Publications & Sites 
A return trip to Barrington Hills’ Walk On Farm
Updated: November 8, 2012 1:06PM
BARRINGTON
Because of space considerations, and my wordiness due to my enthusiasm for the subject, a few notes about Walk On Farm and equine therapy programs were left over from my previous column, so herewith, some more background.
The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH), of which Walk On Farms’s director Mary Illing is a certified member, has several hundred established stables in its membership, with more than 20 in Illinois alone.
Mary will soon attend its national conference in Seattle, where she will keep up with the latest techniques to assist people of all ages and needs to benefit from their time with the remarkable horses that I described in my earlier column.
If you love people and horses, you can have a very rewarding experience volunteering at Walk On. They have many opportunities for your participation, including fund-raising, because its programs depend upon private sector support. Barrington community organizations, local businesses and individuals are incredibly supportive, and the results are found in the many heartwarming stories from those who have participated in the programs.
For more information call its office at 847-381-4231, or go online to WalkOnFarm.org.
FALL FESTIVAL
Cuba Township’s Fall Festival on Sept. 20 was a fun and successful event, as the weather cooperated after the rain the day before.
Cuba trustees Art Rice and Jack Mumaw, and supervisor David Nelson kept grilling delicious brats and hot dogs all afternoon, with cold drinks available on the side. The donated bake sale, which netted around $300, benefitted the Cuba Township Food Pantry and offered the opportunity for on-the-spot dessert. In other words, a lot of the bakery purchases never made it home!
Many people brought non-perishable food donations for the Pantry, and Tom Gooch’s Road District pickup truck was well filled at the end of the afternoon.
As advertised, SECOND WIND and SONS OF BILDOR provided music through the afternoon, and there was one entertainment surprise. Two great dance routines were performed by Julie Haller’s Hip Hop class from Harper College. This got everyone moving and smiling, as kids enjoyed their pony rides and pumpkin painting and other games.
A highlight of the afternoon was the presence of Dawn Keller, with some of the permanent residents of her Flint Creek Wild Life Rehabilitation. The birds, that because of injury cannot be returned to the wild, included a small falcon, the magnificent barred owl, and a Cooper’s hawk.
There is a sidebar hawk story. While at the Festival, Dawn received a call, that in the nearby countryside, a hawk was entangled in netting used to cover a pond. One of her assistants went to the scene, and found that the bird was a Cooper’s hawk! He cut the netting, but it was still wrapped around the bird’s talon. So he brought it back to Dawn’s van, where the netting was cut free, and its talon treated. It was then safely returned near to where it was found. It was a small drama of the afternoon, unknown to most people there.
WARNING FROM DAWN: netting and wire mesh used as protection for plants and ponds against birds and small animals may kill them. Please check at www.flintcreekwildlife.org to find different ways to support its work. Please remember they do not receive any federal, state or local government funding, and they have three very active locations: Barrington, Chicago and Itasca.
My next column will about Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble and its annual presentation of The Nutcracker. So please watch for that.
Email me with comments, news etc., barbaralbenson@aol.com.
