On Sat Sept 19, 2015 the Brookfield Conservation Commission celebrated their annual festival 'Meet the Creek' along the banks of Salt Creek at Kiwanis Park in Brookfield. This was a free event open to the public and all ages. Special guests included members from the Chicago Herpetological Society which had a chance to show off some of their amazing reptiles. Snakes ranging from a few inches to 10 feet long were put on display without a sign that said "Do Not Touch". The reptiles were friendly and able to interact and play with the children. Imagine the look of a startled parent when their 6 yr old daughter walked up with a full grown Corn snake draped over her shoulders and around her neck and says, "Hey…look at me mom!" Also on hand was a turtle play pen where kids could get down and play with box turtles and painted turtles. One creature that was kept at a safe distance from the little fingers was a massive Snapper turtle which had a shell the size of a medium pizza, now that guy came with a sign that read —"Do Not Go Near".
Amy and Steve Sullivan, Conservation board members and nature lovers, were in charge of the event. Steve got up early Saturday morning, cast a net into the creek and caught several dozen fish of different species which he put in a big tank. During the day he explained how you can tell how healthy salt creek is by studying the fish and how important it is to keep the rivers and creeks clean.
The weather was perfect for the festival but, unfortunately, the heavy rains that fell the night before had Salt Creek at flood stage. The free canoe rides, a big part of the event, had to be cancelled. This was a bit disappointing to many of the parents and children but the face painting booth and nature treasure hunt kept them occupied and interested. Overall, the day was a huge success and Amy & Steve assured us they would be back next year along with the snakes, turtles and canoes.
Tom Longo