Palos Restoration Project - Blog

Cap Sauers March 9, Hidden Pond & Spring Party March 10, 2019

3/14/2019

Cap Sauers Moraines Saturday March 9
We were back at Cap on consecutive Saturdays. Got a really good workout on this one, side by side with a terrific crew that built several roaring fires. Drier conditions and ample winds made fire-starting easy so we were able to focus on the dragging and burning side of the job.

I went back two days later to walk portions of the preserve, starting from our work site then crossing Visitation Prairie and looping to the north before reconnecting with the Sag Trail near the area where Bob Arentz is clearing brush. We passed through a big section cleared by the recent brush-mowing project, crossing the prairie, and visualizing what it all will look like in a few weeks as the growing season gets underway.

Hidden Pond Sunday March 10
This was Mary Busch's birthday so Jeimar ("J") brought his violin to serenade her with a musical interlude. We found a safe place to locate a fire at the bottom of a slope (a very windy day, hooray for ground-truthing!) and continued to push into the wooded area, taking out honeysuckle and multi-flora rose along the way.

Students from Stagg, Conrady, Whitney Young, and GCE Lab School graced our day with their presence and efforts, and Andrew got his first field experience herbiciding. Thanks to all of them, including first-time Palos volunteers Bryce and Francisco.

Palos Springs Potluck Sunday March 10
Like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get at a potluck. At one of ours it's a safe bet it'll be good. With a great turnout came an assortment of tasty, creative dishes; I tried mightily but could not sample everything...

The conversation was as good as the food, the sun beamed through the lodge windows, and Nguyen from Sagawau staff took us some emergent skunk cabbage (my first of the season). So there is some hope for spring...

Thanks to Nicole Pierson from FPCC Volunteer Resources for attending, to those who came early to set up and to those helping with cleanup at the end - as Julie noted on FB, all we had to do when we got home was wash some napkins, everything else was clean and only had to be put away. Special thanks also to Mike for the t-shirts he made for our group. Super job!

Cap Sauers March 2 & 3, Shrub ID at Paw Paw Woods March 3, 2019

3/5/2019

Cap Sauers Moraines Saturday March 2
We had quite the productive day despite having to shift gears at the start. With two chainsaws and two brushcutters running we had an abundance of cut brush to haul and burn. Relatively dry conditions and ample wind made it easy to get the fires going and keep 'em burning.

Paw Paw Woods Native Shrub ID Sunday March 3
Stewardship aides Teri Radke and Cyndi Duda started this class with an hour in the field near Maple Lake viewing a variety of native shrubs, then moved indoors to Little Red Schoolhouse, a good move on a cold breezy morning. There we viewed numerous twigs and buds, getting a wealth of good information and insight. Thanks Teri and Cyndi!

Cap Sauers Holding Sunday March 3
In February we didn't burn at Cap so we had an abundance of cut brush awaiting us. By afternoon's end we had all of it on the fire and Patrick continued to cut and add more fresh stuff. This area, up high on a hill above the treail and wetland, continues to open up with each visit. It will lok sensational come growing season.

Weekend of February 23-24, 2019

2/27/2019

Wild Things Saturday February 24
No restoration work in Palos on Saturday as many of us attended Wild Things in Rosemont. This was a good conference, the biggest challenge came in selection which speaker to see in each time slot. I guess I chose well as none of them disappointed.

The breadth of topics was amazing and the day passed quickly.

Windy Sunday February 24
We canceled both our Sunday sessions due to wind speeds far too strong to safely work in a woodland. Not a bad choice either; yesterday I visited our would-be work site at Swallow Cliff Woods and found a newly fallen dead tree within spitting distance of one of our brush piles from our last visit.

Several broken limbs from the white pines near the parking lot also lay on the ground close to where we walk in. So no regrets over the cancellation. Though we hate to lose the day (and we've lost several recently) there truly is a time to let prudence rule. Thanks for that, Jackie and Diana!

Buckthorn Artwork
While we work feverishly to remove buckthorn when we see it, the colors of its wood are undeniably striking. Amber Kunz, member of the FOTFP Palos crew and regular volunteer at Sundown Meadow, created the plaque seen below from a cut wedge of buckthorn. Check it out.

Cap Sauers February 16, Black Partridge February 17, Willow Springs February 18, 2019

2/20/2019

Cap Sauers Moraines Saturday February 16
Thanks to first-timer Marc and second-time Palos volunteer Chris for being part of this one, to Jim and Doug for their tireless energy and strength. We thinned trees not far from the trail and Ford Road, with several big, hot fires on a chilly morning.

Cap Sauers looks beautiful these days, with large tracts opening up due to brush-mowing funded by an anonymous benefactor. We are ever so grateful for this generous spirit - in addition to making huge improvements to the landscape, it brings a strong gust of wind to volunteers' sails.

Black Partridge Woods Sunday February 17
My thanks to Kathy Bruch for providing photos and an account of this session. And it was a tough one, an icy, sleety cold afternoon that resisted Carrie's and Devin's best efforts to build a sustainable fire. Perhaps if they had some 'dream wood' handy... see my next entry for more on this wondrous stuff.

Willow Springs Woods Monday February 18
This was our President's Day special and we spent it cutting and burning catalpa trees that have made their way into Willow on the north end. I am giving catalpa the tag 'dream wood' for two reasons.

One; it's a lightweight, low-density wood enabling one to easily hoist a much larger log than would be possible with maple or other denser woods. It can trick you into thinking you're actually strong!

Two, it burns like a dream. Despite three inches of new snow, we got our fires going with a few short minutes of propane to each stack, no need to follow up with a leaf-blower. Carolyn stopped gathering deadwood for kindling because it wasn't needed.

Thanks to FOTFP Palos crew leader Xochitl, who came to help on her day off AND brought a friend, Aaron. Kevin and Joe also were on hand.

Willow West February 9, Hidden Pond and Cap Sauers February 10, 2019

2/14/2019

Willow West Saturday February 9
We had a small group thinning trees at Willow West, again in sight of Fairmount Memorial Gardens. Sunshine took the edge off a cold early morning, and several large fires were an immense help too.

Thanks to first-time Palos volunteers Andrew and his dad Mike. They're from a local Boy Scout troop and we hope to join forces with them again.

Hidden Pond Sunday February 10
We had a great group, with first-timers Chris, Maeve, Joe, Mike, and Trevor, as well as returning friends Andrew, John, Tyler, and Doug. John ran his chain saw while the rest of us hacked and burned, pushing farther north on the slope rising above the prairie.

The snow started at 1 pm, a little ahead of schedule, as the last of the volunteers walked out. Someone on the radio said we had a string of over 30 days with some form of precipitation; this was one of those lighter snowfalls that do little more than make driving more interesting.

Cap Sauers Sunday February 10
With the snowfall, we did not burn this afternoon. We certainly cut a lot, ample fuel for next month's brush pile burns. First-time Palos volunteer Ingrid joined us on a fine day, with a little slipping and sliding mixed in on the trek back to the road. Cap Sauers looking lovely, as always...

Salute to Tom McAvoy
A note of sadness - learned Monday that Tom McAvoy, former 3rd Ward Alderman in Hickory Hills, passed away last December. Tom was a long-time friend of Roger and Cara Keller, and a friend of Palos Restoration Project.
For years Roger and Cara wrote a bulletin, "The Other Side of Kean", informing their neighbors of restoration activities at Hidden Pond. Alderman McAvoy included this in his 3rd Ward newsletter, distributed throughout the ward. I believe their last issue was June 2015, months before Roger's passing.
Doug Chien and I met Alderman McAvoy about two years ago at Moraine Valley College, when he asked us to produce another edition of "The Other Side of Kean". Doug did so and the alderman's corps of volunteers again distributed it.
Tom also attended our dedication of Roger Keller's memorial bench at Hidden Pond last June, the last time we spoke with him. A gregarious, entertaining storyteller...
We are grateful for the kindness and help extended to us by this gentleman.

Black Partridge Woods February 2, 2019

2/7/2019

Black Partridge Saturday February 2

Perhaps it was other sites canceling, perhaps cabin fever after that pair of bitter cold days mid-week. Whatever the cause, we were blessed with a great turnout of volunteers Saturday morning, from home sites including Schiller and LaBagh, Thatcher, Arie Crown, Ted Stone, Sundown Meadow, probably others as well.

Saturday was also the 'last day of winter', with the thaw beginning that afternoon and accelerating Sunday and Monday. When we arrived at 9 you wouldn't have suspected. The snow-filled lot looking ready to swallow up a few cars, it was hard to imagine that several days later the thick white blanket would be gone.

Another week, more fires that started slowly. The leaf blower is as essential as boots and gloves on these days, and we put it to good use, finally stoking the fires and getting the cut pieces burned.. Our heart-felt thanks goes to everyone who came to help on this day!

A Tragedy in Five Acts

I noted the ephemeral nature of snow. That was well-illustrated last week.

Cranberry Slough January 26, Swallow Cliff January 27, 2019

1/31/2019

Cranberry Slough Saturday January 26
We had a smallish crew - augmented wonderfully by three sawyers and three helpers from Atrium Landscape, thank you Kathy Bruch! - thinning trees near the namesake slough. It was a cold start warming to 12 -14 F by afternoon. Our fires were reluctant so the leaf blower and propane tank were essential for the day's task.

Enough about the cold, I should emphasize what a truly beautiful day it was. Bright and sunny, a fresh dusting of snow, you can't go wrong with that combination...

Swallow Cliff Sunday January 27
Another small group, but, hey, it was still below zero when we started. We also had about three inches of fresh new snow, fluffy and light like confectioner's sugar. Cyndi had to open the parking lot when she arrived around 8:45.

Most impressed by Agustin who Ubered (that's a verb, isn't it?) his way to the site. Another reluctant fire which we finally were able to coax into providing heat, another increment of brush pushed back by lopper and bow saw.

Wintry Weekend January 19-20, 2019

1/24/2019

We canceled both our sessions last weekend due to snow and high winds. It was neither prudent nor safe to work out there in those conditions, and while we make no claims either way about prudence, we hold firm beliefs in the importance of safety.

Monday conditions were better and I was able to drive to Dan Ryan Woods in Chicago for the Forest Preserves MLK Service Day. This is a good event, with school and community groups sending busloads of youngsters to get a taste of restoration. While they, too, had some weather-related cancellations, enough came to make it an enjoyable afternoon.

Snow Play
No restoration meant lots of play time in the snow. Mostly that means cross-country skiing though I also squeezed in some hiking.

From Lake Katherine in Palos Heights, my closest nature retreat, to Swallow Cliff, quite possible my favorite, 'It's all too beautiful' - I have a prize for the first person who tells me where I lifted the first four words of this sentence.

Cranberry Slough January 12, Hidden Pond January 13, 2019

1/16/2019

Cranberry Slough Saturday January 12
We had a small group and a single chainsaw (thank you Steve!) thinning trees in the northeast part of Cranberry. Fresh snow made the walk in scenic if a bit more challenging. I could not stay due to another obligation, but managed to grab a couple pictures before departing.

Hidden Pond Sunday January 13
Thank you Steve Krupa (again!) and Bob Erck for bringing their chainsaws and skills out to Hidden Pond. They took down some hazard trees and helped buck and burn a mass of cut honeysuckle from our last time out in December. We're pretty well set up now for our next Hidden Pond date, on February 10.

ConEx 2019 Saturday January 12
ConEx, short for Conservation Expo, was the first of its kind at A.A. Stagg HS. Organized by junior Peter Gordan, it boasted an abundance of exhibitors with a variety of interests, fascinating stories and important information about protecting nature. Palos Restoration Project will happily return for a ConEx 2020.

Thank you so much to Maureen Neidle, Dave Branigan, Kristine Linquist , and Kathy Bruch for coming to assist on a snowy Saturday! Thanks also to Mike Kazaitis, Jim and Kathy Foreman, Pat Hayes, Kathy Branigan, several members of Palos Heights Garden Club, and numerous others who stopped to say hello.

Cap Sauers, Paw Paw, & McClaughrey January 3-6, 2019

1/8/2019

Cap Sauers Holding Thursday January 3
In December a small crew cut a huge amount of honeysuckle which did not get burned. Bob, Michelle, Kurt Leslie and I came back on the 3rd to drag and burn a good portion of it. Good times in Palos...

Paw Paw Woods Saturday January 5
Thinning and burning small trees on a hill and getting a reminder how much moisture a maple contains; on a day with wind not much exceeding our required minimum of 5 mph, it took the better part of the morning to get the fire truly cooking. Once we did we loaded it like little demons and did a really thorough cleanup.

McClaughrey Springs Sunday January 6
Some thick honeysuckles grow on the west edge of McClaughrey, aside the La Grange Road underpass. We had a good group out Sunday morning attacking these guys and expanding the cleared area started just a month ago. Another humid morning = reluctant fires, again... First-time Palos volunteers Kyle and Tony were among those present.

Cap Sauers Holding Sunday January 6
Another small group for our afternoon session, finishing the clean-up that we started three days earlier. Thanks to first-timer Rebecca and to Andrew and Dave for their excellent help.