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Paddock Woods April 24, Swallow Cliff South April 25, 2021

4/29/2021

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Paddock Woods Saturday April 24
We had a big group at Paddock, including three chainsaws and two brush-cutters, removing honeysuckle along the eastern edge of the Yellow Trail. That meant lots to do for the haulers, who were up to the task. Thanks to first-time Palos volunteer Connie for joining us, and to all our new friends and old friends who participated.

Swallow Cliff South Sunday April 25
We hosted 10 Scouts and leaders from BSA Troop 14, La Grange, IL. They were great, some going after the biggest honeysuckles in sight with bowsaw and tenacity! And our regular volunteers had already cut and dragged a mess o' brush in the brief time it took to do an orientation with the Scouts.We cleared brush farther up the hill from our site of a month ago.

Swallow Cliff is a stream of walkers and runners on a weekend morning, giving us numerous, positive interactions with passes-by as we worked. It's great to have that visibility and to share our message that restoration matters.

Where Has All the GM Gone?
Maybe I'm speaking too soon. Maybe I'll regret these words, but I'm certainly not alone in noticing the relative scarcity of garlic mustard this spring. We planned to pull it at Swallow Cliff last week, switched to brush-cutting because we couldn't find enough plants. Diana is doing the same at McClaughrey this weekend, possibly next Saturday as well.

This is an extremely tough, resilient plant. It grows in sunlight and in shade, can self-pollinate, and is a prolific seed producer. It requires continued attention to keep it under control. One steward speculated that the drought we're presently in may inhibit its growth. We like to think that our labor of past years plays a part, but nobody I know is ready to drop their guard. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks.

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Cap Sauers April 17, Black Partridge April 18, 2021

4/21/2021

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Cap Sauers Moraines Saturday April 17
Margaret took our group back where she worked a month ago, clearing honeysuckle, rose, and bittersweet along the green trail, within sight of Bergman Slough. The bittersweet was especially testy, as it generally is. It ties everything together and complicates getting it to the fire. This section has opened up and really looks good!

Thanks to all who attended, including first- time Palos volunteers Jim and Greg, and the first reported Palos sighting of Yukon Bob, believed native to the Des Plaines Valley hence a bit out of normal range.

Paddock Woods - Nature Walk With a Librarian Saturday April 17
Great morning for walking and viewing spring wildflowers! This was our first spring walk with Jessica Rock of Palos Park Public Library and a fun group of 16 library. We walked the Yellow Trail and never got too far in either direction, just far enough to enjoy a diverse variety of spring blooms. Some, like the woodland phlox, seemed a bit early this year. All were welcome, with their delicate beauty and splash of colors.

Black Partridge Woods Sunday April 18
Sunday was our first garlic mustard assault of the season, joined by first-time Palos volunteers Bernie, Mo, Jack, and Sean. It was successful on at least two counts.

First, we were able to locate and carry out a substantial amount of the weed, which was tough to spot because many hadn't put up a flower yet. Good eyes, volunteers. Second, we had to cover quite a stretch of turf to find them, evidence that past assaults are reducing the population.

We also came upon numerous spring ephemerals, for which Black Partridge is well-known.

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Paw Paw Woods April 10, Hidden Pond April 11, 2021

4/14/2021

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Paw Paw Woods Saturday April 10
A cool overcast morning with forecast of rain kept our numbers down to eight or nine volunteers. We got lucky; other than short spells of drizzle we had no rain to speak of until 1:00 pm. The day's second challenge was burning wet fuel in a high-humidity environment, which we got done (sans propane tank) albeit a bit slower than the norm.

We gathered and burned large amounts of cut logs and branches, while Kevin used the chainsaw to thin more trees. We hit it hard and had a good time.

Hidden Pond Woods Sunday April 11
Another day, more dampness. Burning was an in-the-field decision made possible by a halt in the sporadic drizzle earlier in the morning. Part of our volunteer group cleaned up a mess of litter along Kean (including 100-200 deflated balloons. Really?) before jumping in to cut and burn honeysuckle.

Thanks to first-time Palos volunteers Mari and Dave, also to Jesse Jr. By quitting time we had pushed through a line of brush to connect our smaller section with the prairie edge to its north. Well done!

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Spears Woods April 3, McClaughrey Springs April 4, 2021

4/7/2021

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Spears Woods Saturday April 3
We burned three log piles on a warm, breezy day, a two-water pack, two flapper kind of day. Sure, the fires were easy to start; we had to stay on our toes to make sure they stayed contained. We did and they did.

Thanks to first-time Palos volunteers Greg and Sheahan and to everyone who hauled wood and loaded the fires, as well as our crack fire suppression team. We worked the east side of Old Country Lane, across from a recently brush mowed section that was a prime "Before" example when showing volunteers the positive impact of restoration.

McClaughrey Springs Sunday April 4
We had at least a dozen volunteers at McClaughrey on Sunday morning, pushing back the honeysuckle line along Mill Creek, moving toward Route 83. At least two of those volunteers, Shannon and Dave, were first-timers in Palos. This is another area that's really opening up nicely.

In addition to our group, this site benefits from volunteers coming from both Shedd Aquarium and Curie High School.

Pelicans in Palos
Last week we had several reports of pelicans (see them in the slide show below), at Long John and Saganashkee Slough. In past years they've also visited Maple Lake. I don't know how far they've come, or where they're headed, but it's sure fun having 'em around for a short spell.

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Paddock Woods March 27, Swallow Cliff March 28, 2021

4/1/2021

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Paddock Woods Saturday March 27
We had an active Saturday, with two brush-cutters and one chainsaw running and a busy team of volunteers collecting and burning the brush. we worked along the Yellow Trail's eastern edge, immediately across from the tract that had a prescribed burn five days prior. Curiously, we spotted smoke coming from some snag that stayed lit since Monday, even with at least one rainfall in the interim.

Thanks to first-time Palos volunteer Neal, who doubled up at Swallow Cliff the following day. Awesome! In several weeks we'll see this stretch transform into a haven of native wildflowers.

Swallow Cliff Woods Sunday March 28
Another super team of volunteers on this day, 18 strong and they very strong, clearing a hillside of honeysuckle along the spur trail that takes you from Swallow Cliff South to the stairs. On a quite windy day we located our single brush pile where the gusts overhead couldn't reach all the way to the ground. That's the blessing of Swallow Cliff's topography, there's always shelter from the elements somewhere nearby.

Profound thanks to first-time Palos volunteers Cathy, Joseph and Maggie, and to all the volunteers who worked so well and made that hillside look so open and pretty.

Spring Wildflowers
Our spring flowers are right on schedule; hepatica are ready, as are bloodroot and spring beauties to name a few. Each week will bring new sights, so it's a terrific time for a walk in the woods. Yesterday and today being quite cool, don't expect many open blooms. By Saturday it's gonna be much better!

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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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