Earth Hour Night Hike To Showcase Sunset At Orland Grassland

ORLAND PARK, IL — Orland Grassland volunteers will celebrate Earth Hour with a special night hike at the preserve.

Orland Grassland Volunteers will host the night hike along Birdsong Trail at Orland Grassland on March 23 from 6:45 to 10 p.m. Parking is in the parking lot at 167th Street just west of La Grange. The gate will be locked promptly at 7 p.m.

"We'll hike into the grassland wildness along this natural terrain trail to watch the sunset over the savannas, stargaze and hear the frogs call," organizers wrote. "We may hear owls and American woodcocks. Red tower lights twinkle from the silhouette of the Chicago skyline on top of Kwadekik hill. We'll be unplugged, surrounded by nature, a multi-sensory delight."

The hike is made possible with a special permit from the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the organization wrote.

The hike is suitable for those with steady footing on natural, hilly terrain and will last for about 1.5 hours. Hot beverages and treats will follow.

Those interested are reminded to dress for the weather. Boots are recommended, and bring a flashlight, if possible. Please RSVP so we can plan for flashlights and treats by contacting Pat Hayes, ptihys@yahoo.com or 708-220-9596.

Organized by World Wildlife Federation (WWF), Earth Hour is a worldwide grassroots movement uniting people to protect the planet. From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in every time zone, people are asked to turn off electronics and lights for one hour to help reduce their carbon footprint and help with climate change. Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. See https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/earth-hour for more information on Earth Hour.