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Spring Creek, Healy Savanna, 8/16/2023 and 8/17/2023
In this post, I visit Healy Savanna. Healy Savanna has prairie areas on top of the ridge, savanna areas into the oak trees, and on the steep eastern facing slope woodland species. Healy Savanna can be accessed by hiking north from the Beverly Lake parking lot. The Beverly Lake parking lot is known for illicit…
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Spring Creek, the 160, 8/16/2023 and 8/17/2023
In this post, I visited the 160. The 160 is a prairie reconstruction that can be accessed by hiking east from the Beverly Lake parking lot. The Beverly Lake parking lot is known for illicit activity. Therefore, I suggest visiting in a group. A map of the area can be viewed on the previous post…
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Where to Cut Teasel
This is an image of invasive teasels on September 10th. On July 30th, to prevent seed production the flower heads (about half open at the time) and the upper half of the plants were cut off and removed. The plants were cut above where the leaves had started dying. Despite being cut during flowering above…
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Treating Every Stem
Woody species, such as gray dogwood and sumac, are invading prairies. In this case, staghorn sumac has invaded an area with conservative prairie sedges. If the staghorn sumac is not controlled, the prairie species will die from excessive shade. Placing flags is how I treat every stem that I have cut or frilled. I cut…
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Crown Vetch Control
Summary This post compares the labor-intensive method of applying herbicide to each crown vetch stem, or group of stems, versus spraying that has been done to control crown vetch at a nearby location under different management. The final set of images show where this former remnant prairie is now mostly just crown vetch which has…
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Baker’s Lake, Barrington Park Campgrounds, 6/26/2023 and 8/8/2023
Barrington Park Campgrounds is one of the best remaining examples of savanna in the Barrington Area. Citizens for Conservation has been managing the site. They control invading woody species and conduct prescribed fire to return this missing ecosystem process back into several area preserves. Summary This post starts by showing some of the beautiful areas…
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Illinois Beach State Park 8/5/2023
Learn more about the nature preserve at Illinois Beach State Park in the below link. https://dnr.illinois.gov/inpc/area.area2lakeillinoisbeach.html Summary This post discusses the control of white sweet clover and crown vetch at Illinois Beach State Park. It ends with images of an interesting beetle. Sweet Clover These are piles of white sweet clover. After the sweet clover…
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Middlefork Savanna 7/22/2023
“Middlefork Savanna has frequently been described as the best example of mesic or black soil savanna in Illinois …” https://dnr.illinois.gov/inpc/area.area2lakemiddleforksavanna.html Summary Comparative views of the work area after the workday and three months later are shown. Difference in application effectiveness across the work area are visible and attributed to there being numerous applicators applying herbicide.…
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Poplar Creek Comparison Photos: Winter to Summer
West Woods Views North East South West Burn Scar with Black Tarp North East South West Burn Scar and Blue Tarp North East South West Cut Material Removed Treated Woody Invasive Species (7/2/2023) Asian bush honeysuckle Multiflora Rose Common buckthorn sprouting having missed being sprayed with herbicide. Josef Goder Tract Looking North Into Open Area…
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Death to a Native Plant Garden Revisited 7/13/2023
Above is what the garden looked like from the side on 5/3/2023. This is what the garden looks like today. Some plants that have survived the spraying include butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), prairie coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata), prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis), royal catchfly (Silene regia), wild bergamot…
Stewardship Chronicles
Documenting Land Management in Northern Illinois
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Stewardship Chronicles 