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Willow Springs April 21, Swallow Cliff April 22, 2018

4/26/2018

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I called it the first weekend of Spring and it truly was. More than two days since the last snow, sun shining, all is good. We had a super time!

Willow Springs Woods Saturday April 21
We had numerous volunteers in addition to the full complement of six from Friends of the Forest Preserves Palos crew. Working the edges of a field that was the target of a contract brush-mowing project earlier in the year, we continued to expand the field outward toward the trail.

We had a great mix of energetic people and another (I say this so often it could be my mantra) most productive day. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Swallow Cliff Woods South Sunday April 22
On a lovely Sunday morning Swallow Cliff is alive with runners, hikers, dog-walkers, and - on this Sunday - a large group of restoration volunteers. So many we had to break out a second bin of tools.

It was great to have Jackie and Srdjan back (Congratulations you two!) and great to work with, among others, a group from Berry Global in Alsip, scouts and leaders from BSA Troop 596 in Oak Lawn, and volunteers, both new and returning, too numerous to list here.

From the top of the spur that leads from the south lot to the Swallow Cliff stairs, we now have a mostly unimpeded view of the marsh below. This has been one of steward Jackie's goals. Terrific crew, terrific job!


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Willow Springs Woods April 14, 2018

4/19/2018

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SPRING
Snow on my front lawn, more snow on the neighbor's roof. Night after night the thermometer dips below freezing. Still, solid evidence exists that spring is on its way.

Tuesday I saw my first trout lily of the season (leaves, no flower yet) and Wednesday the first bloodroot (the flowers, closed tightly, as were the leaves clasping the stalk). Some wild leek were also probing the chill morning air.

Give them a few warm sunny days, and these guys are coming with a vengeance.

Willow Springs Woods Saturday April 14
High winds and forecasts of steady rain (which mostly missed us) made cancellation a tempting option, but we went ahead with our plans, counting on that Joe Neumann mojo I talked about two weeks ago.

While our sole brush pile fire was stubborn as they come, we got a decent patch of brush cleared near the shelter and picnic grove. We also enjoyed the company of three very hardy souls who came for our walking tour (Beth, Dave, and Vanetta) and hung around to chat for a while.

Thanks also to first-time Palos volunteer Colin who stayed 'til three in the afternoon!

Sunday April 15 was a wash, with cancellations at Swallow Cliff (am) and Black Partridge (pm) due to decidedly rain and cold.

Nature Walk With a Librarian Thursday April 18, McClaughrey Springs Woods
We walked again with Jessica Rock and patrons of Palos Park Public Library. We saw numerous spring flowers (trillium, cutleaf toothwort, Virginia waterleaf among them), mostly without flowers, and spotted one small group of spring beauties already blooming.



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Spears Woods April 7, Hidden Pond & Cap Sauers Holding April 8 2018

4/9/2018

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Spears Woods Saturday April 7
Revisiting the site we worked last week, we had a super day, pushing the honeysuckle almost all the way to the prairie!

Great turnout too, with new volunteers Chad and Peggy (who returned to Cap Sauers the next day), Ray and Jaden from Trinity U., and almost newbie Eric (who also came to Hidden Pond the next day), the Friends of the Forest Preserves crew plus alumnus Ginger. I counted 24 people total.

Two brush-cutters again - until the handle on one fatigued and snapped - and a couple of chain saws as well. We had an extra-good feeling walking out knowing how much was accomplished. Thanks to all for a job well done!

Hidden Pond Sunday April 8
We had another excellent showing on Sunday, including new volunteers Troy from Loyola U. and Nancy who came with Eric. Near-calm meant no brush pile burn - luckily a bright April sun took the edge off the 20-something temps that greeted us.

We started the morning cutting honeysuckle along the NW edge of the prairie; later on steward Mary Busch led volunteers in distributing seed collected last fall.

Cap Sauers Holding Sunday April 8
After all the preceding activity, we had another half-dozen volunteers out at Cap in the afternoon, including Chad and Peggy on their second Palos outing of the weekend. They cleared a peninsula of brush, as Bob Arentz described it, and improved the view on a hillside where he's directed his recent efforts.

Pelicans in Palos
Last weekend Kevin Coyote-Trust posted some terrific pictures of pelicans seen on Maple Lake. I was fortunate to see some mid-week, not sure how long they'll hang now that warmer temps are, at least briefly, upon us. Lovely birds, a triumph of function over form.

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April 02nd, 2018

4/2/2018

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Spears Woods Saturday March 31, subtitled
Did Joe get his mojo back?


I used to think Joe Neumann had a special "in" with the weather gods. Whatever the forecast Joe's workday seemed to happen. We might have a foot of snow by late afternoon (yes, that happened), I might have water pouring into my basement (ouch! I skipped that workday but Joe carried on), he always managed to pull it off. Until the past year or so, when we lost at least a couple of his days to conditions too serious to ignore.

Weather forecast for Saturday looked real bad; rain in the morning  followed by high winds. The rain came - at 7 am the radar showed a long line of showers and by 8 we had a steady rain. But at 9 it fortuitously had diminished so we decided to give it a shot. By 10 we were nestled in a low spot at Spears, sheltered from the worst of the wind, and managed a very productive morning of brush-cutting and burning. Two brush-cutters, two chain saws, numerous energetic loppers and haulers. The sun made its first appearance around 11.

Thanks to new volunteers Eric, Stone, Milo, Edward, Brianna, and Emely - all of whom came, some from a substantial distance, despite the ominous forecast. Perhaps they knew Joe's reputation - "Neumann never knuckles", as Steve Krupa has said.

Time will tell but, for one day, at least, Joe's mojo was back in full force.

Sunday April 1, McClaughrey Springs
Diana and company worked near Mill Creek and the north edge of the Yellow trail, cleaning a previous working site and cutting more brush, including some of Palos's remaining buckthorns. She had a terrific turnout on Easter morning and got a lot accomplished. Thanks to Steve for his account of the day.

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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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