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Willow Springs March 30, McClaughrey Springs March 31, 2019

3/31/2019

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Willow Springs Woods Saturday March 30
'Twas a wet and muddy morning as we tromped through Willow Springs Woods. We leapt over the swollen creek -  for accuracy's sake, the young'uns leapt while some waded - on our way to the work site.

​Once we arrived the honeysuckle, barberry, multi-flora rose and bittersweet had not a chance; we hacked and dragged and burned, clearing a messy area near one of the recently brush-mowed sections. We are diligently working our way toward Old Country Lane to connect with Spears on the other side.

McClaughrey Springs Woods Sunday March 31
​This was a make-up tree-thinning day - our February session was canceled by rough weather. We were fortunate to have Chainsaw Bob and Sultan Dennis from T. Stone and Jim from Thatcher joining us for chainsaw duty, along with Steve. Mark and Ryan from Resource Management also brought their saws and helped until starting a prescribed burn later in the morning.

With big fires on a bracingly cold morning it felt more like January than the last day of March. We had a total of five students from Hickory Hills - three scouting brothers Joe, Mike and Bill, plus Jeimar and younger brother Sean. We had numerous other volunteers and no complaints about nothing to do. Thanks also to Alex and Jesus who stayed all the way to 3 pm.

A special shout-out to Chris Schriam, who passed the tests for her State of Illinois herbicide operator and applicator licenses last Friday. Well done!


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Willow Springs March 23, Swallow Cliff March 24, 2019

3/28/2019

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Willow Springs Woods Saturday March 23
Scheduled for Cap Sauers, we switched to Willow West due to prescribed burns at the former. We had a super group of  volunteers, numbering 18 to 20. Awesome! Included were first-time Palos volunteers Dennis and Eric, a scouting family from La Grange Troop 216, and Natalie, whose father and brother are past volunteers and friends..

We did cleanup at a site we worked earlier this year, cutting new brush as well as burning some logs left over from that day. It was a clear morning that started with frost and warmed quickly. What seemed like a continuous stream of sandhill cranes passed overhead - when you couldn't see them you still couldn't help but hear their calls.

Swallow Cliff Woods South Sunday March 24
​We welcomed steward Jackie Majdov back after a short maternity break, continuing to remove honeysuckle from a slope above the marsh-like cluster of reed canary grass below. We were a dozen-strong this day, including John and Chris doubling up after Willow the preceding day.

We cut a lot and burned two brush piles, all of this on a morning that, 24 hours earlier, had a forecast of rain that could have shut us down. Blessedly, that rain didn't come until early afternoon.

Burn Season
Prescribed burns began in earnest barely two weeks ago. Forest Preserves, FOTFP, and contractor crews, with volunteer help, have been all over the county ever since. When their time comes they truly hit the ground running, helmeted, yellow-suited, carrying flappers and drip torches, busily going about their business. (Those gripping the drip torches often are seen wearing big smiles.)



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Willow Springs March 16, Black Partridge March 17, 2019

3/20/2019

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Willow Springs Woods Saturday March 16
Due to another commitment your roving reporter couldn't make this one, but others who were present say this: it was another round of catalpa toss, hoisting logs much larger than you'd normally pick up (catalpa being a very lightweight wood) and tossing them on the fire like you're some macho superman or woman.

Great fun, highly recommended in these pages. I did a round of it a month ago and also found the catalpa's quick burning property gratifying. Our return here allowed for further cleanup an area last worked under snow cover around Presidents Day.

Fun fact: The spelling “catalpa” is due to a transcription error on the part of the describing botanist making the first formal scientific description of the genus. Should be "catawba" chippewa.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/catalpa-a-showy-fast-growing-ornamental-tree/article_5d606d98-a8a2-11e0-8572-001cc4c002e0.html

Black Partridge Woods Sunday March 17
Like the preceding day, we returned to a site last worked in February to do additional cleanup and burning. This was a pretty area above the creek, a stone's throw from the western border of Black Partridge, which is also the border with Will County.

We were blessed with a super group on a lovely sunny March day, including first-time Palos volunteer Ethan. We were also way beyond fortunate that Bob Erck showed up with his chainsaw. John's was balky and Bob's saw was truly a force multiplier on the task we engaged.

Pat spotted a pileated woodpecker, came thisclose to getting a good picture. This was later in the afternoon, when the work ceased and we sat waiting for the fires to burn down. Beautiful day, beautiful place.





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

3/14/2019

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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!



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

3/5/2019

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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.
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    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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