Our final Olmsted 200 Seed Hunt of 2021 took place on October 23 along Riverside Road.

We were happy to partner with artist Shilin Hora of The Seed to sponsor five of these educational adventures throughout the year, each in a different natural area within Riverside and each featuring a different guest nature guide. Ana Garcia Doyle, of the One Earth Film Festival, inspired us near Scout Cabin in May. Early childhood educator and artist Susan Lisle led a wonder-filled group in Swan Pond in June. Val Kehoe of the University of Illinois Extension shared her extensive botanical knowledge with us in Indian Gardens in August. In September, Scott Stewart of the Millennium Park Foundation led our exploration near Swinging Bridge. And in October, native plant expert, garden designer, and author Roy Diblik shared his philosophies as we gathered seeds and planted a tree in honor of long-time Olmsted Society volunteer Mark Ross.

The seeds we collected in 2021 will be incorporated into a sizeable, museum-quality, Olmsted 200 Botanical Box, to be gifted to the Riverside Public Library on the 200th anniversary of Olmsted’s birth in 2022 or into smaller versions of the Olmsted 200 Box which may be commissioned through the artist’s website, www.shilinhora.com as part of our Olmsted 200 fundraising efforts. Only a limited quantity (60) of these commemorative boxes will be made. They make incredibly meaningful gifts for those who love Riverside and all of its natural beauty.