Prairie Works is the source for ecological and landscape services in Northwest Illinois. Prairie Works can assist on projects large and small ranging from prairie and woodland restoration, invasive species control, controlled burning, bio-engineered erosion control and landscaping through the use of native plants. Prairie Works offers an environmentally friendly and dynamic solution to traditional land use practices and strives to connect people to the natural history of the area.

Cory's Blog: A cyber bulletin containing information, statements, news, reports, inside dope, observations and ramblings. Please browse the archives at your leisure.

Author Archive for Cory RitterbuschPage 2 of 7

Snow to Rain Records

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on June 13, 2008
in Blog and weather
. 0 Comments

The Meeker St. Bridge at GalenaFresh off of a record setting winter where we received a record 78.7 inches of snow. The Tri-State area is now breaking spring rainfall totals. Dubuque, IA has doubled it’s normal rainfall amount for the spring and matched with the earlier snow melt off, it is causing major problems.

Agriculture, Construction and Emergency Services have all been getting crunched with this warm variety of severe weather this spring. Like last winters snowfall stats; these too have been staggering:

Some areas of the Tri-States have received more than 12 inches of rain so far in June. The normal amount for the entire month is 1.82 inches. Most rivers in the area have peaked at levels never seen before. Neighboring Grant County was in a state of emergency yesterday as a deluge of rain washed cars off of roads, which included three small tornado’s. A section of I-80 in Iowa has closed and traffic has been rerouted through Dubuque causing traffic jams. The local radio stations storm warning has become commonplace now hindering on monotony.

“We’re basically in uncharted waters,” said Steve Kuhl, meteorologist in charge at the Quad Cities office of the National Weather Service. “It is unprecedented. We have never seen these river levels. We have our models that help us with our river forecasts, but since this has never happened before, we are adjusting those on the fly.” The Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, IA was expected to crest at nearly 32 feet, an astonishing 12 feet higher than the old record, set in 1929. The drenching has also severely damaged the corn crop in the Midwest at a time when corn prices are soaring.

On the prairie front, we are seeing rapid weed growth and robust plant sizes. Our dry prairies are showing that moisture tolerant species are dominating and drier species are in decline. Plants never seen in areas before, such as Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea) have made unannounced appearances. It has also been a good opportunity to recognize the over efficiency of our storm water removal systems and the need to install rain gardens, bio-swales, permeable paving and to utilize native plants on slopes…

Green Fair Reminder

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on June 12, 2008
in Blog, events and galena, ill
. 0 Comments

This is a reminder that Northwest Illinois’ first annual Green Fair will be occurring two weeks from today. We have organized a long list of knowledgeable speakers and exhibitors on sustainable living. I will be giving two presentations on Saturday. One titled “Saving Money with Sustainable Landscapes” and another titled, “What is Ecological Restoration?”

Hope to see you there! 

Green Fair 2008: Ideas & Products for Your Home & Business

June 27-28

Location: Highland Community College West, U.S. Highway 20, Elizabeth, Illinois.

Dinner and Keynote Speaker: Roy Buol, Mayor of Dubuque, Iowa
Friday, June 27, 7:00 PM. (reservation required)

The Green Fair is for home owners, business owners, families, kids, contractors, teachers — and you! It’s all about the tools for living lighter on the earth:

• Energy conservation.
• Green building techniques.
• Local and organic foods.
• Sustainable living.
• Natural lawn care.

Green Fair 2008 will include special sessions on various topics:

• Childrens’ activities, including worm composting.
• Backyard wildlife.
• Energy bicycle.
• Local food.

greenfair2008_brochure.pdf file with speaker schedule, reception info and exhibitor list.

Galena CVB The logo we are required to include…

Lawn Nation

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on June 4, 2008
in Blog, environmentalism and events
. 0 Comments

 An interesting exhibit has opened in Chicago this week. It explores the American obsession with lawns. The Notebaert Nature Museum is featuring “Lawn Nation: The Art & Science of the American Lawn” through September 7th. This exhibit dives deep into the lawn’s history in America and why alternatives should be utilized.

The exhibit is the first of its kind and uses a mix of videos, interactive displays, 30 commissioned pieces of artwork and 4 alternative lawns in front of the museum. Curators of the display have dubbed the grass, clover, dandelion mix out front the ‘Freedom Lawn” because of its low maintenance requirements. The press release states that homeowners pour three times more pesticides per acre than industrial farmers and that all lawns put together could carpet the state of Kentucky. I bet this is just a snippet of the wealth of information made available there.

If any of you city dwellers are able to view this exhibit, I would be interested to hear your comments.

If You Go:

Where: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago

When: Through September 7th.

Cost: $9 for Adults and $7 for Seniors

Details: 773-755-5100 or www.chias.org

Native Plants on NPR

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on May 29, 2008
in Blog, invasive species and native species
. 0 Comments

National Public RadioLast week there was a segment on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered featuring native plants. This 5 minute feature titled Local Plants Give Sense of Place, Character discussed the many benefits of native plants. Moving beyond the usual advantages of no watering and increasing value to wildlife Washington D.C. gardener, Lisa Caprioglio, discussed the great sense of place that native plants can provide to display a sense of regionalism rather than using the same set of plants from state to state.

They also discussed a problem that is not frequently discussed: The accessibility to purchase native plants. Unfortunately the push to use natives is not matched by the ability to purchase them. 

A nice little story that hopefully reached a large audience.  

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90645101&sc=emaf Listen to the story here.

American Plum

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on May 19, 2008
in Blog
. 0 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you drive through the countryside this week you have probably noticed a small tree blooming in an elegant white. This is American Plum (Prunus americana) which graces the country from late April to mid-May with its white flowers. It is always amazing how many of these plum trees are around and how much we under appreciate this fantastic bird feeder.

American Plum is very widespread. It is found in almost every state east of the Rockies and in almost every county in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. It attains a hight of 15 feet and a width of 15 feet when found alone or when planted as a speciman tree. In the landscape it is hard to find a native tree or shrub that beats its versatality. It is showy, fragrant, provides great value to wildlife and tolerates a great range of growing conditions. Unfortunatly, it is hard to find in the nursery trade in its native form.

If you can beat the birds to its fruit you will enjoy a moderately tasting, but sometimes sour, plum. With all of the glamourous options available at the supermarket now, this plum is usually reserved for canning and for use in jams and jellies. Because of its high palatability by birds and mammals it is found along fencerows and roadsides everywhere, sometimes forming huge thickets that will take up a quarter acre in size if the surrounding land is not managed. Our state conservation districts often sell this tree for windbreaks and hedgerows.

As you view this small tree this week let it remind us of the true beauty that our native flora can possess. 

Dutchman’s Breeches

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on April 28, 2008
in Blog, native species and woodland
. 0 Comments

Irish Hollow Rd. 4-14-06Right now Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) is in bloom. One of the first spring flowers to bloom, Dutchman’s Breeches is a sure sign that spring is here. It is grouped into the beloved plant system known as Woodland Ephemerals. This plant will disappear completely by June.

Dutchman’s Breeches is a common plant of Oak woodlands that have not been disturbed. It attains a hieght up to 12 inches and is most common on North facing slopes but will grow on any aspect. It is found in a huge range from Canada to Georgia and from the eastern seaboard to the Dakotas. It is found in most of Illinois’ and Wisconsin’s counties.

Dutchman’s Breeches is subject to a process called myrmecochory, wich means its seeds are spread by ants. The ants are attracted to its elaiosome organ and take the seeds back to thier nest where they consume the elaiosome then leave the seed in thier nest debris. This provides great germination conditions for the seed. For this reason you can find this plant growing in some odd locations. I have seen this plant growing in landscaped mulch beds on the North side of homes.

This is a very attractive plant but has a short bloom time. It’s cousin, Dicentra spectabilis, is native to Asia and is a very popular shade-tolerant ornamental flower here in America, commonly known as Bleeding Heart. Notice that the above picture was taken on April 14th of 2006. After the hard winter of 07-08 Dutchman’s was just beggining to poke through the ground at that time this year.

Dynamic plants adjusting to dynamic midwestern weather.

http://www.missouriplants.com/Whitealt/Dicentra_cucullaria_page.html Great pictures

Earth Day 2008

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on April 22, 2008
in Blog, environmentalism and events
. 0 Comments

Happy Earth DayToday is Earth Day in the Northern hemisphere. The one day of the year where environmentalists can bask in environmental awareness. Earth Day has been held each year since 1970. It was the brainchild of Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson. Today, it is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day events annually. Each year many events are planned locally to promote sustainability and the cleaning of our land, air and water.

This year, Time magazine printed a special environmental issue to coincide with Earth Day. Its cover article, Why Green is the new Red, White and Blue digs deep into the current political status of the environment including some important information on the Lieberman-Warner Bill. Of course buying this issue at the newstand would be at the detriment of trees and would just help the logging industry. So, I suggest reading the article online here: http://www.time.com/time/

Today for some Green fun, I compiled a list of great Green websites for you to visit and a link to test your ecological footprint:

http://grist.org/ The Colbert Report of climate change

http://www.treehugger.com/ The go-to guide for sustainable living

http://www.realclimate.org/ Climate science from climate scientists (says it all)

http://www.ecorazzi.com/ What celebrities are doing to help the environment

Take the Ecological Footprint Quiz here:

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/info.asp

Happy Earth Day everyone.

The 70’s

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on April 18, 2008
in aside and weather
. 0 Comments

APRIL 18 - Last Wednesday’s high of 74 marked the first time since October 21st that we have experienced 70 degrees or higher. That is a 178 day stretch. It was the latest 70+ reading in 15 years and 35 days past normal. The latest ever was on May 6, 1961.

Invasive Species in WI Legislation

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on April 14, 2008
in Blog, invasive species and law
. 0 Comments

The Lovely Dames Rocket Gracing Stagecoach Rd. with it’s PresenceThe state of Wisconsin has long been a leader in the protection of natural areas. Their forward-thinking approach towards nature began 100 years ago and is still strong today. It makes great sense since their 12.8 billion dollar tourism industry relies on it and hunting and fishing is steeped in tradition there. Last week the Wisconsin State Journal had a cover story about a major push to stop new waves of invasive plants in the future. A new bill to reach the Capitol floor will give the state the power to fine individuals for selling, transporting or spreading a long list of invasive species ranging from Parrots to Maple trees. This is a major step in the right direction.

In recent decades invasive plants have increased by 1,300% and are costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually. To blame are short-minded individuals and corporations who have introduced plants, insects or fish for financial gain or for personal interest. There has always been a grey area on how to handle the issue and the exact introducer has been difficult to pin point (except when our federal government takes the blame). The new proposed rules establish a consistent classification and regulatory system for all listed invasive species. The rules will set specific restrictions on actions such as selling, transporting and planting or releasing certain species to the wild. It will allow the WDNR to work with local units of government and landowners to quickly contain new infestations of species likely to become problematic.

The list of species is broken into 5 categories: Terrestrial plants, aquatic plants, vertebrates, micro-organisms and aquatic invertebrates. In total, 187 species are on the potential list. Most already occur in Wisconsin but some are being included to be proactive, as with Emerald Ash Borer. Most interesting was seeing Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) included on the list. The famed beauty from the Meadow in a Can seed mixes sold at garden centers everywhere shows itself along the countryside of Northwest Illinois each May. Can I start issuing tickets?

It will be interesting to watch this bill transpire into law and, even more, how aggressively it will be enforced. I know the nursery trade may be scrambling to adjust profit margins as Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis) and other perennial favorites are on the list. Stay tuned for more on this aggressive bill.

http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/classification/ The Skinny from WDNR

http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/280782 The Wisconsin Sate Journal Article

Rainy April

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on April 10, 2008
in aside and weather
. 0 Comments

APRIL 10 - 4.2 inches of rain has fallen this month. This week could see another 3 inches along with some more snow. 3.54 inches is the April average. 

Ephemeral Ponds

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on April 9, 2008
in Blog, remnant ecosystems, seasonal and woodland
. 0 Comments

Ephemeral - Existing only briefly

Ephemeral Pond in MarchSpring is a great (and the only) time of year to view epehemeral ponds that lay scattered in our woodlands. Ephemeral ponds, sometimes called vernal pools, are a small but important ecosystem as they harbor many different amphibians, birds and plants. They increase the local biodiversity greatly when present and are a dynamic part of woodland ecosystems.

These ponds are depressions with obstructed drainage that hold water for a short period of time following snowmelt and spring rains but typically dry out by mid-summer. Common plants of these habitats include: Yellow water crowfoot (Ranunculus flabellaris), bluejoint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), fowl manna grass (Glyceria striata), spotted cowbane (Cicuta maculata), smartweeds (Polygonum spp.), orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), and sedges (Carex spp.). During their existence these plants provide critical breeding habitat for many amphibians such as frogs and salamanders.

Ephemeral ponds also provide feeding, resting and breeding habitat for songbirds and a source of food and water for many mammals. They contribute to the biodiversity of a woodland in many ways. Ephemeral ponds fit into an eco-community context by the following attributes: their placement in woodlands, isolation, small size, hydrology and length of time they hold water. Trees adjacent to ephemeral ponds provide a variety of benefits such as maintaining cool water temperatures, preventing premature drying, and adding organic matter each fall. The annual input of leaves from trees around the pool support a detritus-based food web and a support a variety of invertebrates that are part of the food web.

Here, in the Driftless Area, ephemeral ponds are not as common as they are in flatter regions and are usually found in floodplains where the land is not sloped. I have noticed that old mining holes can behave similar to an ephemeral pond, but cannot hold water for very long. These little depressions are fun to watch over the year and should be enjoyed by any birder, animal lover or plant observer. 

http://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/level3/WIephemeral.htm SE Wisconsin’s Ephemeral Pond Project

http://www.vernalpool.org/ Great Learning Resource (get a t-shirt)

http://www.epa.gov/r5water/ephemeralwetlands/ The E.P.A.’s information

Winter of 2007-08

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on April 1, 2008
in Blog, galena, ill, seasonal and weather
. 0 Comments

Making humour outside of Dubuque, IAOn September 15th 2007, Dubuque, IA recorded its earliest frost ever. Was this a sign of things to come? Today, winter is slowly coming to an end and we have historic winter weather statistics to report. Many cities and counties set record snowfall amounts here in the upper Midwest. We are also reporting colder than average temperatures and had lots of miscellaneous precipitation. This put a stress on road crews that was unbearable at times. Many school districts in the area have lengthened the school day in order to make up for the many “snow days” and munincipalities are scrambling to adjust budgets that were over-consumed by snow removal and salt costs.

Blizzard Conditions on Dec. 23rdIt all started on November 21st when we received 2.2 inches of the white stuff. We did not realize how well acquainted we would become… December gave us a plethora of rain, snow, ice and fog. We ended the month with 20.6 inches of snow and a record setting amount of rain (4.61 inches). We also had two vicious ice storms and 11 days of visibility of a quarter mile or less. We thought that winter came on strong but would fade out early. January was relatively easy when compared to its bookends. We received only 13.2 inches of snow but experienced a cold snap the last week of the month where nearby Waterloo, IA, fell to -29 below (January 23rd).

February 2008 was a month with many staggering weather statistics. Dubuque, IA, racked up a record amount of 32.5 inches of snow which fell on 80 percent of the days possible. This included an Ash Wednesday snowstorm that dropped 18″ of snow in JoDaviess County. A week long stretch of sub-zero temps followed. It became the 2nd wettest February in Chicago history. Madison, WI, broke its all time snow record very early in the month when winter was a mere 6 weeks old! The national guard was called out to Interstate 90 south of Madison on the 5th to help stranded motorists - the first time that’s happened in the Midwest since the famous Chicago blizzard of 1967. Famed Chicago weatherman, Tom Skilling, was creating stats about the month never heard before. Skilling said of February, “Sunshine in February was 40 percent of possible versus normal of 46 percent”? Whatever exactly happened, it was extremely cloudy, cold and snowy.

White EasterWe entered March with our local snowfall records in sight. Snow amounts were recorded sporadically and in small amounts. Lent ended in Chicago like it began, with a snowstorm. A Good Friday storm brought 7 inches of snow, setting the all time record for McHenry County, Illinois (77 inches). With that storm Chicago surpassed its 60 inch total and Madison, WI surpassed the 100 inch milestone. It was the first “White Easter” in 30 years for many areas. The Galena area had to wait until March 27th to break our all time record. This was set at the Dubuque Airport Thursday, March 27th at 7:30 P.M. with a wet and short-lived 4.4 incher.

Madison, WI - The most amazing statistic was brought to us by Madison, WI.

Weather records seem to be like records set in athletic realms, they are barely broken, just extending past. Records are made by small measurements, split seconds or a degree or two. A maximum threshold seems to always exist. This was not the case with Madison’s snowfall record. It shattered its previous record of 76.1 inches by over two feet (24.6 inches). Snow has been sitting on the ground there every day since December 2nd (another record broken). Many Chicagoans remember the infamous winters of the late 1970s. The record setting season for Chicago snowfall in 1978-1979 was 89.7 inches.

CanoeSledWith all the numbers attempting to explain the story, these statistics cannot convey the ice, sleet combined with snow (sneet), extremely dense fog, thunder snow, blowing winds and the relentless 3 inch snow events that we absorbed this winter. I was provided with many memorable driving experiences like my drive on December 23rd from Platteville to Galena that left fingerprints that are forever embedded into the steering wheel of our Volkswagen Passat. Also, my annual Easter weekend canoe trip was done with the sounds of snowplows in the distance. Not to be forgotten.

Cory alongside Cty. OWith that being said I thought I may add: The largest snowfall in JoDaviess County history occurred in April and the latest snow to ever fall in Chicago was on June 10, 1910…

Snowiest Winters for Dubuque, IA

  1. 76.2″…2007-08 (34.4 inches greater than normal)
  2. 75.7″…1961-62
  3. 75.0″…1974-75
  4. 71.5″…1959-60
  5. 71.3…1977-78
  6. 70.4″…1978-79
  7. 65.9″…1958-59
  8. 63.8″…1992-93
  9. 59.8″…1985-86
  10. 59.3″…1950-51

Official Snow Totals From Around The Region (as of April 1st)

Cedar Rapids, IA     59.9″    Normal   27.7″ (2nd Snowiest Ever)
Chicago (O’Hare)     60.3″    Normal   36.4″ (7th Snowiest Ever)
Chicago (Midway)   60.7″    Normal   42.9″ (7th Snowiest Ever)
Dubuque, IA            76.2″    Normal   42.0″ (Record Set)
Madison, WI            100.7″  Normal   46.3″ (Record Set)
Milwaukee, WI        98.9″   Normal   49.7″ (2nd Snowiest Ever)
Moline, IL                51.5″    Normal   33.7″ (2nd Snowiest Ever)
Rockford, IL            72.9″    Normal   37.3″ (2nd Snowiest Ever)

http://blogs.trb.com/news/weather/weblog/wgnweather/ Tom Skilling’s Blog

http://www.weather.gov/ Official Weather Recordings