Prairie Works

 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

 How do I incorporate Christmas and prairies? I know, I will write about ‘Merry Christmas Prairie’ in Mineral Point Wisconsin. Merry Christmas Prairie is a 43-acre prairie restoration that was conducted jointly by the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Conservation Corp begining in 1988. It is located around Pendarvis/Merry Christmas Mine, both Wiconsin state historical sites. Merry Christmas Mine began operation on Christmas day in 1905. The surrounding prairie was planted in order to emulate the pre-settlement landscape that the early cornish miners of the area would have encountered in the 1820s. Altough the prairie itself is mediocre in quality, it’s association with the regions mining history makes it notable.

One of the most interesting tidbits about lead mining and local botony is the use and nameing of Amorpha canescens, Leadplant. Leadplant, technically a shrub, indicated the presence of lead beneath the surface. Due to its extremely deep taproot, Leadplant utilizes verticle crevices in the bedrock to reach for nutrients. Early miners looked for Leadplant and assumed mineral rich bedrock would lay underneath. Groves of Aspen trees also served this purpose - most likely Populus tremuloides, Quaking Aspen. Today, Leadplant is still found growing in prairie remnants throughout the Driftless Area and is a plant that I include in most prairie restorations that I perform.

 Before there was a 1849 gold rush in California there was a 1827 lead rush around Galena. Today, there are many remnants of the mining era that survive in the area. It is quite common to come across an old mine when walking through the woods around Galena, Shapville, Council Hill and Shullsburg. Although 150 years of weathering make them difficult to recognize they are usually defined by 3-8 foot deppressions in the soil with a gravelly base with no other explanation of its cause. The last lead mining operation in the region closed in 1977 at Shullsburg.

Pendarvis and Merry Christmas Mine and Museum is a great way to learn about early lead and zinc mining operations in this area. There are many artifacts and descriptions of the lead mining process on the self guided walking tour around Merry Christmas Mine. A few hours at the site makes for a great education for anyone curious about how the mining process worked.  

An odd name for a prairie and a very heartfelt greeting this time of year. Merry Christmas to everyone – Cory -

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/pendarvis/  Wisconsin State Historical Society

http://mineralpoint.com/living_history/pendarvis_historic_site.html  City of Mineral Point

Now that snow has fallen and temperatures have dropped, the controlled burn season has ended and the brush clearing season has begun. Our woodlands are easily traversed now and the ground is solid, making invasive brush removal efficient and reducing disturbance. Invasive shrubs, low quality trees, and understory woody species that are crowding Bur and White Oaks are easily removed in the winter.  Invasive shrubs include species such as Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Prickly Ash (Xanthium strumarium). Low quality trees include Box Elder (Acer negundo), Black Locust (Robinia psuedoacacia), Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) and Maples (Acer spp.). When spring begins the cleared woodland begins to recover from encroachment. Byproducts of this management technique are low quality firewood and brush piles.

Brush piles are constructed by placing the cut materials into piles. Brush piles make for less labor hours, prevent machinery from entering the restoration area and provide habitat for a variety of fauna. Songbirds use the top branches for perching and the small dead peices for nest building. Mammals, such as fox, rabbit, bobcat, squirrel and coyote, will utilize brush piles for dens if they are remote or for shelter in inclimate weather. Many amphibians use them for those same purposes and countless insects utilize the decaying wood. 

When brush is very dense there can be many piles created or piles can become very large. In this situation, specfic piles can be burned to eliminate the quantity and size of them. Blowers with cruise control settings are used to consume piles faster and to reduce the size of the burn scar that is created. An inexpensive and easy-to-establish seed mix should be planted on top of the burn scar to assist in healing and to provide a starting point for native grasses to spread.

 Newly constructed piles are sometimes larger than desired but they will usually decrease by 50% as gravity and snow weight compress them to a shorter stature. There are three options for managing brush piles: they can be lit on fire shortly after they are piled, they can remain on site as habitat or they can sit until a controlled burn is performed, at which time the piles are consumed. In very large restoration projects a pit us dug and several thick tree trunks are layed across the top. Piles are then constructed on top of that while air is injected into the cavity below. This pit fire method consumes piles very quickly and leaves the ash to fall in the hole, which is then filled with soil.

A seemingly simple task turned into a science by land managers. 

Recently, a client of mine, the Harmets, entered their land into a conservation easement to much fanfare. Thier property contains several different ecosystems including a hill prairie remnant, a prairie that survived 100 plus years of grazing until the Harmets purchased the property and began management. 

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that limits the uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values into perpetuity, while still retaining full ownership rights and the ability to pass land on to heirs or other owners. Property taxes are usually greatly reduced or totally eleminated as well as federal income taxes for the first fifteen years, in order to encourage this type of land protection. After the conservation easement is signed it is recorded into the County of Deeds and applies to all future owners of the property. Conservation easements are customized for each parcel of land and can accomodate many unique situations. The property owners work with a land trust, who provides the legal service and all legwork. The land trust can be compensated by the land owner through a voluntary donation.

In 2006 the popularity of conservation easements accelerated due to a pension reform bill passed by Congress. The maximum deduction a donor is allowed was raised from 30% to 50% of their adjusted gross income in any year. Farmers and ranchers can deduct 100% under the new bill. Also, the carry forward period to take the deductions was extended from 5 years to 15 years. These are not to be changed for 26 years.

Although the financial benefits serve as great incentives, protecting ecosystems, scenic views, historic farms and ensuring that your family will be able to continue ownership is the real driving force. Currently there are over 1,600 not for profit land trusts in America including two in JoDaviess County.

http://www.galenagazette.com/main.asp?SectionID=142&SubsectionID=344&ArticleID=11102&TM=50068.05 The Galena Gazette’s article on Dick and Joan Harmet

http://journalstandard.com/articles/2007/11/26/news/news01.txt The Freeport Journal Standard’s article on the Harmets

http://www.lta.org/ The Land Trust Alliance

http://www.naturalland.org/ The Natural Land Institute

http://www.jdcf.org/conservation_options.htm The JoDaviess Conservation Foundation

“An old error is always more popular than a new truth.” -  German Proverb

In 2006 the American lawn reached a higher status among its citizens - it became the country’s largest irrigated crop. Between our golf courses, sports fields, town squares and residential lawns turfgrass now covers an amazing 40 million acres, or 80 percent, of non-farmed land. Once utilized by the rich as outdoor carpet and by atheletes for sport, turfgrass is now the norm for all residential lots, rural or urban, and the maintenance practices that come with it are now the standard protocol.

Lawns have their roots in the gardens of England but it was not until the post-World War II building boom that it reached its full power here in America. At that time, subdivisions sprouted up around major cities, forming suburbs. To match the prestigious look of larger estates, planners designed large lawns to attract clients. Thus, the goal of making private properties park-like began and fences were not erected to allow for open appearences in residential communities.

Although the 1/2-acre area of grass that is carefully manicured by its owner seams rather harmless, it is the large-scale ramifications of millions of such owners that prove to be devastating. In 2005 it took 238 gallons of water per person to irrigate 40 million acres of turfgrass, which are being mowed with 800 million gallons of small engine gasoline and kept green by 70 million pounds of chemicals.  All this costs an estimated 30 billion dollars annually (2005). The effects on water and air quality are staggering as are the 68,000 injuries sustained annually while mowing.  

Martin Quigley, an urban landscape specialist with The Ohio State University states this about lawns: “Turf maintenance is unquestionably the single most labor intensive component of the constructed landscape. Lawn upkeep, though expensive, requires few decisions and little risk. It is not attuned to the peculiarities of individual sites.” Nationwide, the same grass types are used regardless of soil type, climate, topography or regional customs. The turf industry has developed stronger more desirable strains in order to please the 80% of adults that maintain turfgrass.

Oddly enough, lawn care advertising confirms that most residential lawn care is a losing battle against climate, pests, traffic and other variables, unless more efforts, including watering and chemicals, are applied to the cause. The 70 million pounds of chemicals applied to turfgrass annually represent a higher concentration of chemical input than any other form of agriculture worldwide. In Ted Stienberg’s book, American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn, he calls the rise of the lawn “one of the most profound transformations of the landscape in american history.” 

Today, we mow most land that is mow-able and any area that is not mowed is considered “weeds.” Dead spots in lawns are dyed green to disguise imperfections. We spend an average of 40 hours per year mowing or pay services an average of $1,080 to mow for us. We pay higher water bills during hot summer weather to keep the grass alive and we spend used car prices for lawn mowers. Lawn clippings represent the largest agricultural byproduct in the U.S., which could support 20% of our nation’s fuel demands if converted to ethanol (David Blume). The Scotts® Miracle Gro Company (SMG on the New York Stock Exchange) now sells bird seed to supply birds with food that the lawn lacks…Odd indeed.

There are many alternatives to battle this consumptive and environmentally un-friendly practice, including: planting areas with native grasses and flowers, installing ”no mow” turf species such as Buffalo Grass, reducing the amount of lawn that is mowed, or promoting urban planners to develop cluster housing which consolidates housing allowing for more open space. The long term cost savings of utilizing lawn alternatives are staggering and should be encouragement alone. The real benefit, however, lies in the increase of habitat, stabilization of soil, use of local materials and weekends that you don’t have to worry about the lawn.

http://www.cca.qc.ca/pages/Niveau3.asp?page=depliant&lang=eng Interesting article on the history of the lawn

http://ohioline.osu.edu/sc177/sc177_14.html A reported study about the lawn: An Unrequited Love

http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/wildones/handbk/wo8.html The EPA Statement on lawns

Recently, a bobcat was sighted within the city limits of Galena, ILL. This serves as a reflection of the status of the bobcat population regionwide. The last two decades has seen a surge in the population, especially in Northwest Illinois and adjacent Iowa.

The Bobat (Lynx rufus) was once a contemporary of bison, elk, and wolves in the wild pre-settlement times. The changing of the landscape to agriculture and bounty killings in the 1800s led to plummeting populations. High pelt prices, indiscriminate killing and little government protection in the 1900s continued this trend. In the 1980s the Bobcat was thought to be absent from the agricultural Midwest. During the late 1970s Illinois and Iowa placed the Bobcat on their lists of state-threatened species. During the 1990s sightings became more common and by 1996 92 of Illinois’ 102 counties had at least one reported sighting. The Bobcat was removed from the threatened species list in Illinois in 1999 and from Iowa’s in 2003. Iowa is currently conducting its first Bobcat trapping season this fall in over three decades. Wisconsin, always having a stable population in the Northern half of the state, is now experiencing common sightings in the Southern half.

Why is this happening? There are several reasons. First, popularity of trapping and pelting has decreased as has the pelt price for Bobcat. The average pelt price in 1982 was $70.67 in 2003 that price had dropped to $67.23. That has left little encouragement for the trapper. Secondly, several states banned the sport including Illinois, Iowa and Indiana allowing the population to rebound. Third, the threat of Bobcats to farmers has decreased as farms have become less diverse. Fourth, land use has changed as more goverment programs are available to create wildlife habitat and more recreation grounds are purchased.  Therefore, the Bobcat can increase its range.

The driftless area offers great habitat for Bobcats. Its steep ravines with small caves offer excellent den opportunities and shelter. Early winter offers the best time to see and hear Bobcats. The males begin to squall and yowl to gain attention of passing females during the night during upcoming mating season. With open woods and a cover of snow one must keep their eyes peeled to catch a glimpse of the wild cat of the Midwest.

 http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildlife/furbearers/bobcat.htm Illinois DNR Description

http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/files/bobcat.html Iowa DNR Description

There are parts of our living world that are in such great abundance that it is difficult to imagine without it. Consumables such as air and water could fall in this category; but how about living creatures. How about the American Robin, the most common bird in North America. Do you think it could ever vanish and go extinct? Probably not but this is exactly what happened to the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) 100 years ago. Once the most numerous bird in our hemisphere it became extinct within 100 years of human intervention and it may be the only species in which the exact time of extinction is known. 

The Passenger Pigeon once had flocks so large that it would darken the sky for hours as they passed. It comprised 40% of all birds that existed in the 1800′s. The nesting colonies covered as large as 850 square miles of forest. A bird population that has no comparibles, it is hard to fathom these large quantities today. Many factors contributed to the demise of the Passenger Pigeon which included: Hunting for it’s food, using it as fertilizer, shooting for sport, habitat destruction and disease. Many creative and cruel methods were used to kill the bird as it began to harm valuable crops when agriculture came to the frontier.

The last Passenger Pigeons to exist in the wild were at Babcock Wisconsin 1899 and Pike County Ohio where it was eliminated on March 24, 1900. Martha, who was held in captivity at the Cincinati Zoo died at 1:00 P.M. on September 1st 1914. At that time it joined the ranks of many others living creatures to become only an American memory.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Pigeon Wikipedia

http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/passpig.htm The Smithsonian

There is a new online service created to reduce the amount of catalogs that are sent to American mailboxes. The Ecology Center, National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council have collaborated on the new online consumer service called Catalog Choice. It gives people who shop via catalogs the choice of which catalogs they receive in the mail (and which ones they wish to stop). During the first week of launching the new site, 25,000 people had signed up.

Paper usage has had a huge impact on the environment. Each year, 19 billion catalogs are mailed to American consumers. This uses 53 million trees (between 300,000 and 500,00 acres of land cleared or thinned) which creates 7.2 billions pounds of paper. Processing and transporting this paper results in 5.2 billions pounds of carbon dioxide emissions which equals the emissions of 2 million cars. And it also requires 53 billion gallons of fresh water.

If this new service can lower catalog printing by just 20%, that would be 10 million trees and 100,000 acres of land saved, per year. And, a billion pounds of greenhouse gases reduced.

In its press release, Laura Hickey, senior director for Global Warming Education said  “Every day, millions of unwanted catalogs clog consumers’ mailboxes and are immediately tossed in the trash. More than just an annoyance, they are overflowing municipal waste systems, devouring precious natural resources, and contributing to pollution and global warming.” Hickey notes that unlike other do-not-mail services, Catalog Choice is free. 

Sounds like a great idea and I am sure your mail carrier would appreciate you signing up too.

www.catalogchoice.org Sign up for the new service here

www.papercalculator.org find your impact on paper usage

We live in an area of the world where we can experience the phenomenon of fall color change. Every year we ask ourselves, Will we have good fall color? Every year the show of colors is different, but why? With the glory of fall now in full effect, it’s time to look at the science of autumn beauty.

As many of you remember, clorophyll is what makes leaves green. Through the process of photosythensis sunlight is used to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbrohydrates which fuels the growth of the tree. During the spring and summer sunlight levels and tempuatures are high, making the photosynthetic process very active and keeping leaves green. As daylight hours and temperatures decrease the process slows down and the colors that remain in the tree leaves appear. Different tree species contain different chemicals such as: Anthocyanins (Reds & Purples), Carotenoids (Orange & Golds) and Tannins (Browns).  

With that simple rule in place we now look to what causes yearly and locational differences.

Temperature: The greatest opportunity for great fall colors are cool nights, but not below freezing. Early frosts will reduce the brilliancy of colors as it slows or stops the production of anthocyanins. New England states are known for their great fall colors because freezing rarely occurs early in the fall due to its proximity to the ocean.

Moisture: Stressed plants show their colors earlier than healthy plants. Drought years will produce more reds than usual as there is an increase of anthocyanins. Drought years will also produce colors earlier than usual. A wet spring will promote good color as stored sugars in the leaves are released.

Sunlight: Optimum conditions are for bright sunny days. During the ‘changing’ period sugars in the leaves are produced more rapidly when exposed to direct sunlight. This is why leaves on the outside of the canopy change faster and with more brilliancy. Fall weather that is overcast and rainy does not provide very showy displays.

To summarize, for optimum fall colors we would want all of the following conditions to be in place thoughout the year: A warm wet spring with favorable summer weather followed by sunny fall days with cool temperatures at night but not freezing. Easier said than done but certainly a dynamic part of nature that everyone can appreciate.

http://www.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/  US Forest Service Fall Color Hotline

I often feature natural areas within a reasonable distance from Northwest Illinois. However, there are some places that are so unique and fascinating that they must be included as an option. In 2005 the Natural Areas Association had its annual meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska. We decided to attend four days of seminars and then head off for a week, exploring the great Nebraska Sandhills that we had heard so much about. Since our first trip it has served as a close destination 550 miles west on route 20.

The Nebraska Sandhills are not kown by many, other than botanists and cattlemen. It plays second fiddle to the Kansas Flint Hills as the best representation of pre-settlement vegetation on a large scale. The Nebraska Sandhills is an area of 19,600 square miles (1/4 of the state) of sand dunes that are covered in native grasses and forbs with clean lakes and marshes scattered between. Early on, settlers realized that the land could not be farmed and it immediatly became an area conducive only to light grazing. In 1904 the Kincaid Act was passed and it allowed homesteaders to claim 640 acres (a square mile or one section), much more than the 160 acres previously defined by the Homestead Act of 1862. The act was created specifically for the sandhills region and is responsible for the hugeness of the land holdings there today. It is now one of the most remote areas of the United States. So sparse, in fact, that Cherry County is similar in size to West Virginia, while holding only 6,098 people, half of which reside in Valentine, NE. This results in a population density of one person per 1.02 square miles. Only areas of the backcountry in Alaska and North Dakota can compare. Land is discussed in sections and the term “acre” brings up odd looks.

Because of these extremes you have an ecosystem that is largely intact. The cattle density is very low due to the fragility of the sand dunes. The ranchers know very well the damage that can be done once a sand “blow out” occurs. Some of the prairie species that occur in the shortgrass and sandy prairies in the Midwest are also found here and feed the prized cattle. The extensive root systems and sandy soils assist in filtering water of the Ogallala aquifer, the worlds largest, which lies beneath the endless sand dunes. Exotic plants make up only 7 percent of the entire flora here - an amazingly low number when compared to the fertility of the Midwest. The area also supports large numbers of birds and mammals, it is the namesake to the Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) and Forbes magazine called Grand Island, NE the number one destination in the world for bird watchers. 

If you travel to the Sandhills region be prepared to not see many people, fill up with gas when you have the opportunity, not sleep at Holiday Inns (we slept at someone’s house once) and be overwelmed by its vastness and ranching traditions. You will also realize that windmill repair and maintenence is an actual industry here. There are several campgrounds and B&Bs throughout and recreational opportunities available, especially near Valentine.

I will never forget the pleasure I had when a hungry sales shark was trying to sell me a timeshare in Orlando, Florida. She asked me where I enjoyed vacationing the most and where I took my last vacation. I didn’t realize that honesty was also the best way to end her sales pitch. The Nebraska Sandhills are located within an easy 9 hour drive from Galena, IL off of route 20.

 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/na/na0809.html National Geographic Article

http://www.thenebraskasandhills.com/index.html 

An interesting article appeared in the August 26 edition of the Chicago Tribune. The gardening section had an article about the Coneflower species and the hybridization that has been done to these popular flowers. Purple Coneflower along with Black-Eyed Susan are the most recognizable and widely used native plants today. The article states that even though the Echinacea species is indeed a native species to the Midwest, it abandoned its native roots a long time ago.

Today we most commonly see cultivars such as Echinacea ‘Sunrise,’ ‘White Swan,’ ‘White Lustre,’ ‘Magnus’ and so on. These varities are hybridized versions of our pioneer prairie plant but are assumed native either due to improper marketing by the nursery trade or because the medicinal uses of Echinacea are widely known and associated with Native Americans. In fact, any “variety” or “cultivar” plant is not a native and the native Echinacea of Illinois would most likely be Echinacea pallida - Pale Purple Coneflower. It is found at select midwestern nurseries that specialize in native plants where they strive to keep native gene pools intact. Never found at the local nurseries perrennial section.

The Tribune article entitled “A Better Coneflower?” highlighted the growing argument between those hybridizers and native plant purists. As the popularity of Echinacea varieties has grown, so has the argument. This maybe an argument that will grow alongside our coneflowers (whichever ones it may be) for a long time. A Wilmette, IL resident who has gotten away from from using cultivars summed it up by saying “If you plant something that isn’t native” she says “It may be pretty but its not as beneficial as it could be.” 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/home/chi-0826echinacea_aug26,0,162126.story The Chicago Tribune article

Contact Cory @ Prairie Works if you would like true native Pale Purple Coneflowers – 815.751.7400

Just Southeast of Hazel Green, WI is the diverse Hardscrabble Prairie. Named after the original name of the village to be Hazel Green, it is a 140 acre tract. Composed of woodlands, intermittent streams and some oak openings it is the dry prairies that are in the greatest condition and are most notable.

At this natural area you can view the habitat that harbors the globally rare Ottoe Skipper Butterfly along with several rare birds and plants. The fact that one of the dry prairies is located on a North facing slope makes this natural area most interesting. Dry prairie plant communities are usually found on South and West facing slopes as the soil can dry faster and soil tempetures tend to remain at higher degrees.

This prairie is Wisconsin State Natural Area #322 and was officially dedicated in 1997. It is a great representation of dry prairies in the driftless area and makes for a great wildlife watching opportunity.

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/sna/sna322.htm Detailed info and directions

There are a few signs that signal summer’s end and the arrival of fall. Shorter days, cooler nights and kids back in school. One sure sign for me is seeing the beginning blooms of New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae). New England Aster is one of the showiest native wildflowers and a very versatile plant when used in prairie restorations. The plant is suitable for a backyard garden but can also be found growing in roadsides.

New England Aster is native to most parts of the Unites States east of the Rocky Mountains and North of the Mason-Dixon Line. It can be found growing in almost every county in Illinois and Wisconsin and about half in Iowa. It grows around 4 feet tall and prefers mesic soils but tolerates heavy clay. It serves as a host to many butterflies and has an abnormally long bloom period, sometimes over two months. Often times this plant will look stressed when dry and serves as a good indicator of a dry summer and fall. Its strong fiberous root system makes it ideal in erosion control applications.

Be on the lookout this fall for this great prairie flower.

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/ne_asterx.htm

The month of August has come to an end and the region can report rainfall totals of historic proportions. A persistent rain pattern formed early in the month and it did not end until it had caused record breaking amounts in many areas. The city of DeKalb, IL reported 14.27 inches of rain in August and 26.47 inches through meteorologic summer (June-Aug), both records. This reflects what occurred over much of the region. Portions of southwest Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota were declared federal disaster areas with as much as 17 inches falling in several days. The Chicago Metro area received close to 16 inches of rain including a storm outbreak on the 23rd that produced the most violent storm in recent memory. There were many economic and heartfelt losses throughout the area.

The most staggering of statisticts came out of Houston County in southeast Minnesota. During a 24 hour period on the 18th and 19th the county received 15.1 inches of rain, shattering the old mark of 10.84 set in 1972. This 24 hour total was two inches less than the all-time record for a single month, set in July of 1987.

The Galena area missed many of the heaviest rains. In total it received 6.27 inches of rain which fell on 23 of the 31 days of the month, including runs in which rain fell on 9 (17th-25th) and 8 consecutive days (2nd-9th). The normal total for August in the area is around 4.25 inches.

August Rainfall totals from the region (inches):

DeKalb, IL – 14.27;   Freeport, IL – 11.88;   Rockford, IL – 13.82;   Vernon Hills, IL - 15.14;   Dubuque, IA – 6.06;   Iowa City, IA – 8.02;   Waterloo, IA – 10.32;   Belmont, WI – 19.89;   LaCrosse, WI – 20.32;   Madison, WI – 15.18;   Platteville, WI – 11.94;   Prairie DuChien, WI – 8.04

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwest_flooding_of_2007

On the grounds of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum is Curtis Prairie. Curtis Prairie holds the unique title of being the world’s first prairie restoration. In the late 1920′s the university decided to take on an experiment in hopes of emulating a Midwest prairie for research and display. The history of this project is very important as this was the first prairie restoration and many of the techniques that we use today were learned here.

The first deliberate attempt to reconstruct an ecosystem began in 1933. The University acquired two farms West of the campus for the future arboretum and a 60-acre prairie site was chosen. The original prairie was broken there in 1836 and there were no signs of that prairie remaining. The idea was sprouted from wisconsin botanist Norman Fassett. In 1929  Dr. Theodore Sperry was chosen to direct the effort with the supervision of  Aldo Leopold and William Longenecker. Around 200 recruits from the Civil Conservation Corp (CCC) were used to execute three different types of planting. One, was collecting seed from prairie remnants along the Wisconsin River and inserting them into the ground. Another was to grow small seedlings in a nursery setting and plant them individually. The last, and most intensive, was to actually dig up prairie sod from remaining prairies and lay it in place. The results varied greatly as the seasonal timing was not known to be as important as it is today. In 1938, the first prairie plants that survived were blooming on the site. Between 1941 and 1946 John Curtis took over and began focusing on controlled burning in order to control invasive weeds which served to be very useful. He also began to study the effects of seed stratification from seed the he was collecting. Throughout his reign as Arboretum director Curtis began emphasizing the timings of the controlled burns and observed the differences. He continued with his prairie management experiments until his death in 1961. In 1962, the prairie was officially named Curtis Prairie in his honor. The experiments have never stopped. Today, soil scientists are using this site to determine weather soils can return to the pre-settlement health after the return of a prairie. So far the answer is, yes. Many invasive species control studies are carried out here as well studies on hydrology shifts and the creation of buffer zones.  

In the 1930′s a newspaper reporter asked Dr. Theodore Sperry how long it would take to complete the restoration, he replied “Roughly a thousand years.” I guess that still holds true. Today, this prairie restoration serves as a testament to the rewards of ecological restoration as a science. Thankfully, we have learned a lot since then and the experimental risks have been greatly reduced, but will never be eliminated. This experiment also reflects the University of Wisconsin and the entire state, as proof of its proggressiveness and its commitment to the environment.

http://uwarboretum.org/about/communities_collections/  UW Arboretum Site

Recently, I read a book of this same title by Curt Meine (Island Press, 2004). The book was about Aldo Leopold and the modern conservation movement. It made me think about correction lines in general and how interesting they are.

In the 1800s land surveyors divided most states west of New England up into squares to organize the land and to make for easier homesteading. The Public Land Survey System was the brainchild of Thomas Jefferson and his plan was for the land to be divided into six-mile square townships and 640 acre parcels of land called sections. This is also why our popular land parcels are in increments of 40 acres, hence “the back forty.” The resulting pattern gives us the checkerboard appearence from above that we see today: a quilt of pastures, cropfields, woodlands and city limits. When the surveyors started laying out these squares they found a problem: The earth is round. Dividing the land into perfect squares is like putting a peice of gridpaper around a tennis ball.

To solve this problem surveyors designated east-west lines as ‘correction lines,’ which occurred every 20-30 miles of latitude moving northward, to compensate for the earth’s curvature. They reoriented themselves along these baselines by shifting slightly east or west and began a straight north/south line again. As they say, ”theory meets reality.”

Here in the Midwest we have some great examples of correction lines. Mostly apparent in flat terrain rather than hilly, these reality checks are still very much with us. Ever wonder why a road comes to a T-intersection just to continue again 100 feet over? How about those strange ‘S’ curves on a seemingly straight road?

Some great examples of correction lines can be found across the entire Wisconsin/Illinois state line. This was chosen as a convenient correction line and today you can view all the way across. The above photo shows two correction lines just North of Scales Mound, IL, at the state line. Another great example is Base Line Rd. which stretches from Kane to Ogle County in Northern Illinois and another Base Line Rd. 28 miles south of that one, which serves as the boundary of 4 counties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Land_Survey_System Public Land Survey System

Every prairie lover or bird watcher in Northern Illinois has at least heard of Nachusa Grasslands. Nachusa is a true ecological gem for Illinois. It serves as the flagship project in the Midwest for The Nature Conservancy and has set the benchmark for a volunteer network that now stewards its thousands of acres.

The story goes that it started in the early 80′s when famous prairie preservers Doug and Dot Wade were birding down the country roads of Lee County and heard a bird song that sounded like the Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda). When they got out they discovered acres of undisturbed prairie. Immediately, preservation efforts began and The Nature Conservancy bought its first parcels in 1985.

Since then, land ownership has increased to over 2,500 acres that contain several different ecosytems including sand boils and woodlands as well as numerous rare plants, birds and insects. In fact, the first insect reintroductions have taken place here. The Checkerspot Butterfly was transplanted from habitats that were being lost to development and brought to Nachusa where they can monitor its survivability. The Nature Conservancy has been very creative with its donations. They have started corporate sponsorship of new purchases. Today, we have The Tellabs Savanna, named after the large telecommunications conglomerate which donated the dollars for the new tract. An onsite seed harvesting operation was completed a few years ago which helps restore the new acres which are continually being added. In the future a herd of Bison may be brought back to the Illinois prairie here.

Nachusa Grasslands is located Northeast of Dixon and South of Oregon, IL. An information kiosk is located off of Lowden Rd. You can also visit the restored grist mill at the Franklin Creek Natural Area just south of Nachusa. Volunteer stewards lead nature walks through the preserve monthly and many events happen there throughout the year.

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/illinois/preserves/art1116.html Nature Conservancy Site

http://www.bwcvb.com/component/option,com_magazine/func,show_article/id,6/Itemid,36/ Detailed Directions and Description 

http://www.nature.org/magazine/autumn2007/features/ Article on Volunteer Steward – Jay Stacy