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Cap Sauers February 24, Swallow Cliff February 25, 2024

2/29/2024

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Cap Sauers Holding Saturday February 24
Light snow cover proved a blessing Saturday morning; the size of some of the logs we had to move made the sled an essential tool in getting them to our several fires. We had another good, strong group, which included first-time Palos volunteer Kara.


Best things about the day? Other than the chance for a good workout, that would be robust winds and flammable fuel. Both enable quick fire starting and rapid loading. It's amazing the difference a good breeze makes. Our final fire, set up by Tom, was sheer delight to work, an A+ for sure on the permanent record!

Swallow Cliff Woods Sunday February 25
Sunday brought rapid warming; firm ground walking in and a muddy mess by noon. Our work area was better, and we continued to clear brush from the east side of the slough. We're making great progress, having reached its southern edge which is another target-rich area for brush removal.

Our regulars were augmented by a large group of first-time Palos volunteers, including Marguerite and a group of six from REI Orland Park; Thomas, Cathy, Rubin, Zach, Molly, and Emilia. Thanks also to Dan Feltz for facilitating their visit. Many hands make light work, and also mean we accomplish much more.



We even had our group picture taken by a trail walker, Brian, who came to ask what we were doing and then volunteered to take the photo so all of us could appear in it.
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Black Partridge Woods February 17 & 18, 2024

2/22/2024

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Black Partridge Woods Saturday & Sunday, February 17 & 18
We doubled at Black Partridge, burning in the aftermath of a tree-thinning day the previous weekend by professional sawyers from Atrium Landscape. A pro crew can do a lot of cutting in one day, so we had a lot of dragging, lopping, and burning to do.

It was our immense good fortune to have a super turnout both days, close to 30 volunteers in all. That included five (FIVE!) first-time Palos volunteers on Saturday, thank you Justin and Jennifer, Veronica, Vaughan, and Ricky! Without your help, and that of all who showed up, we'd have so much more cleanup facing us.

We also had several who doubled up Saturday and Sunday, including Jim D, Joe C. and Joe N., Kurt, Kathy, and Margaret (she filled the second shift both days). Hope I didn't overlook anyone.

In a few weeks - if not sooner - the sproing ephemerals will be out of the ground and blooming shortly after. If you've never visited Black partridge in spring, treat yourself. It's a true delight!

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February 15th, 2024

2/15/2024

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Paddock Woods Saturday February 10
I wasn't able to attend this one due to another obligation. My thanks to  George Christensen and Joe Connolly for the following brief account.

Volunteers went to Paddock Woods to burn stacks of logs from a previous tree-thinning day by a crew from Atrium Landscape. They succeeded in burning six piles, definitely a good morning's effort, while Kevin chain-sawed some smaller targets which also were burned. Our heartfelt thanks goes to Kathy Bruch of Atrium Landscape for her generosity in providing this crew and this opportunity to improve the health of the preserves!

Hidden Pond West Sunday February 11
On Sunday volunteers tackled the area we planned to clear four weeks earlier, on that weekend with -35 degree wind chills. This time temps were much better, and we had an eager team, including first-time Palos volunteer Kurt. I think it was his first appearance in Palos, though I've seen him elsewhere in the preserves.

Minimal wind meant we couldn't start burning until 10:00 am, allowing substantial piles of cut brush to accumulate in that first hour. It wasn't a problem as we managed to load it all on the fire by noon, and it burned down to a pile of hot ash by 1:30. Terrific job, thanks to everyone who came!  Any football fans present got home in time for lots of pregame chit-chat.

Prescribed Fire in Palos
Our recent string of warm, mostly dry days allowed Forest Preserves crews to slip in two days of prescribed burns. On Tuesday they went to McMahon and Spears, and Wednesday returned to Spears and also burned the Cherry Hill Woods prairie, and some surrounding woodland at Swallow Cliff.


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McMahon Woods February 3, McClaughrey Springs February 4, 2024

2/8/2024

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McMahon Woods & Fen Saturday February 3
We had a big group on Saturday morning, including at least three first-time Palos volunteers; Drayton, Adam, and Tim, as well as almost-newbie Luke and a good dozen others. Thanks to everyone who came, we worked through a tangled mess of buckthorn  and other invasives just south of the prairie at McMahon.

We had a nice trek to the site, got some fires going and were off and running. Much of the buckthorn had been dropped the previous day by fellers from Atrium Landscape, so our chainsawyer and hand tool crew bucked and dragged to the fires. This area will see quite a transformation in coming years now that the invasive brush is gone.

McClaughrey Springs Sunday February 4
Another day, another site, another job well done! We burned ten big brush piles, cut the previous day by the Atrium crew and stacked into piles, facilitating our day tremendously. Almost everyone started one of our fires and by noon all were burning well.

Several years ago, most of this area was a thicket of honeysuckle, with an open patch of meadow on one side. Contract work from a grant obtained by Friends of the Chicago River, two days of tree thinning by Atrium, and lots of volunteer sweat equity has opened it up remarkably. What will gr`ow here now? We'll soon see.

Contract Work in Palos
During the cold spell in January, contractors were able to do mechanized brush-mowing in the Redgate Woods area, though stymied for two days by machines that wouldn't start due to the intense cold. They got a lot done, clearing much of the area inside the Bullfrog Lake loop. When I walked there last Friday, with clear views of the sloughs that previously were only seen through a tangle of brush. 

On a smaller scale, a Stantec crew cleared a long, narrow stretch of brush that lay between the driveway at Swallow Cliff South and the Yellow Trail as it approaches the La Grange Road underpass. It was seven brush piles worth and looks a world better now!

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Cap Sauers January 27, Swallow Cliff January 28, 2024

2/1/2024

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Cap Sauers Holding Saturday January 27
Another day of burning log piles from our winter tree-thinning efforts with Atrium Landscape. It was also another damp day, keeping with the gloomy January pattern. Enough snow and ice remained to facilitate hauling logs with the sled.

While our fires were a little slow to start, once they got going there was no stopping them. Jim brought his brand-new leaf blower which was put to good use on a morning when Margaret had to delay starting the fires until wind speed reached the allowable minimum of 5 mph.

Swallow Cliff Woods South Sunday January 28
Sunday morning was equally damp, so Carolyn and I came early and had a fire going by the time volunteers reached the site. We were joined by first-time Palos volunteers Evan and GP, known from their volunteering at other sites. Also present was Julie P., usually behind the scenes as baker and editorial consultant, making one of her infrequent field appearances.

​Just like December December, water from the slough was so close to the work site that we had to move up a small rise to avoid wallowing in the mud. The area is historically a wetland, but has been mostly dry in the 18 months since we started removing brush there. The project is going well; we've cleared a large stretch and will continue pushing south as conditions warrant.
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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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