at the Utica Public Library, 224 Mill St., North Utica.

Discover how to safely preserve fresh produce, including canning, drying and freezing. Participants will learn about equipment, make and taste test freezer jam, and take home resources.

Native Bees

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — The Gardening for Native Bees Workshop will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 4 at the Jackson County Extension office, 402 Ava Road, Murphysboro.

Gardens with abundant native bee populations tend to have higher crop yields, and increased pollination leads to better fruit set and larger, more plentiful harvests of fruits and vegetables. Supporting native bee populations in your garden helps maintain biodiversity, leading to resilient ecosystems and agricultural systems.

Extension Horticulture Educator Kim Rohling will share information on:

• Natural history tidbits on native bees of Illinois.

• Tactics to attract native bees to your homestead, including native plant selection and other habitat factors.

• Species profile.

• Citizen science efforts you can use to document native bees on your homestead.

Register for this free Modern Homesteading Series program by visiting go.illinois.edu/Gardening4Bees or call 618-687-1727.

UAV Training

BLUFFTON, Ind. — The Purdue Extension UAV Technology Program will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET June 6 and June 7 at Wells County 4-H Park, 1240 4-H Park Road, Bluffton.

The program will include UAV technology legal requirements, FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Knowledge Test preparation and useful UAV applications. Participants will get hands-on experience flying manual and planned UAV flights.

Cost is $200. Register at https://tinyurl.com/nhdmx7r8.

Canning with Confidence

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Caning with Confidence will be noon to 12:45 p.m. June 6. Learn the proper techniques for safely using a water bath canner, including an electric water bath canner, steam canner and pressure canner. Participants will receive instructions, recipes and resources to get started canning safely and watch a video of one of the canners in action.

Cooking for One or Two

WELDON, Ill.— The program Cooking for One or Two will be 10 to 11 a.m. June 7 at the Weldon Public Library, 505 Maple St., Weldon.

Planning, shopping and cooking for yourself or another person has its challenges. Learn skills to reduce food costs, limit food waste and prepare nutritious meals when your household is small.

Chainsaw Safety

ARENZVILLE, Ill. — Pheasants Forever and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife have partnered with the University of Illinois Extension Forestry Program to offer a beginner’s chainsaw safety workshop for women landowners, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 7 at Strut and Rut Hunting Lodge, 2345 St. Paul’s Church Road, Arenzville.

This workshop aims to equip participants with the beginning knowledge and skills to operate a chainsaw safely and confidently, an essential tool in prairie, savanna and forest restoration.

Cost is $15. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4wj5mbw2. For questions, contact Emily Hodapp at emily_hodapp@fws.gov or 217-341-9176.

Maintain Your Garden

INDIANAPOLIS — Growing in the City: Maintain Your Garden will be 9 a.m. to noon ET June 8 at the Marion County Extension office, 1202 E. 38th St., Suite. 201, Indianapolis.

Learn how to identify and manage common pests and diseases, and techniques like pruning and pinching for plant health. Also explore best practices for watering irrigation and maintaining garden borders.

Wellness Walk

FOREST PARK, Ill. — The June Cook County Nature Wellness Walk will be 10 a.m. to noon June 8 at Miller Meadow-South, 2175 S. 1st Ave., Forest Park.

Participants will be guided through a slow, leisurely walk that incorporates mindfulness and meditative practices. A tea ceremony will be held after the walk.

Goat Show

SALEM, Ind. — The Washington County Goat Association and Washington County Fair Board will host the Open Goat Show June 8 at the Washington County Fairgrounds Livestock Pavilion, 118 Fair St., Salem.

There will be classes for both dairy and meat breeds of goats including breeding does, market does, market wethers and showmanship. Weigh-in will be noon to 2 p.m., with the show staring at 3 p.m. with dairy goat showmanship classes. Concessions will be available.

For more information, contact Angela Kelley with the Washington County Goat Association at 812-620-2401, or the Washington County Extension office at 812-883-4601.