Blog Posts - Palos Restoration Project

Palos Play Dates May 28: 11 Weeks In

5/27/2020

Last Weekend's Storms
Trails in our area took a severe beating from last weekend's rain. Try as they might, and FPCC puts a lot of work into mitigation of storm damage, sudden downpours in a hilly area like Palos move so much water so fast that damage is inevitable,

The vast majority of the plants survive. The vast majority of the trees survive, though the double whammy of saturated ground and high winds will knock some of them over. Erosion of soil is a huge problem; on bare areas there are no roots to retain it. Prudent restoration work can help.

As we near the end of May, it looks like our state is moving into a new phase. Without knowing what might happen in the restoration field, it is encouraging that we're making progress. I mentioned last week that Conservation Corps crews are at work now in the preserves. Eventually the volunteer program will get back on its feet again and I/we look forward to that day.

So let's keep on being safe, throttle that impulse to sprint when a slow jog is more suitable. As someone with a few marathons under my belt, I can tell you how important it is to have something left for the finish.

Palos Play Dates May 21, 2020: Graduation Edition

5/21/2020

May 21, 2020

By midweek we had surpassed record rain totals for the month of May for the third year in a row. Go Chicago, we're on a roll!

Much of that water ended up in our basement, courtesy of a failed egress window and an abysmal storm drain, last Sunday evening. We're doing all right; never lost power, were able to spend the night at home, and by 3:00 a.m. the bulk of the water was cleared by the three pumps we had running.

It HAS forced us to spend several days cleaning our basement, so I haven't been able to visit the preserves as I normally would. Here are pictures taken either in 2018 or 2019, within a week of today's date. When the cleanup is finished I will go look for this year's version. In the meantime, you get three pictures featuring wild ginger, with its bashful, understated flowers that shelter in place.

Palos Play Dates May 14, 2020

5/14/2020

Small Steps
Forest Preserves of Cook County is phasing in restoration activities for its adult, trained crews. Through April 30 their activities were deemed non-essential and they were grounded. Now they will be allowed to return.

Friends of the Forest Preserves crews resumed work with garlic mustard removal, I'm told. They will transition to other tasks, like herbiciding of invasive weeds. This is great news for the land; there was no way to make garlic mustard, reed canary, or others stay at home and they certainly benefited from the absence of both professional crews and volunteers.

Still no word on when volunteer group activities will be allowed, and I don't expect that to happen real soon. One need only look at daily news reports to know we're not over the hump yet.

Meanwhile nature continues to amaze. Our native plants also are flouting the stay-at-home orders, growing and thriving throughout the county. This despite a series of cold nights, rainy days, and overall conditions that don't appear conducive to plant growth.

Chance to Win Something?
That's right. We have a lightly-loved copy of Ansel Adams' "Our National Parks" which will be awarded to the first person who answers the question found within today's slideshow below.

Palos Play Dates May 7, 2020: Mothers Day Edition

5/7/2020

Spring Ephemerals
As the trees continue to leaf out and the canopy fills in, the spring ephemerals will fade. They're still putting on a vivid display, though, eagerly taking in the sun on my walk this morning.

In my weekly email I included a link to a talk on spring ephemerals by Chris Benda; I'm leaving the same link here, for anyone who got here other than via the email.

In the 17th edition of the IEC Lunch and Learn Series, IEC is joined by plant ecologist and IEC board member Chris Benda (aka the Illinois Botanizer) to discuss wildflowers and prairie habitats in Illinois. Click here

Diana Krug posted this on FB yesterday, and thought I'd share here for those who did not see it. Chris Benda has a wealth of knowledge about plants.

The "Don't We Already Have Enough to Think About?" Department
Maybe you've heard about the so-called murder hornet, Vespa mandarinia, an invasive species that has the potential to decimate honeybee populations if left unchecked. It's been the subject of numerous, breathless news reports. Well, there's at least a modicum of good news on this front. I've read that beekeepers can protect their hives by swatting the hornets with tennis rackets when they arrive to attack the honeybees.

Julie watched an hour-long presentation on Vespa mandarinia and heard no mention of the tennis racket control method so I can't vouch for the veracity of my source. It sure sounds interesting though.

Happy Mothers Day to all our moms, to all who nurture selflessly.

Palos Play Dates April 30: Restoration Vacation Week Seven

4/29/2020

April 30, 2020
Between rainfalls I've been able to get out a couple times. Finally the Virginia bluebells I've watched for weeks are starting to bloom. Perhaps they're timid and should be approached more gingerly?

A Year Ago Today - Beam-Suntory at Sundown Meadow
Since we don't have any recent work to report, I'm going to revisit last April 30. We had several sites scheduled to host a large corporate group, from Beam-Suntory. Two of the sites were in Palos, while one, Sundown Meadow, was in Countryside. Rainfall led to both of the Palos sites canceling, so both of those groups came instead to Sundown. All told we had more than 85 volunteers!

We'd never plan for a group that large; 25 is a much more manageable number. With a huge assist from FPCC staff (Volunteer Resources and Little Red Schoolhouse) we made it work. Included is a picture because the crazy days are often the best ones.

Virtual Trek to Andrews Glacier & Andrews Tarn, Rocky Mountain National Park
In September 2012 I drove to my favorite destination, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. It's a day-hiker's dream, with a fantastic assortment of trails within a relatively contained space. The scenery is off-the-charts.

Upon my arrival on September 12 snow was falling in the mountains, and I immediately drove as high on Trail Ridge Road as was allowed. Snow at any time thrills my soul - in September it's sheer ecstasy!

Several days later I hiked to what one writer describes as "a vanishing species - the North American glacier." A fairly strenuous trek, but well worth the effort. The first stretch of trail takes you past the lovely Alberta Falls to the equally striking alpine lake called The Loch.

Several trail junctions and much rock-hopping and route-finding bring you above treeline and eventually to the cirque terminating at Andrews Glacier and Tarn (Lake). The top of the glacier borders the Continental Divide - if you look closely at the photos you can see tracks winding through the snow. Not my tracks, I wasn't equipped for snow travel and opted for prudence.

Instead I just hung out a while, enjoying the view and the solitude. Over a span of three hours I only saw two people, were heading down while I was still on my way up. This was one of the more memorable hikes I've done over my multi-year fascination with the mountains.

As I arrived in Illinois, remnants of Hurricane Ike were moving through the state. Julie was, at the same time, returning from her parents' house in Arkansas, and she essentially was chased north by the winds and squalls. The last couple photos below are from Starved Rock, with the Illinois River well over its banks. Nature in multiple manifestations, in the matter of a few days.

April 23, 2020: Restoration Vacation Week Six: Earth Day

4/21/2020

Earth Day April 22, 2020
We'd prefer to do Earth Day's 50th Anniversary in style but that will have to wait. It's amazing the changes that have come since the first Earth Day, and appalling how far we still have to go.

This is the first year in the last five we did not schedule a public event for Earth Day, just as well given the pandemic. Perhaps in the fall though I fear next year might be a more reasonable aspiration.

Meanwhile we shelter in place, read a lot, walk a lot, and catch up on numerous projects that were pushed to the back burner long ago. I've finished books I'd almost given up on; some were quite rewarding. I've organized things that I rarely use. I refolded all my bandanas (see pictures below).

Looking at pictures from past trips to Colorado sparks a desire to get back, one that's not likely to be indulged too soon. Maybe I'll add some pictures and notes to one of these posts. Yup, next week we'll take a virtual trek to Andrews Tarn and Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park.

April 16, 2020: Restoration Vacation Week Five

4/16/2020

Snow in April - Again!
Last year we had snowfalls on April 14 (5.4" official at O'Hare) and April 27 (2.5" at O'Hare). So whatever happened yesterday, and whatever comes tomorrow, is no big thing. It's still early...

Despite the snow and overnight temps, garlic mustard and Siberian squill are doing fine. I saw numerous uprooted garlic mustard plants on the trail last time I walked McClaughrey Springs - wish the squill could be dealt with in similar fashion.

Local Nature
Trying to channel Greta Thunberg, I have many days I don't touch the car. Lake Katherine half a mile away, Arrowhead Lake 1-1/2 miles, then Paddock about 2-1/4 miles distant, all can be reached without the infernal combustion engine. Some of the pictures in the first block below are from Arrowhead, and the night-time pictures in the second block from Lake Katherine.

April 9, 2020: Restoration Vacation Week Four - Wildflowers

4/9/2020

Wildflowers
This is the week the spring flowers took off! Some, like Dutchman's breeches, seem to be blooming a bit earlier than usual. Maybe it was those 75-80 degree days we just had. (As I write this the outside temp is 48 and that north wind is stirring things up.)

Mike Kazaitis and Cyndi Duda both sent pictures,which are included in the slideshow below. Thanks for the contributions!

Most of my outdoor exercise is happening right in the neighborhood. Lake Katherine is pretty crowded, so while I'll pass en route to the Cal-Sag trail I mostly avoid the chipped path around the lake.

The forest preserves have been pretty good. McClaughrey Springs near Mill Creek has a lot of people, but if you get away from the parking lots you can get in your bubble and feel safe. Hidden Pond was fine; other than one woman near the lot I was on my own for an hour and a half of hiking.

Be careful out there.

April 3, 2020: Restoration Vacation Week Three

4/1/2020

Social Distancing on the Trails
Whenever I've been out, people, cyclists, hikers, runners, all seem to give you lots of space when passing. That's good - my biggest fear is people getting sloppy, turning out in large groups or not respecting others' space.

That's what happened along the lakefront the the result was totally predictable; the mayor shut it down. I hope, with warmer weather, people don't become reckless, decide they can have 'small' picnics or other group gatherings that force FPCC to shut it all down. If we behave sensibly then we continue to have this outlet, somewhere to escape to when we feel the need for fresh air and open spaces.

In my post of March 19 I asked, beneath one picture. what are these people doing? Kevin Coyote-Trust supplied the answer, social distancing with friends. Danke, Kevin!

I have no expectation that we'll resume restoration work sooner than May 11, and it may be later than that date. That's okay with me; far better that we get this thing right so we can, with reasonable caution, feel safe we resume the activities that spark our passion.

Meanwhile I've tackled some projects that have sat on the back burner for a long time, like sorting through the VHS tapes and updating the 'home entertainment center'. See below:

March 26, 2020: Restoration Vacation Week Two

3/26/2020

People Magnet
While there's no volunteer restoration these days, local preserves are far from lonely. Yesterday the lot at McClaughrey Springs was full, and a friend reported a full house at the east shore of Saganashkee Slough, where fishermen congregate.

Fortunately, hikers seem to respect the need for social distancing. Several walkers paused and waited for me to cross a muddy stretch of trail before tackling it themselves, leaving ample space between us. Chorus frogs calling, some sandhill cranes still migrating.

If cabin fever becomes oppressive, find an open lot (everything around Swallow Cliff is closed and will likely remain closed for the duration) and enjoy our local nature. We'll see spring wildflowers in bloom soon, enjoy the show!

Here's a link to the Forest Preserves of Cook County's web page on events and closings.

Other Ways to Entertain Oneself
I included a link to a pollinator video in my weekly email and repeat it here. One of our neighbors created some cool driveway art with her daughter - I suspect parents all over are getting creative to keep their kids engaged.