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Cranberry Slough January 26, Swallow Cliff January 27, 2019

1/31/2019

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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.
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Wintry Weekend January 19-20, 2019

1/24/2019

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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.
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Cranberry Slough January 12, Hidden Pond January 13, 2019

1/16/2019

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

1/8/2019

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 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.

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Willow Springs Woods December 29, 2018

1/2/2019

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Willow Springs Woods Saturday December 29
We were at Willow West for this one, right along the cemetery fence clearing some seriously chunky buckthorns. A light dusting of snow added winter ambiance to the scene. Thanks to first-time Palos volunteers Mara and Dave for joining us on our final restoration day of the year.

We accomplished much in 2018 and plan to keep our momentum going in the new year.  After this weekend we'll be thinning trees on Saturdays, while Sundays will be geared more toward woody brush removal with some light tree thinning mixed in. 

Each volunteer visit is a blessing and we are grateful every time someone carves a few hours out of their day to support our efforts. It truly does make a difference!

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    Author

    I'm Jan Pietrzak with the Palos Restoration Project. This blog and website were created for your information and enjoyment.

    I hope you'll be encouraged and inspired to volunteer at any of the numerous forest preserves in our area.

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