Saturday we were back at Willow West, another site with a breathtaking walk in (breathtaking in both the literal and figurative senses.)
We worked near the border with Fairmount Cemetery, clearing brush with hand tools, brushcutters, and chainsaws. Once again we were ably assisted by the Friends of the Forest Preserves Conservation Corps. A highlight of this day was the return of Bev Kowalcze to one of our play dates. So true that old friends are gold!
Each time out you see more spring wildflowers budding and blooming. That can only get better with the upcoming warm days.
Sunday marked our first day at Hidden Pond since December, working in the woodland bordering the prairie's north end. This was another honeysuckle day, with Diana chain-sawing some dismayingly thick ones while Doug went after the smaller-diameter stuff with the brushcutter.
The picture below, looking north to the prairie, shows the cleared area, with some brush remaining on the fringe for another day. Job security for the restoration volunteer!.