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.

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History of Fire in America

With the 2008 spring burn season now on the horizon this is a good time to get our arms around the monster that is prescribed fire. Prescribed fire (RxFire) or controlled burning is a process that comes up often on this website but has never had a post devoted entirely to it. It is the restoration ecologist’s number one tool for natural areas restoration. But, it can be easy to forget why natural areas require it.

‘Fire Fight Fire’Fire was a common sight in America for millions of years before european settlement. From the eastern seaboard to the forests of the west, our country was frequently “on fire.” It was just as much as part of nature’s cycle as the dropping of leaves in fall. Some areas burned every 50 to 100 years and some areas burned twice annually, but nowhere burned as frequently as the Midwest (with the exception of Florida). Due to the high flammability of oak leaves and prairie grasses, our Midwest ecosytems burned quickly and often. Naturally, lightning strikes caused ignition, but the Native Americans utilized fire for many purposes for thousands of years and are responsible for retaining the prairie, a man-sustained ecosystem.

Indians burned prairies for many reasons, including hunting, to ease travel, stimulate flowering, communication, keep lookout points open, celebration and warfare. It is safe for me to assume that Indians wouldn’t hesitate to burn for the stunning beauty of a vast nighttime burn too. These fires raced across the landscape and could travel hundreds of miles in a day, traversing through woodlands, wetlands, ridges and ravines. The fire was not choosey on what it was going to burn; only large rivers would stop them. One report from the 1840s claims that a fire which started in Peoria, IL, reached Rockford (Rocky Ford) in just two hours!

Prairie Fire by Currier & IvesAfter the Blackhawk war and the exiting of the Indians, fire intervals were reduced but were not entirely eliminated. Fires from camps often escaped, lightning generated fires continued and locomotives began starting fires as they pushed through the prairies. Soon, agriculture would dominate and wildfires became isolated. The wildfires that were feared by pioneers and homesteaders were still fresh in peoples’ minds and were feared. Our ecosytems began to change at this time as fire retardant agricultural crops were preferred. Throughout the 20th century railroad rights of way were maintained with fire by railroad companies to reduce brush. This is why so many ‘railroad prairies’ exist today.  

The first people to duplicate wildfire as a tool for restoring natural areas is debated, but it was most likely Aldo Leopold or some of the University of Wisconsin professors working on Curtis Prairie in the 1940s. This was a good start, but soon after Smokey the Bear was born…

“Weakens America but Stregthens Ecosystems”Smokey the Bear is the longest running public service campaign in the United States. A highly successful campaign, it reached out to all Americans and taught them that fire was bad. This public relations stint cancelled all headway to utilize RxFire as a land management tool until the 1970s, although Smokey remains a barrier today.

As our remnant ecosystems became fire intolerant and those remaining were succombing to invasive species, the 1970s and ’80s saw increased use and research of RxFire. In the Midwest prairie preservationists were becoming arsonists, and some of the leading scientists were screaming for reform on the current federal wildfire procedures. The blessing in disguise came in 1988, with the wildfires at Yellowstone National Park. Initially, these fires were reported as destructive and Time called it an “American Tragedy.” In the years following the fire the ecological response was very positive and soon the reputation of wildfires changed to the positive.

Cory Managing RxFireSince the early 1990s RxFire started becoming widely accepted among conservationists, especially in the Midwest. Since the upswing began, the study of fire effects on specific ecosystems and its harboring species has been a very interesting discipline. We are still learning a lot about fire effects on plants, insects and animals. However, the results have been conclusive. Because this is an ecosystem where fire occured frequently, the concensus has become: We need more of it if we want our native species to persist and thrive.

After millions of years living with fire, our native species became tolerant and sometimes dependant on fire. We are now hearing many interesting theories and research findings. For instance: Some say our mammals and amphibians gained claws in order to dig holes quickly to create shelter from fires. A study published last year showed that certain prairie seeds require smoke contact in order to germinate. Oak trees will germinate at higher rates when woodlands are burned. We are also learning about using fire to control health issues such as Lyme Disease.

With all of that said, I must note that ecologists are also realizing that too much fire can be detrimental and that different burning techniques and varied timing can offer greater results. For that reason a burn prescription should be conducted by an experienced ecologist that can quantify all of the factors and is aware of the goals for a site. Of course, the safety issues surrounding a prescribed fire are ones that should never be taken lightly either.  

As my longest blog to date, it still cannot provide all of the information that surrounds this huge topic. I hope to provide smaller, more detailed posts in the future. In the meantime, when you see controlled burns being conducted this spring, remember that you are seeing the world’s oldest and most effective form of land management.

Liberty Hyde Bailey

Liberty Hyde BaileyToday, March 15, marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Liberty Hyde Bailey. Liberty Hyde Bailey was an American botanist, author and poet who wrote hundreds of books and scientific papers over a very long professional career. He coined the word ‘cultivar’, helped establish the 4-H program for kids, created agricultural extension offices, rural electrification, parcel posts, and is considered the father of rural sociology. President Theodore Roosevelt, appointed him to head The Commission on Country Life in 1908  for “the working out of the desire to make rural civilization as effective and satisfying as other civilization. ”

Liberty was born in South Haven, Michigan in 1858. He was educated at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State) where he graduated in 1882. He went on to work for the famous botanist Asa Gray at Harvard University and was the Dean of Agricultural Sciences at Cornell University until he retired.  

Most of his work was produced after his retirement. From 1923 - 1953 he published hundreds of papers and books. He became a specialist in the systematics of plants, mainly Cyad (palms) and Rubus (blackberries). He also published revisions of Vitis (grapes), Brassica (cabbages and kales), Cucurbita (pumpkins and squashes), Hosta (plantain-lilies), and monographs on Dianthus, Delphinium, Campanula, and the gourds. He published over 100 papers on pure taxonomy. His writing skills so impressed George P. Brett, president of Macmillan and Co., that he told Bailey to send along the title whenever he had a book under way because Macmillan would publish anything he wrote. The books sold well; from his first book, The Horticulturist’s Rule Book, published in 1885, to his last, The Garden of Bellflowers, in 1953, almost one million copies sold.

From 1890 to 1940, Bailey edited 117 titles by 99 authors from all over the country, covering subjects in agronomy, rural economics, botany, pomology, animal husbandry, dairy issues, soils and fertilizers, plant pathology, commercial floriculture, and home economics. He edited the popular monthly magazine, American Garden, from 1890 to 1892, and Country Life in America, from 1901 to 1903. He originated many series of books, including Rural Life, Garden Craft, Open Country, Rural Science, Rural Text-Book, and Rural Manual. He published at least 1,300 articles in total.

Quite a body of work. He also encouraged women’s education in America, helping colleges turn co-ed. Because of his accomplishments, a number of buildings at Michigan State and Cornell University have been named for him. The Bailey Scholars Program which emphasizes trans-disciplinary learning for undergrads, designed to develop ”the whole person,” was initiated at Michigan State in 1998.

Liberty died on Christmas day, 1954 at the age of 97. Today, he is not very well known, but his influence is widespread. On the 150th anniversary of his birth, Liberty Hyde Bailey is very worthy of attention and recognition.

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/whatwedo.html Illinois Extension Office

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/bailey/cornellu/index.html A great interactive museum

http://lhbm.south-haven.com/ The LHB Museum

Skunk Cabbage

Sympplocarpus foetidusThis is the time of year when we get to witness one of the true gems of native plant dynamics. Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is found in wet woodlands, shaded streambanks, springs and on the edges of fens. It is the first flower to begin growing in late winter, creates a horrible odor and has great medicinal value. However, Skunk Cabbage is best known for its thermogenetic properties - it produces its own heat!

Beginning as early as late February Skunk Cabbage begins to appear, sometimes coming up through the snow and melting it in the process. It produces a foul odor (hence the common name) as it grows, attracting stoneflies and bees. These insects serve as its pollinators and are responsible for its reproduction. Breaking a portion of the leaf will give someone a deep whiff of the skunk-like smell. This odor also discourages herbivores from eating it, thus increasing its survival rate.

Skunk Cabbage Melting SnowSkunk Cabbage can create temperatures up to 35° C (95° Fahrenheit) by a process known as cyanide resistant cellular respiration. It is among a small group of plants that exhibit thermogenesis. This produced heat also helps spread its odor into the air. Simply put, Skunk Cabbage is warm blooded, like us.

Another rare trait - Skunk Cabbage has contractile roots. This pulls the plant down into the mud as it grows. The plant actually grows downward, although it attains a height of up to 18 inches. This makes the plant impossible to be dug from the ground, something the nursery trade learned long ago.

Skunk Cabbage is not rare but also not common. It can be found in most Northern Illinois counties but occurrence is sporadic elsewhere. In Wisconsin it is found in most counties of the state. The specific habitat that it prefers makes it hard to find. Large populations of this plant can turn into tourist areas this time of year. It is well documented that Chicagoland once had extremely high populations of Skunk Cabbage.

Mimicking SaltI used to have a large population behind my house in Bull Valley near Woodstock, ILL. A friend once thought that a deer had broken up a salt lick and spread it around the woodland, melting the snow… If you have never experienced this phenomena it should be put on your ‘to do’ list.

http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/spring1999/skunkcabbage.html Good Article

Mountain Lion Happenings

Puma concolorThe Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) is an elusive mammal and the largest member of the cat family in North America. Other names for this animal include: Cougar, Puma, Panther, Catamount and many local variations including the Wisconsin Puma and Florida Panther. As of late, this creature has been receiving some attention locally. 

Last month a sighting was confirmed near Janesville, WI. It was the first confirmed sighting in Wisconsin in a century, although there have been hundreds of ‘probable’ accounts. A mountain Lion was killed by a train in downstate Illinois in 2000 and ’possible’ and ’probable’ sightings have been common since. Most of the sightings have been along the Mississippi River corridor and in Shawnee National Forest.  

Here in JoDaviess county, sightings have been occuring for several years now but no solid evidence yet. Last week I was called to investigate a possible sighting of a cougar in a tree. After an hour of tracking and searching for hair samples we declared the sighting as ‘possible’.

One of the pictures used in the false emailRecent Email Hoax - Coincidentally, two weeks ago an email started to circulate around the area. This email stated that a Cougar was seen near Elizabeth, IL on someone’s deck. Four very eerie pictures were attached and it provided some good shock value. However, the pictures originated from Montana in 2003 and the same email and pictures has started rumors in different parts of the country. Some people contacted me about it, Thank you. If you received this email, IDNR officials have told us that it is not true. A quick Google search will also confirm this.

What does all of this mean? Well, Cougar populations have been rising out west and some individuals have moved eastward. Cougars have the largest range of any mammal on the continent. Being able to cover 75 miles a day, cougars will expose themselves occasionally. The probability of sightings will increase during their high travel months. Hunting and bounty killings essentially eliminated the Cougar from existence in this area 100 years ago. With that pressure now removed, reproduction and survival rates can increase. We can expect this trend to continue and expect to have more ‘confirmed’ sightings in the Midwest in the future.

Cougar Track - 4 pads up frontIf you think you have seen a Cougar or its tracks please contact one of us as soon as possible:

Cory Ritterbusch, Prairie Works, 815.751.7400

Chris Kirkpatrick, JoDaviess Conservation Foundation, 815.541.3494

Emily Lubcke, The Galena Territory Association, 815.777.2000

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-cougar_22feb22,0,4931096.story  Read the Chicago Tribune article

Rudolph Steiner & BD Ag.

Rudolph SteinerToday, February 25, marks the birthday of Rudolph Steiner, who was born 147 years ago (1861).  Rudolph Steiner was a german philosopher, scholar, educator, playwright and social thinker. He is credited as the founder of Anthroposophy, the Waldorf education system, the School of Spiritual Science and anthroposophical medicine. He fought for ethical individualism, brought eurythmy to the masses, became the poster child for esotericism and Adolph Hitler declared war on him in 1921. His invention of Bio-Dynamic Agriculture began a slow movement into the organic farming movement that we have today. Bio-Dynamic Agriculture is what makes him notable here.

Biodynamic Agriculture (BD ag) - Due to the decrease of soil and food qualities brought on by fertilizers and improper farming methods, Steiner began a series of 8 lectures to farmers at Silesia, Germany in 1924. The basis of the lectures spoke of composting, utilizing ‘on farm’ manures as fertilizers, extensive crop rotations and working the farm as one large organism. Steiner prescribed nine different soil preparations to aid fertilization which became the cornerstone of biodynamic agriculture. Associating astrology and moon cycles with specific applications was also a major part of BD ag.

Steiner’s advise was put into practice almost immediatly and soon the term Biodynamic was trademarked and a certification process was implimented in order to retain its strict order. In 1938 the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association was founded in New York state. Today, BD ag is practiced in 50 countries. Its concepts have been widespread and it later spun into organic gardening and farming. Today, wines that are made using the Biodynamic process are a wine purists top choice and is a sector of the wine market that is gaining great popularity.

Although it is difficult to point to Steiners influence on ecology exactly. His holistic approach towards gardening is one shared by many environmentalists. It is safe to assume that he had a huge effect on todays “new” concepts of eating locally, reducing fertilizers and pesticides, growing organic foods and living an overall more sustainable lifestyle. If he were alive today he would be a great environmentalist and in great demand, as his 85 year old ideas now have a captive audience. Rudolph Steiner died shortly after his  Biodymanic lectures in March of 1925.

http://www.biodynamics.com/  Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association

http://www.angelicorganics.com/ CSA in Northern Illinois that practices BD Ag.

http://www.ecoworld.com/home/articles2.cfm?tid=388 Article on Biodynamic Wines

http://www.amazon.com Search for Steiner Books

2008 Green Fair

The Three R’sIt has been officially announced that the University of Illinois Extension, with a coalition of other local organizations (including Prairie Works), will be hosting the first annual Green Fair. Green Fair 2008: Ideas and Products for Your Home and Business will be held this June in Elizabeth, IL. Below is the official press release:

Set aside Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28 for the first area Green Fair! The theme for this years event is Ideas and Products for Your Home and Business. The fair will be a chance to meet retailers of green products, renewable energy resources, recycled and sustainably produced items for your business, office and home. There will be children’s activities, informative presentations and local food vendors.
The fair will be held at Highland Community College West (previously River Ridge High School). Look for more details in future newspaper articles, newsletters and flyer’s.
The Green Fair planning committee member organizations are: Baranski Hammer Moretta & Sheehy Architecture, Blackhawk Hills RC&D, Carroll County Economic Development Corp., Conservation Guardians of Northwest Illinois, Galena Territory Association, JoDaviess Conservation Foundation, Jo-Carroll Energy, Jo-Carroll Solid Waste Agency, JoDaviess County Office of Economic Development, Prairie Works Inc., The Prairie Enthusiasts and The University of Illinois Extension. 

If you have questions about the Green Fair, please contact Maggie Friedenbach, Recycling and Conservation Projects Coordinator, at University of Illinois Extension, 815.244.9444. You can also contact me at cory@prairieworksinc.com 

Hope to see you there!

Earl L. Butz

Earl L. Butz circa 1976Last Saturday, February 2nd, former Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz died at 98. Earl Butz was well known by environmentalists and not positively. He became a household name in the mid-1970s for reasons that were also not positive.

An Indiana native and person that Purdue University claims with great pride, Earl Butz was appointed secretary of agriclture in 1971 and carried that role until he was forced to resigned in 1976. During his five-year tenure as Ag Secretary he was responsible for many long-term effects on America.

Destruction of Natural Areas - Butz incensed naturalists by urging farmers to “plant from fencerow to fencerow.” With this implimented, some of our last remnant prairies were plowed, high quality wetlands were drained and thick treelines that served as habitat were bulldozed. This was the last crucial wave in natural area destruction and is still in many people’s memories. Locally, there became a sharp decline in wildlife numbers, mainly among birds.

Agri-business - Butz proclaimed that farming “is now big business” and that family farms must “adapt or die.” These policy shifts coincided with the rise of major agribusiness corporations, and the decline in financial stability of the small family farm. Agri-business was a term coined in the 1980s when the change had taken full effect.

Obesity - With larger quantities of corn being produced, Butz suggested that corn syrup should replace sugar cane. High-fructose corn syrup became the standard and very unhealthy sweetener. In Greg Critser’s 2003 book Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, Critser points to Butz as the reason for obesity in America. Critser says,”In short, Butz had delivered everything the modern American consumer had wanted. Cheap, abundant and tasty calories had arrived. It was time to eat.”

Outside of the environmental and nutrition circles Butz will be remembered for his controversy. In 1974 he disturbed catholics by making fun of the Pope and in October of 1976 he was forced to resign after making racist comments while on a plane flight. Some say that it prevented Gerald Ford from being elected one month later.

Quite a testement to the power of agriculture in America and probably the only Secretary of Agriclture to ever become a household name…

The Chestnut

A Once Mighty ChestnutDuring the 1800s the American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) was one of the most widespread and useful tree species east of the Mississippi River. Its name counjours up images of roasting fires around Christmas time and is a word used loosely in America today. The folklore around this tree is legendary in Appalachia and the tree had an immence effect on the culture there. Chesnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) was discovered in America in 1904 and by 1950 it had wiped out almost the entire population of Chestnut trees.

The Chestnut was a major tree species in the eastern Unites States when settlers arrived in America. It is what ecologists consider a ‘keystone species’ as its presence contributes to natures diversity. It is estimated that 25% of the trees on the eastern seaboard were Chestnuts before blight took over. During its bloom time in spring, the Appalachian Mountains would appear snow covered with its small white flowers. A prolific nut producer, it was the primary winter food for Turkey, Deer, Bear, birds, livestock and even humans. It was extremley important in harboring wildlife.

Its wood was highly valuable commercially as it grew straight, had tight grain, resisted decay, was rich in tannins and grew faster than Oaks. The wood was used extensively for just about everything. On the wood and tannin markets Chestnut had a utilitarian versitility that no other tree could match. Today, Chestnut wood reclaimed from old homes and barns is highly sought after.

The Chestnut Blight was accidentally introduced and disovered at the Bronx Zoo in New York city in 1904 after importing the Asian Chestnut for ornamental purposes in the 1890’s. The asian varieties evolved with the fungus and therefore were minimally effected. By 1940 an estimated 4 billion trees were killed by the blight. The failing of this tree species had a negative impact on the economy of rural appalachia.

In Illinois, the Chestnut has been recorded in the wild in only seven counties, including JoDaviess, the only county in the northern half. Wisconsin reports 6 counties. It is likely that the trees here were in isolated populations and could have been intentionally planted by pioneers from the east.

Today, scientists are working on developing blight resistant strains on the American Chestnut with thier goal to be 98% of the original. These new varieties must contain genetic strains found in the Asian Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) due to its resiliancy to the blight. Some areas of the country are being found to be untouched but experts feel it is only a matter of time before their demise. Its hybridized return will never be appreciated by purists, but it may add an important element to our landscape that we are losing due to declining Oak and Ash populations.

http://www.acf.org/ The American Chestnut Foundation

http://ipm.ppws.vt.edu/griffin/lore.html Chestnut Folklore

http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF2202/Freinkel/Freinkel.html The Loss of the American Chestnut Tree by Susan Freinkel

Historic Aerial Photography

Example: Guilford & Ford Roads, JoDaiviess Co Before the execution of any ecological restoration project the first step is to learn about the history of the land. It’s similar to how someone restoring a historic building will first seek out old photographs. The early surveyors’ notes from the 1800s offer a great overview, but they are most useful for large tracts of land and often lack the detail needed for smaller projects. The first aerial photographs of an area are the next most valuable tool. The Illinois Historical Aerial Photography Project (ILHAP) began around a decade ago and Northwest Illinois is its newest addition.

Photographs of all counties in Illinois were taken between 1937 and 1947, under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933. These photos were used mainly for tax purposes and for post-depression land analysis. Today, the photos are used by the goverment, historians, ecologists, and many others for several purposes including: determining past land uses, restoration of natural areas, assessing historical changes in stream dynamics, declaring brownfields and many other applications. Aerial photography is widely used today and is a very important tool for land managers.

Due to the chemical makeup of the old film negatives they are now detiorating at an alarming rate and it is necessary to transfer the images into a digital format, or digitize, to save the first aerial photos. This motivated the project to be done sooner rather than later. In total around 250,000 individual negatives are archived in Springfield. At the time of writing, 58 of Illinois’ 102 counties have been digitized. The Chicago metro area was first to be done in 2003 as the declaration of wetlands is an important issue in that area.

Although the images are rather rough by today’s standards, the overall experience of viewing these photos is fascinating. Viewing them is not something to do if you’re in a hurry - it is easy to consume many hours doing so. Looking back in time and realizing the transformation that has occurred since the 1940s can be mind boggling and the comparison to recent aerial images is astounding.

Our landscape has changed a lot since small farms, country schoolhouses and railroads dotted the landscape. The comment heard most often from people is how “open” the landscape was. This solidifies what ecologists have known - the woodlands in the Driftless Area were not as dense as they are today. The Midwest has changed from open Oak-Hickory savannas and woodlands to the dense Maple-Softwood forests that we find today. Fire shadows, a remnant from pre-settlement times, were much more evident in 1940 then they are today. Also, we see natural meandering courses of small streams and not the channelized irrigation canals that have become so familiar. Looking at our cities and villages is also very interesting.

Consider the following by Dr. Dov Gavish of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, from the book Historical Aerial Photography Collection of Israel: “Through the aerial photograph, the landscape revealed to the camera lens is translated into visual language. The aerial photograph captures scenes and events that have vanished with time, and the testimony it embodies is unassailable. The scene that appears in a single aerial photo is a link in the chain of the landscape’s ever-changing and ever evolving history; there is a story that preceded it, and another one that followed it.”

The photographs can be viewed here: http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/nsdihome/webdocs/ilhap/ and you must download the Mr. Sid software http://www.lizardtech.com/download/  in order to view the .sid files. The Mr. Sid compression software is 4.39kb.

When viewing the images you will notice a series of numbers on the images. Those numbers are the exposure numbers and were in the corner of each frame. When the images were fused together they look out of place and are sometimes in the way of the desired imagery. You also will notice the wing of the plane or what could be part of the camera equipment at some points - all part of the character of these historic images.

Iowa and Wisconsin have there own forms of historic aerials as well:

http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/PhotosMetadata.htm Iowa

http://www.geography.wisc.edu/maplib/aerial.html  Wisconsin

Aldo Leopold

Aldo Leopold “As a society, we are just now beginning to realize the depth of Leopold’s work and thinking.”- Mike Dombeck, Chief Emeritus U.S. Forest Service

Today, January 11, marks the birth of Aldo Leopold (1887). Aldo Leopold was a highly influential environmentalist and is often credited for begining the environmental movement as early as the 1940s. He is a respected scholar, scientist, philiosopher and writer. Leopold influenced the begining of conservation education in schools, developed the first game management plans and his perspective on environemntal thought known as ’Land Ethic’ carved the way for land conservation, restoration ecology, sustainable farming, and proper land management practices in general. During his 61 years he published nearly 500 works including technical reports, speeches, textbooks, newsletters, reviews, and poems. But he is best-known for A Sand County Almanac, essays published 18 months after his death.

Aldo Leopold was born in Burlington, IA and his parents planted a Red Oak to commemorate his birth. His love affair with the outdoors was evident as a child and led him to Yale University School of Forestry, where he graduated with a masters in forestry in 1909.  Following Yale he worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 19 years. He left the Forest Service in 1928 and began doing independent contract work for land owners throughout the Midwest. In 1933 he was appointed Professor of Game Management in the Agricultural Economics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (a first for the nation) and also published the first textbook in Wildlife Game Management. He was involved in the world’s first prairie restoration, now known as Curtis Prairie, at the UW-Madison Arboretum and bought a farm on the Wisconsin River near Baraboo, WI in 1935. At what he referred to as ”The Shack,” Leopold carried out several ecological experiments and it served as the setting for his many essays to come.

In 1941, Aldo began planning for a series of essays to be published to be enjoyed by all americans. Writtten from his “Shack” on his Baraboo farm, this series of essays was accepted for publishing by Oxford Press on April, 14 1948. One week later, on April 21st, Aldo Leopold died while fighting a wildfire on his Baraboo farm. Oxford Press released Leopold’s “Great Possessions” under the name “A Sand County Almanac” in 1949. 

Land Ethic - With over 2 million copies sold and translated into 9 languages A Sand County Almanac it is the most respected book about the environment ever published. Every proffesional conservationist points to this book as a catalyst for thier career, no matter in what capacity they work. The term ‘Land Ethic’ was coined in the final chapter of this groundbreaking book.  Leopold’s idea is that land is not a commodity to be possessed; rather, humans must have mutual respect for Earth in order to not destroy it. He also puts forth the idea that humans will never be free if they have no wild spaces in which to roam. Leopold also states the basic principle of his land ethic as, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” and “The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land. The land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such.”

Like many pioneers and visionaries, their influence is not entirely appreciated or known until many decades later. It was not until the 1970s that his great book became well known with the begining of environmentalism. Today, the Leopold legacy is still gaining strength. In 2004 the state of Wisconsin declared the first weekend in March as Aldo Leopold days. The Baraboo, WI, “Shack” is a tourist site drawing thousands of visitors a year and recent biographies have elevated his status even further. From a scientific point of view, his approach of looking at all parts of the land as one whole system, and not catagorized into seperate parts, has recently been accepted by academia and is the train of thought now being instilled into conservation scholars today.

Historically, the overall appreciation for Leopold has mirrored society’s overall appreciation for nature. So we can only wish for his popularity to continue…

http://www.aldoleopold.org/  The Aldo Leopold Foundation

http://www.amazon.com/ Buy A Sand County Almanac

http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/chrisj/leopold-quotes.html Excerpts from A Sand County Almanac

http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/about/aldo.htm Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Galena in the New York Times

“The Nations Official Recorder of Modern Events”Recently, the New York Times featured Galena, IL in its travel section. It was a rather lengthy article and was written from an interesting perspective, a national one. Several people that I know were quoted and I learned about the local real estate climate, among other things.

What does this have to do with nature? Absolutely nothing. But it is great to have the country’s largest and most respected news source feature our town. Read the article here.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/travel/escapes/07havens.html 

Witness Trees

Possible Witness Tree in Lee Co., ILL As 2007 comes to a close it is time to reflect on the past year’s events and changes. One thing that has experienced many years of change are witness trees. Some witness trees have celebrated over 200 New Year’s Eves.

Witness trees were described by surveyors in the early 1800s as they were laying out the grid pattern that would eventually become our property lines today. Early on, in New England, where the first surveying was done, surveyours would pile rocks where section lines would cross, or drive a rod into the ground. These series of property intersections would identify property boundaries to homesteaders who were given land for serving in the revolutionary war. Again, theory met reality. Many homesteaders found it convenient to just move their property marker to gain access to water sources, trees or any other desireable feature. This caused many problems.

To solve this, it was decided that the closest tree to the property intersection shall be scarified with a saw and its distance and direction was recorded as well as the tree type and tree diameter. This kept homesteaders honest and it became the norm as surveyours moved to the Midwest. The surveyors also recorded important observations as soil types, evidence of fires, width of rivers and so forth. Today, these notes are the most important tool used by restoration ecologists.

The witness trees marked by the early surveyours can still be found today. Not many were able to survive our land use patterns and survivors are reaching the end of thier life cycles. Most of the remaining witness trees are Bur Oaks (Quercus macrocarpa), as they are very long lived and were very common in the pre-settlement era. Many of these witness trees served as meeting points for indians and pioneers and helped route the stagecoach trails that traversed through the prairies.

There are many living witness trees remaining in the midwest, but it may take some experience to identify them. They are always very old, are close to where quarter section lines intersect and were reported in surveyour notes. The greatest surviving example of a witness tree that I have seen is located near Sheffield, ILL in Bureau County. The Bureau County Witness Tree was protected by local farmers in 1944 to ensure its longeveity. It is a magnificant Bur Oak and remains healthy due to the openness around it. It is estimated to be over 250 years old - that’s alot of New Years’ parties! Dick Clark has been broadcasting from New Yorks’ Time Square for only 35 years and the Apple has been dropped annually for just a mere 100 years. 

 http://www.fermatainc.com/il/site_5.html  The Bureau County Witness Tree

http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/summer2002/presettlement.html  Info on surveying and witness trees around Chicagoland and pre-settlement vegetation patterns in DuPage County