Palos Restoration Project - Blog

Willow Springs April 11, Hidden Pond April 12, 2026

4/16/2026

Willow Springs Woods Saturday April 11
Saturday was another foray into the land of multi-flora rose, where only the brave dare tread. While I missed this party, I salute the effort of those who came. With the all that MF rose, along with a decent amount of honeysuckle removed from the area, the chances of getting a future prescribed burn done are certainly enhanced.

Hidden Pond West Sunday April 12
Sunday the warming trend continued, with high winds that led to a game-time decision to not burn brush piles. With winds forecast in the mid-20 mph range by 3:00 pm, it wasn't worth taking the chance.

We were small in number but still managed a lot of cutting by quitting time, with two members of the FPCC Resource Management crew racking up a big stack of cut brush. While they worked in one area, the rest of us, including first-time Palos volunteers Kai and Julia, worked first on removing some outlier honeysuckles along the trail, then pushing a bit farther north to join the RM crew.

Next brush-cutting day we'll have a great jump-start and plentiful, dried fuel for the fires.

Paddock Woods April 4, McClaughrey Springs April 5, 2026

4/8/2026

Paddock Woods Saturday April 4
This weekend there were no bans on brush pile burns, though Saturday's rain was a bit of a confounder. in getting fires going. Fire #1 needed some love after break time to get it cooking, and fire #2 was still obstinate at 1:00 pm when your correspondent had to leave.

Contractors did brush mowing here recently and volunteers were expanding on their work, as well as knocking down a lot of smaller honeysuckles the brush-mower could not reach due to deadfall.

McClaughrey Springs Woods Sunday April 5
Had to skip this one prep for family brunch, but mostly to sample deviled eggs soon as they were made. Sunday was a much better day, with no rain and enough afternoon sun to get a small basketball game going on the driveway.

Meanwhile, back in the woods: Joy reported a good workday, and left one picture, seen below. It was a small volunteer group, given the holiday, and included our regional ecologist Kristin Pink. I trust fire-starting was not as problematic as one day prior.

Willow Springs Woods March 28

4/2/2026

Willow Springs Woods Saturday March 28
Another Saturday in the vicinity of Katydid Slough, working primarily on multi-flora rose in an area vying to become the MF Rose capital of Palos. Several of us missed this one, visiting No Kings events at different locations.

Brush pile burns were not allowed Saturday or Sunday; Forest Preserves crews were doing prescribed burns and the fire managers didn't want those crews diverted by a possible mishap on a brush pile burn, given somewhat low humidity and brisk breezes that increase the risk of such incidents. With the window for prescribed burns rapidly closing I can't argue with that reasoning. (Not getting to sample Iza Redlinski's soup at her Sunday Brookfield workday due to no fire for cooking - now THAT'S a sacrifice for sure.)

So volunteers slashed and dragged and built feeder piles for the next visit to this part of Willow Springs, on the north side of 95th Street opposite Crawdad Slough to the south.

With no Palos restoration activity last Sunday I escaped to Brookfield Prairie to help cut and stack buckthorn along the 26th Street side of the site. Over the last couple years volunteers have chipped away at a large thicket of buckthorn that runs west from 1st Avenue for several blocks. They've made remarkable progress despite its density and the usual presence of spring mud due to hydrology of the location.

Cap Sauers March 21, Swallow Cliff March 22, 2026

3/26/2026

Saturday March 21, Cap Sauers Holding
Early morning was quite cool and warmed pretty quickly, allowing us to hear chorus frogs by 9:00 am near Bergman Slough. We walked to our recent work site - the walk is getting longer as we push farther in from the trail Upon arrival we faced a large amount of cut brush from previous workdays and made our way through it to the site of our solitary fire, blessedly at a low spot.

Most volunteers, including first-time Palos people Maya and John, started cutting until the fire got going, then switched to hauling. We cleared a most impressive span, including all the cut brush dodged on the way in. Meanwhile, Doug brush-cutting and Kevin and Nicole chain-sawing gave us lots more to haul and add to the fire.

Sunday March 22, Swallow Cliff Woods South
Sunday was the reverse of Saturday, starting out reasonable comfortable and growing chilly, with more wind, as the morning wore on. We had a good group, including first-time Palos volunteers Laura, Ryan, Maddy and Kyla - the latter two on the 'bring-a-friend' program with Claire.

We did great, with one chainsaw (electric with a big-time noise reduction from gas!) and a group of energetic bowsaw slingers, keeping our single fire loaded all morning. By quitting time we had almost broken through to the edge, which will open up a view of the wetland to the southwest. Two days later FPCC crews did a prescribed burn through the area, truly the cherry atop the sundae!

I included several pictures from the Swallow Cliff burn, walking clockwise from the parking lot. Over the last eight years volunteers have worked in numerous areas along that circuit, as have contractors throughout the area. What's that saying about teamwork?

Paddock Woods March 14, Black Partridge March 15, 2026

3/19/2026

Saturday March 14, Paddock Woods
While I missed this one for another commitment, our volunteers returned to the new honeysuckle area at Paddock, on an overcast morn just crying for a brushpile fire or two. Timing was perfect, with some of our spring ephemerals already poking a leaf or two above ground, testing the waters for people who like their metaphors mixed.

The occasional flurry of snow didn't inhibit the fire-starters or the cutters and haulers, who will help the spring sun raise some blooms in a decidedly pretty area with a diversity of native plants.

Sunday March 15, Black Partridge Woods
We faced a no burning decree for Sunday due to high winds, and the imminent threat of rain brought us to Black Partridge early on Sunday morning. Radar viewed at 7:00 am showed rain starting around 10:30 and it arrived right on time.

We got two solid hours of cutting done, with Jim on the brush-cutter, John, Neal and Jan wielding bowsaws and loppers, working demonically until the first raindrops fell. It felt good to get those licks in; we've already lost multiple Black Partridge days to weather this season and have, at most, one more shot at the honeysuckle before the transition to spring and summer tasks. Small crew, mighty crew!

Willow Springs March 7, Hidden Pond March 8, 2026

3/11/2026

Saturday March 7, Willow Springs Woods
This can best be termed "Festival of the Roses" as the primary target was one of our regular nemeses, multi-flora rose. I'd not object to deporting all of these devils. We had three gas brush-cutters running and, someone made an emergency run for additional rakes, the best way to gather the cut vines without getting entangled in them.

David and Derek from Tinley Resource Management joined us and worked with both brush-cutter and chainsaw. Volunteers Barb spotted an array of jelly fungi, and Jim saw a garter snake, both pictured in today's slideshow. The morning began with unseasonable warmth and cooled, with rain and stiff winds, becoming the coldest 55 degrees I can recall.

Sunday March 8 Hidden Pond Woods
We made a big dent in a stretch of buckthorn and honeysuckle lying between LaGrange Road and the multi-use trail, with a huge assist from seven members of The Peregrines, "a community of friends (new and old alike) who travel to important natural areas in northeastern Illinois, making an impact through targeted ecological restoration work." The group is with Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves and are doing great things.

We also were joined by regional ecologist Kristin Pink, two crew members from Tinley Resource Management (David and Derek), and several of our regular volunteers. Combined, we cleared buckthorn from a long stretch on the edge of the multi-use trail, Even the sandhill cranes migrating overhead seemed impressed, circling several times as if checking our work.

Michael Kazaitis 1957-2026

3/4/2026

Mike Kazaitis first found us at the Little Red Schoolhouse Arts & Crafts Fair in October, 2014. Shortly thereafter he attended his first habitat restoration day, and joined us frequently in the years to follow.

Mike was a strong and willing worker, quick to pitch in and help. Photography was one of his many talents and on at least one occasion shared pictures that I used in my email/blog. He also was known for doing home projects,

He had a ready smile and giving heart. In late 2018 he felt our group should have new t-shirts and approached me for a copy of our logo. A couple weeks later he returned with an updated logo, then made a transfer and printed a box of shirts, in a variety of sizes, for distribution to our volunteers. This was done on his initiative out of his own pocket, and he did not want reimbursement.

He doted on family and was immensely proud of his daughters. My favorite 'Mike' story came when his daughter was getting married. He told us he took singing lessons prior to her wedding, and recorded the song that played for the father-daughter dance. He beamed when telling the story and showed us a video of the dance. This expression of a father's love truly touched my heart and I won't ever forget it.

After the wedding he continued to volunteer on occasion, though becoming a grandpa became a focal point in his life. His passing came as a shock and brings sadness, mixed with gratitude for all he did for our group and for the pleasure of having known him. I wish peace to Mike and his loved ones.

Willow Springs Woods February 28, 2026

3/4/2026

Willow Springs Woods Saturday February 28
We had four chainsaws on Saturday, as well as Doug on his favorite implement, the brush-cutter. I believe the burn pile count was three, with one located near Old Country Lane and the other two farther west. They burned readily, not always the case with the trees being thinned here. A decent breeze helped stir the fires.

We'll take at least one week couple weeks off from this spot, with a Willow Springs day closer to 95th Street and Katydid Slough next Saturday, March 7.

Cap Sauers February 21, Swallow Cliff February 22, 2026

2/26/2026

Cap Sauers Saturday February 21
We gathered at our recent work area in Cap Sauers for a cleanup of a large stretch of hilly turf with scattered honeysuckle throughout. Two chainsaws, one brushcutter, and lots of energy. Joe located one fire in a low spot and the other on a hillside and both burned well.

Volunteer Barb made an interesting find, which she thought might be eggs of some forest critter. It seems she was right - naturalist Lorrie Ward at Sagawau offered a tentative ID of snail eggs, having seen similar on several occasions. See the picture in slideshow below. Every day is an adventure, with new revelations or new people showing up with new stories to share.

Swallow Cliff South Sunday February 22
This was a NEWTS day (New Volunteer Training and Support), a Forest Preserves program to introduce new people to the restoration process. Emily Russell and Maddie Peacher from Volunteer Resources joined us, bringing first-time Palos volunteers Claire, Samantha, Tony, Simon, Maggie, Rebecca, Charisma, Erica, Mike, and Martyna - I hope I got everybody.

What a fantastic group! We spent the first half of the morning clearing a mass of cut brush from our last time out, on January 4, when low winds limited the amount we could burn. After a short break we tackled new growth, with everyone getting a shot at knocking down one of the myriad honeysuckles dotting the landscape. Incipient lumberjacks, I'd say! When we finished you could stand near the brush pile and enjoy an open view bend to the trail that was totally obscured three hours earlier. Fantastic!

Willow Springs February 13 & 14, Black Partridge February 15, 2026

2/16/2026

Willow Springs Woods Fri/Sat, February 13 & 14
Back-to-back days at Willow Springs Woods, still along Old Country Lane burning big brush piles behind an ongoing tree-thinning project. When we arrived Friday we saw Prescribed Fire signs along the road, the first of the new year. Crews arrived maybe an hour after that and started their fire, to our west.

They burned both north and south of us and at one point were close enough that we vacated our work area for a short time. We came back in and were able to start another brush pile before 1:00 pm. When Joy and I left we detoured to the Orange and Yellow Trails to get back to the lot - they burned quite a stretch right along Old Country Lane.

Saturday your correspondent was elsewhere, while another small group of volunteers worked in the same area, burning more cut logs and using the same brush piles which were still loaded with hot embers and easily restarted.

Black Partridge Woods Sunday February 15
Sunday were were unable to burn due to Air Quality Index (AQI) creeping into the orange range, 101- 150, which is 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups'. We were another small group, five total, and spent the morning cutting and stacking honeysuckle for our March session. As is usually the case, we cut quite a bit and stacked it in feeder piles, which will speed fire starting on that day.