Cap Sauers Moraines Saturday September 18
Last weekend remained warm and sticky, and we had small groups for both our Saturday and Sunday sessions. Margaret cut brush on Saturday, her efforts bolstered by the presence of the Palos Resource Management crew. Thank you Brendon, Erin, and Jim for your help.
It was a brush-cutting day complicated by a lot of Oriental bittersweet vine, a nasty invasive plant that's become as ubiquitous as Amazon delivery vans in recent years. This vine not only girdles and can kill a tree, it moves from branch to branch tying everything together and forcing much hacking to separate the pieces and get them to the fire.
Black Partridge Woods Sunday September 19
Too warm Sunday for strenuous work, so John chose to collect seed from the woodland to scatter across the street, in an area that was pasture land for the dairy farm in a previous life.
We collected bottlebrush grass, wild Canada rye, and small amounts of whatever forbs we could find, then crossed the street and distributed it. I'm hoping some of that seed will sprout and compete with the mass of white snakeroot that has taken hold there. Much thanks to first-time Palos volunteer Randy for joining us in this effort.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes has been an occasional day trip for years. Tuesday we made our first visit since the area acquired national park status, drawn by the forecast of high winds and big waves. Both were found in abundance and an impressive bank of clouds hung over the lake, not so low as to obscure a good look at the Chicago skyline to the northwest.
Leaving home, we drove through a downpour, and Julie warned me she wasn't getting out of the car to be rained on. Divine intervention? As we crossed the state line we could see traces of blue sky to the east, and once we got past Indianapolis Blvd. the rain stopped. Such a beautiful place, Indiana Dunes. Got to get there more often.
Last weekend remained warm and sticky, and we had small groups for both our Saturday and Sunday sessions. Margaret cut brush on Saturday, her efforts bolstered by the presence of the Palos Resource Management crew. Thank you Brendon, Erin, and Jim for your help.
It was a brush-cutting day complicated by a lot of Oriental bittersweet vine, a nasty invasive plant that's become as ubiquitous as Amazon delivery vans in recent years. This vine not only girdles and can kill a tree, it moves from branch to branch tying everything together and forcing much hacking to separate the pieces and get them to the fire.
Black Partridge Woods Sunday September 19
Too warm Sunday for strenuous work, so John chose to collect seed from the woodland to scatter across the street, in an area that was pasture land for the dairy farm in a previous life.
We collected bottlebrush grass, wild Canada rye, and small amounts of whatever forbs we could find, then crossed the street and distributed it. I'm hoping some of that seed will sprout and compete with the mass of white snakeroot that has taken hold there. Much thanks to first-time Palos volunteer Randy for joining us in this effort.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes has been an occasional day trip for years. Tuesday we made our first visit since the area acquired national park status, drawn by the forecast of high winds and big waves. Both were found in abundance and an impressive bank of clouds hung over the lake, not so low as to obscure a good look at the Chicago skyline to the northwest.
Leaving home, we drove through a downpour, and Julie warned me she wasn't getting out of the car to be rained on. Divine intervention? As we crossed the state line we could see traces of blue sky to the east, and once we got past Indianapolis Blvd. the rain stopped. Such a beautiful place, Indiana Dunes. Got to get there more often.
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