District offers spring sales of plants, trees and fish, as well as well water testing & more
It’s a busy spring at the Kane DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District. Well water testing, fish, native trees, shrubs and plants for sale, plus poster and photo contests.
Well water testing kits
From Feb. 26 through March 8, well water testing kits will be available for purchase at the district office at 2315 Dean St., Suite 100 in St. Charles or the Kane County Farm Bureau at 27N7120 S. Randall Road, St. Charles.
Four types of kits are available: a basic package, a nitrate/nitrite only, a coliform only or a 20 metals package. Well owners should wait to pull their water samples until March 10 (Daylight Saving day) and bring the filled kits back to either the Kane County Farm Bureau or district office on Monday, March 11.
The samples have a limited shelf life, so this timing must be adhered to. The district will deliver all the kits to the lab and results will be emailed directly to the well owner.
Plant sale
Ordering is open for native trees, shrubs and plants!
Place your orders by Friday, April 12, for trees and shrubs and by May 17 for plants. The digital catalog is available on our website, it can be printed if you choose. Download the order form, complete your selections and follow the instructions to submit the order and payment.
Worm castings
The Northern Illinois Worm Farm will be on hand at pickup days again this year with fresh, local worm casting and worm castings tea for sale.
Spring fish sale
Do you have a pond? Need fish? Choose from channel catfish, largemouth bass, triploid grass carp, hybrid bluegill, redear sunfish, fathead minnow and bluegill. The deadline for ordering fish is Thursday, March 21. Fish will be available for pickup on Friday, April 5, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the office. Order forms are available on the website. Carp orders will require an additional stocking application form (which the district will send you).
Poster contest
Finally, for the creatives — the 2024 Soil and Water Stewardship Poster Contest deadline is Friday, April 19.
“May the Forest Be with You Always” is the theme. Contest information and entry forms are available for all K-12 public, private or home-school students in Kane and DuPage counties.
Photo contest
If you are an amateur shutterbug of any age, the annual Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Photo Contest is also accepting entries until April 19.
This year’s four categories are: “Conservation Practices,” “Close-Up Conservation,” “Conservation in Action,” and “Agriculture and Conservation Across America.” Further details and entry forms are on our website.
Watch for other events around the area in which our team will be collaborating with conservation partners, schools and communities such as the National Biodiversity Teach-In in Elgin on Friday, Feb. 23; Envirothon competitions on Tuesday and Thursday, March 12 and 14; Geneva Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 20; and SCARCE’s Growing Green Garden Market on Saturday, May 4.
More information on the sales and contests, plus the KDSWCD mission can be found at the website, kanedupageswcd.org/kd.
The Kane DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District is here to assist residents, landowners, and businesses in Kane and DuPage counties in Illinois. Its mission is to support residents’ quality of life by leading efforts to ensure healthy soil, clean water, sustainable land development and regenerative agriculture.