BIODIVERSITY PLAN WINS AWARD
On June 1, Chicago Wilderness and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) received an award for the Biodiversity Recovery Plan from the American Planning Association, Illinois Chapter. The APA jury was impressed with the number of organizations brought together to develop the plan and how its issues and goals were clearly expressed. Members of Chicago Wilderness, with input from experts and local governments, worked more than three years to produce the plan. The plan identifies problems, opportunities, and recommended actions to achieve key goals for the 200,000 acres of protected conservation land and the encircling open space that is our home — Chicago Wilderness. Free color summaries of the plan are available from NIPC; call (312) 454-0400.

GARLIC MUSTARD AWARENESS MONTH
Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson declared May "Garlic Mustard Awareness Month" at the behest of conservationists statewide. The declaration is the latest tactic in the fight to combat this noxious weed’s hold on native woodland ecosystems.

Elizabeth Czarapata coordinates Wisconsin’s "Weed-Out" program with the Park People volunteers, recruiting as many civilians as possible to identify and uproot the offending weed each weekend in May.

Kelly Kearns coordinates action through the Department of Natural Resources’ Bureau of Endangered Species, leading public outreach campaigns to educate everyone from state park users to private property owners on the need for identification and elimination. The campaign has produced a "Wanted" poster and a pamphlet complete with mug shots and species information profile. — Jeannie Bianchi

FEL-PRO FAMILY VALUES:
220 ACRES FOR CONSERVATION AND RECREATION — McHenry County, Illinois
Twenty-five years ago the Fel-Pro Company bought 220 acres of open land in McHenry County. The company’s owners wished to enrich the lives of their employees by providing a nature preserve, onsite recreation, and a children’s summer camp. It worked. Many of the 2,800 employees and their families spent time picnicing and playing on company grounds. The Fel-Pro RRR vision — rest, relaxation, and recreation — helped earn the company Forbes Magazine’s honor as the fourth best American employer in 1998.

When Fel-Pro was sold that same year, the eight family owners decided the camp-tract should remain as a legacy for everyone. They initiated a collaborative venture with The Nature Conservancy, McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD), and Metropolitan Family Services with MCCD as the ultimate recipient of the land.

Located in Cary, Illinois, the land is now named The Fel-Pro RRR: A Center for Conservation, Education, and Recreation. Last December, The Nature Conservancy began managing a 130-acre portion of the site that includes a gravel hill prairie, savanna, sedge meadow, fen, and several spring-fed lakes. More than 18 species of dragonflies and damselflies were observed last fall — a sign of the rich diversity there.

Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) will operate a summer camp in the 90-acre recreational area and offer year-round opportunities for organized groups. With funding from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and assistance from The Nature Conservancy, MFS plans to launch an innovative summer program called Leaders in Training (LIT). Twenty teenagers from the south side of Chicago will spend eight weeks learning job skills in the field of ecological restoration and land management and will lead younger children in nature activities at the site.

To volunteer for the seed garden, the Mighty Acorns program, or the Volunteer Stewardship Network, call Nicole Merryfield at (312) 346-8166, ext. 22. — Michael Graff

DUPAGE BUYS MORE OF ST. JAMES FARM, EXPANDS NATURAL LANDS
In April the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County announced the purchase of 615 acres known as St. James Farm, the second largest land purchase in its history. The acquisition took four years to pull together and is considered to be among the largest and best pieces of natural property remaining in the county. The parcel contains 165 acres of natural lands including woodlands, wetlands, and prairie remnants.

St. James Farm now constitutes part of a larger megasite — more than 3,500 total acres of contiguous forest preserves — by connecting Herrick Lake and Danada Forest Preserves in Wheaton with the Blackwell and Warrenville Grove Forest Preserves in Warrenville.

The County will not actually take possession of the land during the life of conservationist-owner Brooks McCormick. McCormick will abide by a conservation easement that prohibits the land from being substantially changed. McCormick is also a founder of the Naperville-based Conservation Foundation. — Kathy Kowal

GLOBAL WARMING: BIRD POPULATIONS SHOW DECLINE
Most scientists today agree the Earth is warming, and that humans are contributing to the phenomenon. That leads to an important question: how will global warming affect native communities, including those in the Chicagoland region? Dr. Terry Root, an associate professor in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, provided some answers as keynote speaker at the Smith Symposium at Ryerson Woods in May.

By examining Christmas Bird Count data taken since the year 1900, Root said she is convinced the ranges of some birds are limited by temperature or vegetation or both.

"The thing we know is that when the globe warms, communities will not move in concert,’’ said Root in a recent phone interview. "There will be a tearing apart of our [natural] communities. That could mean no problems for some species and many problems for others." For example, the Cape May warbler, which migrates through the Chicago Wilderness region in May, is a specialist, tied to spruce budworms in the northern United States during breeding season. As the Cape May warbler changes its range, the spruce tree may not. That could mean more spruce budworm irruptions, which stress the trees and create drier conditions, more fires and carbon dioxide, and even more global warming.

"Based on projected warming, more droughts will occur on the breeding grounds of 50 percent of North American waterfowl," Root told the audience. Studies show that as temperatures increase, the five million pairs of ducks breeding in the nation’s prairie pothole region may dwindle to slightly more than two million ducks," she said. — Sheryl DeVore

WILL COUNTY BUYS 375 ACRES OF CONSERVATION LANDS
Acting on the $70 million bond referendum that passed last April, the Forest Preserve District of Will County purchased 18 parcels of land in 1999. These acquisitions encompass over 375 acres of conservation lands. The district also has contracts to purchase nine additional parcels totaling 369 acres. Contracts are in negotiation for 56 more parcels that will add another 1,900 acres to district holdings.

To protect Will County’s rivers and streams, the District is targeting watersheds as its primary acquisition goal. In January, the District acquired Potawatomi Woods, a site that lies within the Hickory Creek watershed and was one of the largest unprotected Illinois Natural Areas Inventory Sites remaining in the county. It is also part of the Hickory Creek Greenway identified by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.

Located in the rapidly developing New Lenox area, the 114.42-acre Potawatomi parcel sits adjacent to, and thus will help to buffer, Higginbotham Woods, managed by the Joliet Park District. The parcel includes wetlands and floodplain, and is revered by Native Americans because of archaeological evidence of a prehistoric Native American settlement and burial ground.

CRICKET FROGS DISCOVERED IN KENDALL AND KANE COUNTIES
Amphibian biologist Mike Redmer reports that cricket frogs have been found by the newly formed Chicago Wilderness Calling Frog Survey at several locations in Kendall and Kane Counties. First found in 1999 by Illinois natural heritage biologist Dan Kirk, these populations were confirmed by volunteers this year.

The cricket frog was once abundant around Chicago. But sometime in the 1970s, they disappeared from all but a few locations in the region. Is the cricket frog, which is still common downstate, beginning to recolonize via riparian corridors? Perhaps after a few years of frog monitoring we will know.

After little more than a month of frog monitoring, volunteers have also verified at least one new county record and provided evidence of several additional important localities. The recent Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois (Illinois Natural History Survey) did not map a record for spring peepers in Kane County. But Kane County co-coordinator Mary Ochsenschlager was able to show that frog species to visiting experts at two sites near St. Charles — along with Cope’s gray treefrogs, northern leopard frogs, and others.

Distribution data gathered as part of the frog monitoring effort will become one component of a planned regional amphibian atlas. — Ken Mierzwa

ITSY BITSY SPIDERS: TWO NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED IN LAKE COUNTY
This spring, in an unusual study of bugs, butterflies, spiders, and other invertebrates, the Lake County Forest Preserve staff found 28 species never before seen in Illinois, 108 species never before seen in Lake County, and two species never before seen in the world. The two undescribed species, found in a black oak savanna, are spiders that belong to the family of Linyphiidae. They are both less than 3 mm long and chestnut colored with tiny horns.

"We collected 177 species of spiders at three sites," said Ken Klick, restoration ecologist and project manager. "We have also identified more than 200 species of moths and butterflies, including several very rare species. I think this is an example of how much more diversity there is than we are aware of."

The study identified a rare butterfly at one site that feeds on violets and nothing else. Knowing that, Forest Preserve ecologists plan burn rotations and brush control so as not to disturb the site during the two weeks a year when the violets are blooming.

Collection tools used in the study range from the standard butterfly net to soda-pop bottles containing glow sticks that are submersed in ponds after dark. On dry land, plastic bowls are buried flush with the ground to capture small crawling creatures, and black lights are beamed onto white sheets at night to attract nocturnal species.

MORE HIGH-QUALITY PRAIRIE BURNS
Final numbers are in on the fall 1999 "Best Burn Season in Memory" (Winter ’00, p. 34). Reports gathered from land managers by The Nature Conservancy and News of the Wild indicate a high number of quality, slow-moving burns. As prairie aficionados know, burned prairies are healthier (as well as more interesting and beautiful) than those that are not.

Burns 1999

CHICAGO NATIVE PLANTS RAISED IN WILD GREENHOUSE
Who would guess that the modest greenhouse and garden overlooking the Dan Ryan Expressway is an important component of Chicago Wilderness? But this year, some 7,000 native plants have been raised there as part of a research and conservation program at the University of Illinois’ (UIC) Biology Department.

For the past five years, seeds of up to as many as 96 native plant species have been reared in the greenhouse. Dr. Darrel Murray teaches a required biology course at UIC to approximately 800 students each year. Some of these students assist in gathering statistically relevant data about the optimum germination and growing conditions for species that form the matrix of most prairie restorations. Some plants need scarification (scratching the seed coat) or stratification (a period of cold and wet) before they’ll germinate. Dr. Murray notes, "This research has resulted in discoveries that lead to better timing of seed stratification for both greenhouse and field germination."

This season’s plants included an abundance of wetland species such as prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) and blue flag iris (Iris virginica). In April, when they had grown to almost fill their pots, the plants were transported to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County Salt Creek Nursery in Western Springs. When ready to transplant, they are returned to the same part of Cook County from which their seed was gathered. Dr. Murray believes that "the establishment of seed gardens is a critical next step in restoration efforts since the few natural areas in the Chicago region are barely able to meet their own seed needs."

For more information on seed germination, contact Dr. Murray at (312) 996-5450. To volunteer at the Salt Creek Nursery, call Mary Rajek, manager, at (708) 246-2530. — Bill Eyring

A VIEW OF DEER FROM THE AIR
On April 24, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore released the results of a recently completed aerial infrared survey of the eastern section of the park. The results provide a snapshot of deer distribution in the survey area, but are not considered a census of the population.

A total of 444 deer were counted in an 11.1 square mile section of the park from Dune Acres to Crescent Dune north of US 12. Deer concentrations averaged 40 per square mile. As a rule of thumb, land managers are concerned for the long-term health of the ecosystem when deer numbers exceed 7 to 15 deer per square mile.

The lowest concentrations of deer were seen in and around Dune Acres and a section of land along the lakeshore between Beverly Shores and Indiana Dunes State Park. The highest concentrations of deer were reported in Beverly Shores and south and east of that lakeside community.

On the night of March 23, pilot Larry Davis, under contract with the National Park service (NPS), flew his single engine Cessna 182 airplane across the area at an average height of 1500 feet above ground level to avoid disturbing the animals. The airplane is equipped with a thermal imager connected to a global positioning system (GPS) and a digital video recorder. The data gathered from the survey were analyzed with a geographic information system (GIS) to create the map that displays the survey results. Davis believes this aerial infrared survey method is at least 90 percent accurate. He points out this method may undercount the number of deer in the survey area due to terrain and vegetation factors.

For more information on the aerial study, visit the NPS Web site at www.nps.gov/indu/news/deersrvy.htm.

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND: CREATIVE ILLINOIS PROGRAMS COMBINE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP WITH PROTECTED PRESERVE STATUS
In 1999, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) dedicated 11 additional Nature Preserves and registered 13 Illinois Land and Water Reserves, encompassing 662 and 2,968 acres respectively. Since the Commission’s inception in 1963, more than 58,000 acres (295 Nature Preserves and 46 Land and Water Reserves) have been protected. The Commission’s regulations provide the strongest protection available for land in Illinois, yet allow owners, public and private, to retain custody. In return, the owner agrees to forego the right to develop the land or adversely affect the natural qualities of the property.

Two Lake County sites were among those registered as Illinois Land and Water Reserves in 1999. Brookland Wood, owned by Darrell May, and Webber Wildlife Refuge, owned by Joyce Webber, help protect and buffer nearby Redwing Slough State Natural Area, home to five state-endangered or threatened wetland bird species and one wetland plant.

"I applied for this designation because not every piece of ground has to have a house on it," Webber said. "I think the most important part of this agreement is that I can continue to own the property, and that development will not be allowed on the land."

Carol and Tom O’Donnell built their home near Boone Creek in Bull Valley because it was clear to them that the sedge meadow, fen, and oak savanna should not be subdivided and developed. A portion of the property had been identified on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory because of the presence of a rare graminoid fen. Only 133 acres of graminoid fen survive in the state. Several years ago, the O’Donnells, with the help of INPC Field Representative Steven Byers, began to restore the property, clearing invasive species and restoring fire in the oak savanna and wetlands.

Across the creek from the O’Donnell’s survives a mesic woodland and fen wetland complex that had been slated for development in 1929. When the stock market crashed, Elizabeth Babcock’s father-in-law purchased 65 acres of the site for $50 an acre. The family has resided there and cared for those woods ever since.

Babcock contacted the INPC about protecting the property — dedicated as the Spring Hollow addition to Boone Creek Nature Preserve in 1998 — because, she said, "It’s important to keep as much of this area open as we can, and it’s beginning to close in."

For more information on INPC programs, call (815) 385-9074. — Alison Carney Brown

CHICAGO WILDERNESS TOPS 100 MEMBERS
On March 14, Chicago Wilderness welcomed nine new members, bringing the total to 107!

• The Campaign for Sensible Growth is an action-oriented coalition of government, civic, and business leaders in northeastern Illinois working to promote economic development while preserving open space, minimizing the need for costly new infrastructure and improving the livability of communities.
• The Cary Park District works with the community to preserve and enhance recreational and open space resources, and recognizes the necessity for collaborative undertakings to preserve biodiversity.
• The Chicagoland Bird Observatory conducts and promotes ornithological studies, and communicates those results through newsletters, popular press, and general education of the public.
• The Northbrook Park District works to preserve and enhance open spaces within the park district while providing educational and recreational opportunities for residents.
• Northeastern Illinois University offers high quality undergraduate and graduate programs to a broad spectrum of students.
• The Palos-Orland Conservation Committee provides education and leadership on preserving green spaces and wetlands and works to preserve the natural beauty and wildlife of the Palos Park area.
• The Palos Park Tree Foundation promotes the importance, protection, and maintenance of trees in public and private areas of the village, and supports activities that enhance biodiversity in Palos Park.
• The Town Square Condominium Association in Schaumburg works to make the building complexes a safer, more environmentally friendly place for residents applying a unique landscape reflecting local natural heritage.
• The Village of Riverside seeks to preserve the historic landscape design of Olmstead & Vaux, who recognized the intrinsic value of preserving the native landscapes for the benefit of humankind.

MIDEWIN VOLUNTEERS WIN NATIONAL AWARDS
On March 26, The USDA Forest Service honored Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie with three national awards for exemplary volunteer service.

Six hundred individuals volunteered a total of 8,300 hours at the prairie — a 150 percent increase in 1999. Honored at a reception in Chicago for their work at Midewin were Portia Blume-Gallegos, Midewin’s Volunteer Coordinator, for overseeing dramatic increases in volunteer contributions; Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., for national sponsorship of National Public Lands Day and for local employee and family participation in NPLD stewardship projects at Midewin; and nine Will County Schools participating in the Mighty Acorns Youth Stewardship Program at Midewin.