20150318 - MCCD Open Prep

H. Rick Bamman - hbamman@shawmedia.com McHenry County Conservation District Ranger Mary Deja removes seasonal signage at the entrance to the Lake in the Hills Fen. With the weather warming up, a number of conservation areas are opening for the season. “We are getting sites reopened as we speak,” spokeswoman Wendy Kummerer said. "Purely weather related because of the quick melt off of the snow without having any rain on top of that, the sites are drying out quicker than normal. Typically we open April, so this is the earliest that I can remember. Thank you to Mother Nature and the nice sunshine.”

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H. Rick Bamman - hbamman@shawmedia.com McHenry County Conservation District Ranger Mary Deja checks trash cans at the Lake in the Hills Fen. Conservation areas across McHenry County are opening earlier than normal this spring.

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H. Rick Bamman - hbamman@shawmedia.com McHenry County Conservation District Ranger Mary Deja checks tree damage from a rutting buck in the Lake in the Hills Fen. Conservation areas across McHenry County are opening earlier than normal this spring. Several sites already have opened and the rest should be open within the week, McHenry County Conservation District spokeswoman Wendy Kummerer said. Many of these were sites were open to pedestrian traffic, but the parking lots were closed to alleviate the need to plow.