My Naturalist Guide:

My Conservation Plan:

My Endangered Species:

My Final Essay:

And Recommended Links

 

 

This picture is about an hour southeast of Berlin, Germany, on an organic cattle farm where I worked for several weeks. It wasn't exactly prairie, but we did have grass-fed beef and maintained the topsoil fertility with natural fertilizers (i.e. manure) and minimal disturbance. Some of the neighboring farms, however, already showed problems of soil compaction, where the water can't run through and just stays in puddles on the surface (a common sight on our farms, to b sure). The soil wasn't Great Plains quality; a bit sandy, but still, you can keep it productive sustainably. Here were some short grasses (or just kept short by the horses), and there are lots of woodland patches and swamps nearby (there is a small lake in the other direction). The area, though farmed, retains a very diverse ecosystem which also supported larger species such as cranes and wild boars.

 

So I'm interested in how we can work with our land in a sustainable and respectful way. I admit, I haven't read Wendell Berry's Unsettling yet, but I've started, and he's right on (at least on the agriculture part; I think he exaggerates the other examples somewhat, like culture and marriage. Still, he's making a valid point). For those of you interested in some very cool farm operations, we have several on our website at FamilyFarmed.org and you should check out Growing Power if you care about urban environments and maintaining/restoring the soil in those areas - they do some incredible work.

 

I'm very excited about this course, and am happy to go out on prairie hunting expeditions with other folks if they're interested.

 

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March 30, 2007

 

I took a few photos at the prairie restoration site in Nichols Park between 53rd/54th and Kimbark/Kenwood.

 

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April 2, 2007

 

I headed over to  Burnham Park, which, aside from being so close to Lake Shore Drive you may get hit by straying vehicles, is a gorgeous patch of prairie being restored. There is also a butterfly garden which I noticed on my way out and will have to postpone for another day, since I had to go to work downtown. If anyone is interested in some collective prairie grass hunting, let me know. I'm busy, but game.

 

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April 3, 2007

 

No pictures at the moment, just lamenting the coming temperatures in the 20s. Not good for the precocious wildflowers which already shot up. A lot of the prairie grasses haven't really started though, so they may be alright. In other news, I'll be missing class for a meeting of the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council next Tuesday. I'll be sure to let y'all know what goes on.

 

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April 4, 2007

 

So after choosing a somewhat prairie-tangential project, I'd love to work with other people if they're interested. I plan to look at urban agriculture and open lots (conveniently, a cost-benefit analysis is the final assignment for another class of mine: Economics and Environmental Policy, so that works out well), and maybe ways to grow in urban areas while replenishing the soil. How exactly? Well, I don't know yet, but I aim to find out! And I know some folks who do quite a bit of urban agriculture up in Milwaukee, so a good start. I moved my naturalist guide photo stuff to a sub-page, per recommendation.

 

Also, I took some photos from the native plants garden by Rockefeller chapel (which will be greatly expanded in coming years to an approximate 2500 sq. ft.). They'll be posted in a bit (once I crop and resize, but first, more BA editing....)

 

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April 7, 2007

 

 

Well, I had a great time down at Midewin prairie which is restoring about 19,000 acres of what used to be Joliet Arsenal; there are still nearly 400 bunkers dotting the landscape. We cleared some invasive osage orange and autumn olive bushes/trees. Woody vegetation tends to attract predators like raccoons, which spells trouble (with a capital T) for grassland birds. Some grassland birds like to nest in trees, but spend most of their time in the grassland area. Interestingly, the folks at Midewin do use some non-native species for habitat purposes, includng some Eurasian pasture grasses which several state-endangered bird species just love, since the bird species are really one of the primary reasons for the transformation into prairie (the "larger animals get more funding than fungi" phenomenon). When dealing with 19,000 acres, some compromises have to be made that would be avoidable in a something-hundred acre project. Our guide had quite a bit of great information about some of the ways they've learned to restore prairie - all the great minutiae which characterize real-world projects. For example, it is typically better to broadcast (haphazardly spray seed) in the winter then it is to use seed drills in spring. The natural thaw/freeze cycle of snow and soil gets seeds to just the right depth for germination; seed drilling often gets seeds too deep in the soil.

 

Many species are hard to buy (seed), since demand is high and supply is limited. Even with sufficient funds, he said, they wouldn't be able to purchase enough seed. So they grow their own. We visited some of their seed mats where they grow rows of one or two prairie species. This is particularly useful for rare species that are hard to find elsewhere. However, they don't really sell any of their seed, since they use it all. Much of their seed is initially harvested by hand (school children), then cleaned (separated out) in a multi-stage machine which separates the wheat from the chaff, quite literally. We had a huge machine on the farm in Berlin (we spent one day cleaning about 3 tons of winter rye), but theirs are much smaller, cleaner, and QUIETER than what we had. I had to wear ear protectors in Berlin; you could stand next to these and talk in a normal voice practically.

 

Controlling invasive species is a constant battle - burns are one interesting tool they use. Initially, they burn fairly frequently, possibly even twice a year, then gradually slow down to once every 2-5 years. It is important to get short grasses like prairie dropseed established before moving in some of the taller grasses, which would otherwise smother the shorter ones. They don't even plant the three main tall grasses - big bluestem, indian grass, and (I think) switchgrass. They may in the future, if the other species get settled in. One really interesting aspect was the grass management system - cattle. Mostly red angus, with some black angus cattle (many had recently calved) who graze down the more established prairies and keep diversity going (Google "intermediate disturbance hypothesis"). They don't graze the newer fields, however. Well, I'm getting tired (I just worked on my Naturalist Guide and BA after getting back). Time to call it a day, and hit the hay.

 

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April 23, 2007

 

 

A little while since I wrote anything, though Morton Arboretum came and went, as did Green Festival. Amazing to see so many thousands of people out to support the environment. However, I felt that the sheer scale made everything a little diluted, and the somewhat commercial nature of the event made people switch into browsing mode rather than active engagement (with the exception of the speakers; Amy Goodman and especially Dennis Kucinich brought the house down). By the way, a picture of my heroes:

  

Preach it, Amy!                                                      Peace and sustainability, anyone?

 

So that was a highlight. I also saw an exhibitor with some green roof exhibits, which was nifty. It didn't really look like what we needed, but a good resource to have. They're based in Hinsdale, IL. Speaking of

green roofs, some progress is being made on the Crerar plans, check out our Conservation Plan page.

 

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April 28, 2007

 

Went out to Indiana Dunes (part I), which was great. Being outdoors in open space on such a nice day. I spent the rest of it working on my BA (same for Sunday). I got a couple nifty wildlife shots, as did we all. A native bee, a tree frog, and a butterfly as we were leaving the prairie. I did get some new shots in Nichols Park later in the evening, and since there are ID tags, I was able to identify several plants, and revise a couple old IDs in my guide (e.g. Sand Phlox is actually Cleft Phlox).