http://www.prairieworksinc.com Sustainable Landscaping and Ecological Restoration in Northwest Illinois Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:48:07 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I just returned from attending the 21st North American Prairie Conference in Winona, MN. The NAPC is the Super Bowl™ for prairie ecologists. I had a great time visiting with fellow colleagues, attending many presentations on restoration techniques, learning about Winona and studying some high quality prairies and supper clubs around the Mississippi River. I also ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/08/10/21st-napc/ As of late the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has slowly crept its way into our vocabulary. Many of you may have seen the purple traps set up throughout the county and the greater northern area of the state. The media and our govermental entities have given EAB a lot of attention here in the Midwest, ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/07/30/emerald-ash-borer/ Recently, I have been noticing an increasing amount of presumed Badger activity in the area with hole digging, eye witness accounts or tracks from the creature. I have decided to crash course myself in Badger and have found some very interesting information. The American Badger (Taxidea taxus), is a fossorial carnivore, meaning its spends most of its life ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/07/20/badgers/ Over the last six months there has been enormous opposition locally over the construction of a corporate dairy farm that is to be constructed near Warren, IL. The negative effects that this CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) would bring to the environment in this county is staggering as is the lowered quality of ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/07/10/mega-dairy-in-jodaviess-co/   What a title to a post on this website. The word almost seems generic and overused here. However, it is June and PrairieWorks is very busy communicating with the public about this word, Prairie. To no surprise or fault, the word Prairie means many things to many people. In a ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/06/20/prairie/ Fresh 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 ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/06/13/snow-to-rain-records/ 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, ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/06/12/green-fair-reminder/  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 ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/06/04/lawn-nation/ Last 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. ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/05/29/native-plants-on-npr/             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 ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/05/19/american-plum/ Right 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 ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/04/28/dutchmans-breeches/ Today 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, ... http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2008/04/22/earth-day-2008/