What’s rusty and invasive to our waters? The Rusty Crayfish! Join the Forest Preserve District of Kane County for the 7th Annual Rusty Rodeo on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon. It’s time to grab your dip nets and help reduce the numbers of these pesky invaders!
The free, family-friendly event will have volunteers seeking out the invasive Rusty Crayfish in shallow waters. Using dip nets, naturalists will help volunteers collect, identify and remove Rusties from the Fox River! Come gain a better understanding of this invasive species, and help your local waterways.
Two locations have been designated for the event. The first location is North Aurora Island Park, 4 E. State Street, North Aurora. The second location is at Mt. St. Mary’s Park, 79 Prairie Street, St. Charles.
We recommend wearing closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get muddy. Expect to get wet as we wade into the water. While we will have some dip nets available to loan, we encourage participants to bring their own if possible.
All Rusty Crayfish caught during the event will be put to good use. They will serve as food for animal ambassadors at the sponsoring-agencies’ nature centers. No registration is required for this event. For more information, and to stay up to date on event details, visit www.kaneforest.com, email programs@kaneforest.com or call 630-444-3190.
—Forest Preserve District of Kane County