Spring 1999

[TEXT ARCHIVE WEB-PUBLISHED MARCH 2002.
ORIGINAL PRINT PUBLICATION DATE: SPRING 1999.]

Here's what's debuting this season
on nature's stage in Chicago Wilderness

by Jack MacRae

Late March Into Late June

Smallmouth Bass
Early spring is the time of year for smallmouth bass to start their families. Construc-tion of the nest is the work of the fathers-to-be, who fan out a slight depression in the gravelly bottom of clear running streams. As many as five females may lay up to 2,000 eggs in the nest, which will be guarded vigilantly by the expectant father. The eggs will hatch in a matter of weeks, with the small fry bass dispersing up and down stream. These predatory fish do not fare well in muddy, poorly oxygenated bodies of water and thus are benefitting from soil erosion control and stream restoration projects.

In Klein Creek, a tributary of the DuPage River's west branch, some of the resident smallmouth bass spent several months last fall in school classrooms. These bass came from the Illinois State Fish Hatchery and helped teach elementary students about wetland ecosystems and habitat restoration. After their classroom assignment, the young bass were released into Klein Creek. Lucky class and lucky bass.

Timing Is Everything
As melting snow and early spring rains saturate our soil, an innocuous group of animals known as mole salamanders begin to stir from their winter sleep. Soon they will begin marching to the edge of their breeding spot, typically a pond without a population of predatory fish. If the spring thaw continues, this overland migration may turn into a stampede, for nobody wants to be left out in the cold. Literally.

There are three types of mole salamanders in the Chicago Wilderness, each living in a slightly different habitat. Probably the most common — and certainly the largest — of the mole salamanders (at least in our area) is the tiger salamander, which can reach a length of 8" or more. In fact, the longest wild-caught tiger salamander on record (10") came from nearby Racine, WI. It breeds in savannas where trees are widely spaced, with plenty of sunlight warming the ground. The spotted salamander favors forested areas, while the blue spotted salamander is more abundant in our flatwoods. They both spend most of their lives under the leaf litter and decaying logs.

The spotted salamander averages 6" in length and has two irregular rows of yellow dots along his back. The blue spotted salamander has a coloration similar to those old-fashioned, blue speckled, enamel cooking pots that are found in cutesy/crafty country shoppes, usually next to the bonnets for ceramic lawn geese.

Island Living
The Chicago Wilderness heron rookeries are filling up. Baker's Lake in Barrington and Lake Renwick in Plainfield are both receiving daily flights from the south with great blue herons, great egrets, and black-crowned night herons among the new arrivals. These birds nest in colonies, with each species occupying a different level. For example, the great blues prefer the penthouse level, at the tops of the trees; the egrets occupy the middle tier; the black crowns, incredibly, seem to prefer the basement apartments. Not that I'm overly fastidious, but I wouldn't want to live under several hundred great blue herons.

Both rookeries are located on islands, thus protected from most predators of young birds and eggs. These sites are also protected by law, as both are dedicated Illinois Nature Preserves. The Forest Preserve District of Will County schedules interpretive talks at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings at Lake Renwick from May through August. Spotting scopes are set up for close-up viewing, and volunteers are on hand to answer questions. This is an amazing opportunity to see these special, warm-weather residents up close and personal.

Credit Where Credit Is Due
I think my son's history book is wrong. It credits Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet with being the first Europeans to visit the Chicago Wilderness. It is true that these intrepid Frenchmen entered our area in September 1673, arriving from the south after their epic 2,700 mile journey of exploration. But I don't believe they were the first, partly because the native people they encountered in the Grand Village of the Kaskaskia, along the Illinois River, were already using European trade goods such as iron kettles and axes. Also, the French already had arrived in Green Bay in 1620, 50 years prior to Marquette and Jolliet's visit. Even canoe men like my friends Ralph and Gary would not take half a century to paddle from Green Bay to Che-Ca-Gou. I believe there were countless, uncelebrated French traders venturing into our area, earning a living by bartering for beaver, mink, and otter pelts.

On the first weekend in June each year, the era of French exploration and fur trading is celebrated in joyous fashion at Isle a la Cache, an 80-acre island in the Des Plaines River in Romeoville. This Island Rendezvous is full of colorful re-enactors and historic displays.

By the way, Ralph Frese (proprietor of the Chicagoland Canoe Base) and Gary Mechanic (Director of The Access Project for the Illinois Paddling Council) have done a fantastic job promoting canoeing along the waterways of Chicago Wilderness for many a year. Thanks a billion guys!

A Tale of Two Elephants
This is the story of two elephants that lived in Chicago Wilderness. One was a mastodon who liked to browse on pine cones, bark, twigs, and tamarack seeds. The other was a mammoth who liked to graze on grasses and leaves. One day, the mastodon decided to take a drink from the stream that flowed nearby. As he reached his long trunk into the water, his foot became stuck in the peaty clay. As hard as he pulled, he could not extricate himself. He was stuck for good and eventually passed away. On another day, not too far away from the mastodon, the mammoth decided that he, too, wanted a drink of cold water. He, too, became mired in the muck and perished. Sadly, this is the end of the story of our two elephants.

The remains of the mastodon were recovered in 1963 from an old marsh adjacent to the east branch of the DuPage River. The remains of the mammoth were found in 1977 adjacent to the west branch of the DuPage River.

Fortunately for us, the remains of these two immense creatures are on display for us to learn from. The mastodon can be found at Wheaton College and the mammoth can be found at Fullersburg Woods Environmental Education Center in Oak Brook.

In June, there will be a public hike to the discovery site of the mammoth site near Winfield, IL. Call Fullersburg Woods at (630) 850-8110.