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Conservation and Environment Report by Mary Anne McLean

With the opening of a new CWC year at hand and nature bursting into September bloom all
around us, it seems a perfect time to celebrate prairies, and a number of local grasslands in various
stages of being restored to their original prairie identity.

The restoration of prairies is an important aspect of conservation, contributing to the
environmental health of our greater Chicagoland community by providing habitat for many
native creatures, including endangered grassland birds and a variety of butterflies, and we are
fortunate to have a number of examples within comfortable reach of Crete. Just a short drive to
the north and west are the Indian Boundary Preserves, comprised of Gensburg-Markham,
Dropseed, Snowdrop and Paintbrush prairies; these are a living tribute to 35 years of restoration
under the aegis of the Nature Conservancy. Stunning grasses and wildflowers abound, with little
trace of invasive species remaining. A recent field trip to Gensburg-Markham, just east of the
intersection of 159th Street and Kedzie, introduced visitors to at least 27 native varieties in bloom,
such as Big Blue Stem and Indian grasses, Compass plant, Marsh Blazing Star, Rattlesnake
master, Obedient plant and Nodding Wild Onion. Monarch, Tiger and
Wood Nymph butterflies glided among the flowers.

Another project of The Nature Conservancy, geographically vaster in scope, is Kankakee Sands in
Indiana, about an hour south of Crete. Here the 7,209 acres slated for restoration were once part of
the Grand Kankakee Marsh that drew sportsmen from as far away as Europe before it was drained
for farm fields. Serving as headquarters for the staff of naturalists is a small house on the west side
of U.S. 41, just north of the town of Enos. An impressive variety of native plants already flourish
adjacent to the parking lot, and there’s more to be seen on a drive along the back roads that travel
through the complex of fields, woods and wetlands. A field trip, sponsored by the Thorn Creek
Audubon Society, is scheduled for September 12, starting at 8 a.m.,
and open to all who would like to attend. If you are interested, please contact me.

Restoration efforts are also underway at Bartel Grasslands, between Vollmer and Flossmoor
Roads, west of Central Avenue, and Orland Grasslands, between 179th and 167th, west of
LaGrange Road. Both are Cook County Forest Preserves. Closest to us is Bartel, where volunteers
serve as “plant scouts”, identifying species in need of removal and others in need of
encouragement, seed gatherers, sorters and planters, bird, butterfly and frog monitors, and more.
More volunteers are always needed. If you think you might be interested,
get in touch with the site steward, Dick Riner, (708) 720-5683.

Always a joy to visit is the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, mentioned in previous newsletters,
and a pleasant drive from Crete. In transition from its past as the Joliet Arsenal where
ammunitions were manufactured for many years, to its future as an integrated prairie ecosystem,
where buffalo may eventually roam, it already attracts animals and birds not seen elsewhere in our
area such as the thirteen-lined ground squirrel and the Northern Mockingbird. Information on
tours and volunteer opportunities is available on the website or
by phoning the headquarters (815)-423-2170.

Finally, the Morton Arboretum this month is showcasing its Schulenberg Prarie, where “fall
flowering plants put on a riotous show. The prairie is thick with goldenrods, asters, and
coneflowers, which almost shout their yellows and purples under the autumn sun.”
For more information and driving directions,
check out the website, www.mortonarb.org or phone (630) 968-0074.