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Black Partridge January 28, Swallow Cliff January 29, 2023

1/31/2023

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Black Partridge Woods Saturday January 28
Going back to November 2019, John Marlin and volunteers crossed Bluff Road to its south side and began cutting honeysuckle near the creek, in an area that was the dairy farm in a previous life. In early 2020 we did two grant days with Citgo and resumed cutting in January 2021 after a long Covid hiatus.

We've come a long way since then, and Saturday was akin to a capstone day, thinning trees from a large area with the help of Atrium Landscape sawyers and haulers. Cottonwoods, box elder, and black locust were the major targets, and by day's end the area looked markedly more open. Five massive fires were testament to the group effort and the area will have much more sunlight reaching the ground.


Swallow Cliff Woods South Sunday January 29
Swallow Cliff has had a run of uncooperative weather, with rain and low winds hindering recent efforts to cut and burn brush. Sunday was another question mark, with a forecast of overnight snow and ice (that mostly moved to our north). Still, 13 volunteers came, ready to chop and burn close to a dozen big stacks of brush from the previous Sunday, including first-time Palos people Crystal and Ruby.

The ice WAS a challenge, with all of our fuel coated by a thin glaze. Joy and Darien patiently coaxed that wet mess into two big fires, and we started hauling and burning. Halfway through the morning it seemed like we might not finish, but a concerted effort by all present got the job done. By noon all but a few random scraps were loaded, and shortly after 1:00 pm Kathy, Carolyn, and I were able to call it a day.

Fantastic volunteer effort! Again and again!
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Cap Sauers January 21, Swallow Cliff January 22, 2023

1/26/2023

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Cap Sauers Holding Saturday January 22
Margaret, Atrium Landscape, and a large volunteer contingent (including first-time Palos volunteer Damian) thinned trees and burned numerous large brush piles on brisk morning that became cozy once the fires got cooking. We were in the area we've focused on in recent months and it opens up more with each dose of volunteer energy.

Swallow Cliff Woods Sunday January 22
Back near the slough in the South woods, we had to forego fire due to a near-total calm. This was no obstacle to our super team, whose members tackled the honeysuckle with vigor. With loppers, bowsaws, and a single chainsaw, we cleared a large area, so much that we ran out of herbicide before day's end. Thank jah and the chemists for basal oil formulations!  

This is our third Swallow Cliff weather glitch in as many months, with one rainout, one canceled due to no wind, and this one. We're coming back on Sunday January 29, though a snowy forecast may hinder us. We'll see...
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Paw Paw Woods January 14, 2023

1/19/2023

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Paw Paw Woods Saturday January 14
This was our annual tree-thinning foray to Paw Paw, and this time we were farther north and east, within sight of Fairmount Cemetery. Another good group of volunteers came, including first-time Palos volunteer Dan;Kurt Leslie, whom I hadn't seen at a workday for a spell; and Charlie who previously has been to Cap Sauers.

The Atrium chain sawyers cut a lot and had a pair of fires going by 9:00 am. Volunteers dragged and loaded, starting several more fires along the way. We were quite spread out and, given the uneven terrain, I have no idea how many piles eventually were burned, only that we were quite the productive bunch.

​We had only one restoration day last weekend, will have two (January 21 at Cap Sauers, January 22 at Swallow Cliff), weather permitting, this weekend.

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McMahon January 7, Hidden Pond January 8, 2023

1/12/2023

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McMahon Woods & Fen Saturday January 7
This was our first tree-thinning day of the season, and it was a good one. We had three sawyers, and seven haulers! from Atrium, in addition to a big group of volunteers. The latter group included Jim Tebo, whom we hadn't seen for quite a spell. Good to have him back!

Numerous trees were felled and burned in the course of the day. Equally rewarding, a number of trees already on the ground were bucked and burned, which ought to help move prescribed fire through the area whenever that should happen. Big fires all, and quite a few, marked our season kickoff.

​Hidden Pond Woods Sunday January 8
We had another good group Sunday, including several (George, Jim D. Joe C, and Kathy) who doubled up Saturday and Sunday. Continuing brush removal on a slope above the prairie, we expanded the cleared area in all four directions from our brush pile. 

This site has quite the variety of invasive plants - we saw barberry, buckthorn, multi-flora rose, and the most prevalent, honeysuckle, all within steps of one another. It's coming along quite well, though, and with a couple more times out we should connect to the prairie moving east and north.
 
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McMahon December 31 2022, Swallow Cliff January 1 2023

1/5/2023

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McMahon Woods & Fen Saturday December 31
Our Olympic-caliber vine-wrestling team assembled in the parking lot for another round of "hack and stumble". I'm blown away by the energy our volunteers throw into this decidedly challenging task, and each increment we clear is worthy of celebration.

The goal in clearing the brush, and bittersweet vines, is to facilitate tree thinning, which will happen in two days, on January 7. It takes repeated forays to create real change in this piece of land.


Swallow Cliff Woods South Sunday January 1
Despite a damp morning, this went exceedingly well. Joy got the fire going (no surprise there!), Joe cut with the chainsaw, while the rest of us cut and dragged across a sizeable area in the south woods.

One budding thicket of small honeysuckles was trying to establish itself, and we took care of them as well as numerous outliers near the westernmost of two ephemeral ponds inside the south trail loop. Come spring, when I do that loop, it's going to be so much better to NOT see this patch of brush greening up. Awesome!

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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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