Palos Restoration Project
  • Home
  • About
  • Schedule
  • Maps
  • Volunteer
  • Blog
  • Contact

Pioneer September 22, Swallow Cliff September 23, 2018

9/27/2018

0 Comments

 
Pioneer Woods Saturday September 22
We had another productive day, on a cool morning, one of several last week showing that summer is loosening its grip on us. We cut honeysuckle, mostly, with a few multi-flora rose and many bittersweet vines also a part of the mix.

Fiends of the Forest Preserves were a huge help, as were new volunteer George and returning volunteers Miguel, Gian Luca and Leo. At one point we had so much cut brush waiting to be burned, it seemed like it could be an all-day affair. Once the fires got cooking, though, we made quick work of it all.

Thanks to everyone who attended

Swallow Cliff Woods Sunday September 23
Seed collecting in the woodland on another lovely fall morning! First-time Palos volunteer Meg and returning volunteer Andrew joined a tour of the inner loop in the south woods, gathering bottlebrush, Joe Pye weed, rye, and others.

Very few berries in sight, notably Solomon's seal, which was abundant a year ago but sparse this time around. When you do find some, likely as not you see only a couple berries at the terminal end of the stalk. Have others experienced similar at their sites?

Upcoming Events

Oaks and Brews, at Imperial Oak Brewing Thursday October 4, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Imperial Oak is at 501 Willow Blvd. in Willow Springs, near the intersection of Archer Avenue and Willow Springs Road.
We're providing a free beer to the first 25 attending and will talk about our Palos preserves and the key role the oak plays in our woodlands. We're trying to spur interest in volunteering and hope some current volunteers will be willing to share their experiences.

Little Red Schoolhouse Art Fair, Sunday October 7, 9 am - 3 pm
We'll have a table at this event. Like Oaks and Brews, we're seeking volunteers who are willing to spend a couple hours sharing their experiences with the public.

Saturday October 13, Explore Willow Springs Woods, 9 am - 12 noon
At 9 am we'll hold a regular workday, cutting and burning brush.
At 10 am we plan a public walking tour, following the hiking trails from the picnic grove into the preserve. We will bring the walkers past the work site and offer the option of joining if they're interested.
We'll need volunteers for both components of the day - anyone who wants to be part of what should be a fun day can contact me by email at janaugust@sbcglobal.net


0 Comments

Cap Sauers September 15, Black Partridge picnic September 16, 2018

9/20/2018

0 Comments

 
Cap Sauers Moraines Saturday September 15
Though summer weather still lingers, this was a typical fall session in Palos. Two chain saws and a brush-cutter running, honeysuckle and other non-natives tumbling like dominos, and scorching-hot brush piles burns as we cleared an area beyond the ravine where we worked on previous days.

Thanks to Margaret for redirecting me when I headed off in the wrong direction. Otherwise I might still be wandering the wilds of Cap while search parties with headlamps scour the area every night and my picture shows up on milk cartons. 

Black Partridge Woods: Annual Palos Picnic 2018
This was another fun day, well- attended despite another toasty-hot afternoon. Thanks to everyone who showed up and brought such a variety of tasty sides and sweets.
Special thanks to grill-master Steve for his help, and to Julie P whose organizational skills are the perfect complement to my own lack of the same.

End-of-season Monarch update
Readers of this page already may know that Julie raised and released several monarchs this year; that's what ensues after you plant milkweed in your garden. The last three flew today and will be sipping margaritas on a beach in Cancun in due time.

One of today's monarchs had a damaged wing; Julie took him to monarch guru Bob Erlich of Evergreen Park, who replaced a portion of the wing and sent him on his way. Damn!
0 Comments

Spears Woods September 8, Hidden Pond September 9, 2018

9/13/2018

0 Comments

 
Spears Woods Saturday September 8
We did some serious honeysuckle chopping and burning in a brushy thicket adjacent to the prairie at Spears. This day marked the return of Friends of the Forest Preserves Palos crew to our Saturday sessions, including new crew member (and veteran Sundown volunteer) Amber Kunz.

Working fairly close to the parking lot made it a short walk so all our energy was directed to the invaders. Good for us, not so good for them.

Hidden Pond Sunday September 9
We've had two previous workdays where we cut brush and could not burn, so we had large stacks needing disposal. With a great group, including several scouts from Palos Park and the Macchione family, we tackled that mess, dragging and burning with (near) abandon. Getting rid of all that brush on the edge of the prairie will allow the next prescribed burn to come through. Thanks to all for a job well done!



0 Comments

Paddock September 1, McClaughrey Springs and Cap Sauers September 2, 2018

9/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Paddock Woods Saturday September 1
Rain and soaked fuel made fire-starting a challenge, one which was, eventually, overcome. We worked inside the trail loop, in an area with resprouts subsequent to contract work of a couple years ago. Mostly it was brush-cutter and lopper work and we cleared a substantial area by day's end. Thanks to first-time Palos volunteer Augustyn for his help!

McClaughrey Springs Woods Sunday September 2
Though I missed this one, Bob Erck filled me in on activities. The group cut and burned honeysuckle and buckthorn, with Bob on the chainsaw and Diana running the brushcutter. It was another in a series of warm, humid sessions; a tip of the tattered hat to all
the volunteers who participated.

Cap Sauers Holding Sunday September 2
Oh yeah, this one was warm and humid too. Unlike Saturday, today the honeysuckle were mostly bowsaw-size, meaning serious work for arms and shoulders. Bob chose to defer fire until next month, allowing us to get a lot of cutting done even though we were few in numbers.

Good thing about the woodland after a rainy stretch is the proliferation of mushrooms. Today's slideshow is full of fungi pics; anyone who wants to offer ID on them is encouraged to do so. I find the variety of colors and shapes amazing, as anyone who reads this blog already would know.
0 Comments

    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.

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly