Giant City State Park to host events about Snake Road, Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad and the Snake Road are scheduled to be the topics of programs which are planned at Giant City State Park near Makanda.
Further information about the upcoming free programs is available by calling 618-457-4836.
“Snake Road: A Southern Illinois Treasure”
“Snake Road: A Southern Illinois Treasure” is the title of a program which is scheduled Saturday, Feb. 8.
Biologist John Palis plans to lead a virtual walk of the world-famous Snake Road from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the visitors center.
Snake Road is located on the Shawnee National Forest and is in Union County, near Wolf Lake.
The Snake Road area is home to a diverse array of amphibians, reptiles and other wildlife, as well as a rich display of plant life.
Palis plans to share his observations about snakes and the other natural wonders at Snake Road.
The Underground Railroad in Southern Illinois
The Underground Railroad in Southern Illinois is scheduled to be the topic of a program which is planned Sunday, Feb. 9. The program is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
The Underground Railroad was a vast, but secret, network of travel routes and safe havens to help African Americans escape slavery.
U.S. Forest Service/Shawnee National Forest heritage program manager Mary McCorvie plans to talk about the role that Southern Illinois and pre-Civil War African American communities played in the Underground Railroad network.
Several natural landmarks on the Shawnee National Forest remain as markers of the Underground Railroad.