
THE GARDEN CLUB OF DOWNERS GROVE
Established 1927

NATIONAL GARDEN WEEK
National Garden Week is observed the first full week in June. Each year, The Garden Club of Downers Grove presents a program at the Downers Grove Public Library, co-sponsored by the Library, with a guest speaker and garden-related theme. The 2023 event " Who's Who of Owls was held on June 7th and was attended by over 110 people. Presentor was Mark Spreyer, Executive Director of the Stillman Nature Center
Stillman Nature Center’s Executive Director Mark Spreyer has been bringing owls to school classes, garden clubs, wildlife conferences and other groups for nearly 35 years. Mark did his graduate work in Minnesota on great gray owls and then went on to organize and direct Chicago’s Peregrine Falcon release program. In 1995 Mark became the executive director of Stillman Nature Center in Barrington. He came out and with a book of nature essays titled Natural Digressions and it covers everything from wildflowers to Owls. Mark was awarded GCI’s Presidential Citation for the many classes he taught for the Environmental Studies School.

