JANUARY 5, 2009 Friends of Orland Grassland:   Inside this message find~   General Meeting for Volunteers - January 8, 2009 Workday Reminders What We've Been Up To On Site Chicago Wilderness Passports Wild Things Conference-Early Registration Now Open Nine Frog Monitor Workshops for Beginning and Experienced Monitors Urban and Nature-Prairie Girls Do High Tea at the Drake   General Meeting for Volunteers - January 8, 2009 The Orland Grassland Volunteers will be holding a general meeting on Thursday, January 8, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14700 Ravinia Avenue, Orland Park, Illinois.  We will be making plans for the upcoming year and talking about the upcoming presence of the Army Corps who's activity begins soon. Everyone is invited to attend.    Workday Reminders Saturday volunteers meet on the second and fourth Saturdays year round, at 9:00 am at the parking lot on 167th Street just west of La Grange Road in Orland Park.  With all the seeds now in, our work is shifting to clearing. We will be working clearing the shrubland area of invasive woodies just west of The Phoenix and The Scrape areas, and being warmed by the brush pile burns we create.  Exciting stuff..restoring shrubland habitat is very, very new and we're helping to get it underway at Orland Grassland.    Wednesday volunteers meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays in the morning at different places and times.  Contact Suzanne Koglin at skoglin@comcast.net to find out what the plans are for their workday.   Join us!  All you need is appropriate clothing for hiking in natural terrain.  We provide all necessary tools and guidance.  Work at Orland Grassland qualifies for community service hours.   What We've Been Up To On Site The Volunteers have been busy getting all of the seed in that was collected by us or purchased by the Forest Preserve District.  Some of them are:  purple prairie clover, rattlesnake master, compass plant, blazing star, prairie coreopsis, scurfy pea, shooting star, side oats grama, silky aster, little bluestem, porcupine grass, prairie drop seed, thimbleweed and pale purple coneflower.  These kinds of seeds are specifically selected, not for show, but to form the important structure and sustainability of our native grassland habitat.    If you'd like to see a picture what was seeded, go to this website:  http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info    The site is divided into different segments, so click on "Prarie Wildflowers"  or "Grasses, Sedges and Plants without Flowers".    If you'd like to see a picture of some hardworking volunteers seeding away, and enjoying a break, see attached pics.  Joel, Bryne, Bill and Norm "Taking A Break".  Joan, Joel and Matt, "Seeding".   Chicago Wilderness Passports Chicago Wilderness Passports have been given to many of our young folks, ranging in ages eight through high school.  They are pocket sized and full of lots of open space for them to draw, make notes of the important activities, or whatever they choose.  They are intended to give them opportunity to journal their thoughts and free spirits while working with their steward on a workday, and encourage repetitive visits.  They are perfect for joining children and parents together on some very important work.  And, at the end of the workday, their passports are stamped to signify a good day's accomplishment.    Contact Pat Hayes at pithys@yahoo.com or 708-220-9596, if you would like to learn more about these.  There's also info on our website, www.orlandgrassland.org.   Wild Things Conference-Early Registration Now Open See www.habitatproject.org for more details. The Chicago Wilderness "Wild Things" Conference is now open for early registration.  The conference is at a new location this year:  Univerity of Illinois-Chicago, 750 South Halsted, Chicago, Illinois.   Co-sponsored by Audubon Chicago Region,  the Volunteer Stewardship Network and Chicago Wilderness, it is for everyoone from beginners to experts.  There will be 70 large and small group sessions.  Doug Ladd is the keynote speaker.  Pat Hayes will be one of the panel speakers for the breakout session, "Reaching the Community by Engaging Schools, Community Leaders, and Corporations".   Fee schedule: $27 on or before January 24 $35 after January 24 $15 for students $10 for box lunch   Nine Frog Monitor Workshops for Beginning and Experienced Monitors See www.habitatproject.org for more information. The Calling Frog Survey is part of an amphibian biodiversity recovery plan.  Chicago Wilderness is sponsoring nine workshops in various counties.  See the website for complete details if you are interested.   Urban and Nature--Prairie Girls do High Tea at the Drake Just because we like to get our hands dirty and our clothes full of soot from brush pile burns, doesn't mean we don't enjoy the finer things in life like High Tea.  What a place to experience it, the Drake Hotel in Chicago, serving up delicious teas, gentle music played on a harp, all wrapped in grand holiday trimmings.  See the attached pic of Pat, Jeanne, Marybeth and Karen, nature lovers taking time to enjoy the big city.  High Tea on the Prairie?  Hmmm.   See you at the Grassland!   Pat Hayes Orland Grassland Volunteer       DECEMBER 3, 2008 Inside this message find: Workday Reminders Informational Open House at Bartel News and Pictures from the Seeding Event Need an Orland Grassland T-Shirt?   Workday Reminders Don't let the cold keep you indoors!  Volunteers meet on the second and fourth Saturday and second and fourth Wednesday year around.  The cold season is brush and invasive tree clearing season, and the great brush pile burns warm the body and spirit.    2nd and 4th Saturdays:  Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot on 167th Street just west of La Grange Road.  Just bring your helping hands and happy heart.  Tools, and gloves are provided.  Dress for hiking in natural terrain.     2nd and 4th Wednesdays:  The Wednesday volunteers have irregular times and meeting places around the site.  Contact Dave Carson,  daveandnorma@prodigy.net, for information about Wednesday workdays.  Informational Open House at Bartel Saturday December 6, 2-4 pm Habitat Restoration at Bartel Grassland Matteson Historical Society's Old St. Paul's Church 6200 Vollmer Road,  The successful prairie and wetland restoration at Bartel Grassland Forest Preserve (south of Flossmoor between Central and Ridgeland) will cross the road this winter. The new areas to benefit, north of Flossmoor and east of Central, also were originally prairie and wetland, then farmland, and were temporarily planted to a mix of meadows and trees when the Forest Preserve District took over. It has been used mainly as a model airplane flying field (which is being moved to another location).   In the first phase, south of Flossmoor, drainage tiles installed by farmers have been plugged so that natural water flow could return to the land.  Invasive trees, brush and weeds were removed and prairie wildflowers and grasses were planted.  Beautiful and rare prairie birds such as meadowlarks, bobolinks and short-eared owls now use the site in greater numbers.   To learn about this expanded effort and about how you can be involved, the partners invite you to an open house on Saturday, December 6 from 2-4 at the Matteson Historical Society's Old St. Paul's Church location on the south end of the preserve at 6200 Vollmer Road.  Maps and posters will describe the ecology, the goals of restoration and the results.  Experts will be present to answer questions.  For more information call 847-965-1150, extension 15, or bartelgrassland@audubon.org.   News and Pictures from Seeding Event Orland Grassland Volunteers had a great day of seeding on Saturday, November 29.  For the first time, quantities of important seeds like Little Blue Stem, Rattlesnake Master, Wild Quinine, Blazing Star, Prairie Coreopsis, Indigo and much more were actually harvested from our site.  Now they have been interseeded in important areas across the grassland.  And, thanks to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, quantities of other important seeds were purchased. And then... It snowed!  Perfect!  Our seeds have been safely tucked into their perfect places.  If you didn't make it there, click on the pictures above for a glimpse. Need an Orland Grassland T-Shirt? Go to www.orlandgrassland.org and click on T-Shirts.  There you'll find an order form for several items and directions.  Questions?  Reply to this email and let us know what they are.  See you at the Grassland!  Pat Hayes Orland Grassland Volunteer www.orlandgrassland.org 708-220-9596     OCTOBER 22, 2008 Hello Friends of Orland Grassland-   Inside this message find:   Workday Reminders Seed Cleaning Dates Grassland Birds Seed Sowing and Pot-Pourri Chicago Wilderness Passport Cadres Army Corps of Engineers Report Upcoming Article in Elite Magazine   Workday Reminders Volunteer Groups meet on the 2nd and 4th Saturday and Wednesday of each month.  Participation in workday activity counts for community service hours for high school students.   Saturday:  Meet Bill Fath at 9:00 at the parking lot on 167th Street just west of La Grange.  This Saturday is a workday and we'll be continuing our hikes throughout the site to harvest seed.  This is an exciting year, after many years of hard work, because this is the first year that we actually are collecting measurable amounts of many species of seed:  little blue stem, monarda, wild quinine, blazing star, indigo, rattlesnake master, thimbleweed, prairie coreopsis, scurfy pea, and many more important species.  We still have lots of gray headed coneflower available to collect, so we'll be busy collecting that this week, and enjoying a wonderful hike throughout the grassland while we're at it.  RSVP to this email if you think you might like to join us this Saturday.   Wednesday:  Contact Dave Carson, daveandnorma@prodigy.net, for details for Wednesday workdays.  They have been going off site getting local native seed tucked away in small places here and there.  Dave says that the Wednesday group is done with their seed collecting season, and will be shifting gears to brush clearing.   Seed Cleaning Dates Join us on Thursday, November 6th, and Tuesday, November 18th, at 6:30 p.m. for our fall seed cleaning work nights.  We meet at the Orland Park Civic Center to clean all those wonderful seeds we've been collecting throughout the year.  Join us if you can.  It's a great night of volunteer camaraderie while we find all kinds of ways to persuade those seeds out of their seed heads!  RSVP to this email.   Grassland Birds B.O.G. (Birders of Orland Grassland) completed an enjoyable season of birding the grassland.  The bimonthly walks through the grassland rewarded them with sightings of beautiful birds, insects and grassland plants.  Watch for information in the spring on how to become a part of this congenial group.   Seed Sowing and Pot-Pourri On the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 29, we will be distributing seed throughout important areas at the Grassland.  Meet at the parking lot at 9:00 a.m.  It takes a lot of helping hands to get this job done, and we would appreciate all the help we can get.  If you would like to help, and if you think you have a friend or neighbor who would like to join you, come on out.  It's a great way to get off the beaten track and get a good look at our beautiful vista.  It's a great way to contribute some very important work to the restoration effort.    Afterword, at about 1:00 p.m., we'll meet up and enjoy our annual pot-pourri.  Hot soup, good bread, and whatever else folks would like to enjoy bringing and eating.     Let us know if you think you'd like to help by replying to this email.   Chicago Wilderness Passport Cadre The Chicago Wilderness Fieldbook, A Passport to Discover Nature's Hidden Treasures, is in the hands of many children and young adults.  These adventurous folks use the Passports to enrich their workday experience.  Later, their passports are stamped with the Orland Grassland bobolink stamp.    Here are some quite telling comments from two 10 year old and one 12 year old scouts who came out for the first time last week: "I dreamed about this, but it is so much better." "Wow, this is better that video games, I actually did something." "When I grow up, I want to build a house here with lots of open windows to let nature in" "When I grow up, I will never have to go to a gym, the exercise here is so much better" "Maybe we could get started earlier next time to get more time here.  I can't stay later because I have acting class,  (or another group event to the zoo, or another event) right after this." "My mother could never do this.  She would have to sleep for 5 hours after this.  She would never do it."    If you would like to find out more about this youth program for children beginning at age 8 and for young adults high school aged, reply to this email.  Children under high school age will require, and benefit from, having a parent, grandparent or adult friend, share this great experience with them.   Army Corps of Engineers Report The Army Corps of Engineers have finalized their 5-year restoration plan for Orland Grassland and have awarded a contract to Pizzo.  Work will probably begin by this winter.  The work activity will first focus on the south end of the site and work its way north.  Work activity will include important disabling of drain tiles, removal of trees in the interior that are not part of our native prairie habitat landscape, irradication of invasive species such as reed canary grass and teasel, controlled burns, and seed, seed, seed.  This holistic approach to restoring this important Des Plaines River watershed will enable opportunity for a sustained native habitat.  Look for more to come on this very important phase of the restoration project at Orland Grassland.  Many thanks go to Congresswoman Biggert and additional support from Senator Durbin on getting necessary appropriation approval for the Army Corps to go forward on this plan.   Upcoming Article in Elite Magazine Look for this December's issue of Elite Magazine, a quarterly magazine publication associated with the SouthtownStar newspaper.  It's likely you'll find Orland Grassland information and bird and wildflower pictures featured there.   See you at the Grassland,   Pat Hayes Orland Grassland Volunteer   JULY 29, 2008 INSIDE THIS MESSAGE FIND~   Workday Reminders See You At Taste of Orland Restoration Works!  What We're Seeing   Workday Reminders With trusty schythes in hand, we're charging after white sweet clover, with Tall Goldenrod on deck for August.  The quiet swishing of scythes lets all the voices of the bobolinks, dickcissels and field sparrows come through.  It's a great nature experience.  Bring bugspray and water.  We have the tools.   Saturdays:  The second and fourth Saturday of every month.  Meet at the parking lot on 167th Street at 9:00 a.m.  We'll either carpool around to enter closer to the worksite or hike on in.   Wednesdays:  Wednesday volunteers meet the second and fourth Wednesday.  Contact Dave Carson for details on their work schedule.  Dave and Norma Carson daveandnorma@prodigy.net   See You At The Taste of Orland Look for the Orland Grassland Volunteer booth at The Taste of Orland.  We will be up at the north end.  Bean bag game for the kids, treats, and information about the great work we do.  See you there--August 1, 2 and 3rd!   Restoration Works--What We're Seeing Nothing like chasing sweet clover all over to find out what's coming up!  Little bluestem, pale purple coneflower, purple prairie clover, indigo, rattlesnake master, compass plant, tall green milkweed, short green milkweed, prairie milkweed, scurfy pea in bloom and prairie coreopsis.  The results of years of seeding efforts are popping up all over!  And, birds, birds, everywhere.  Dickcissels, bobolinks, Henslow sparrows, field sparrows, meadowlarks.  Join us for a workday and see for yourself.   See you at the Grassland.  See you at The Taste.   Pat Hayes Orland Grassland Volunteer Steward     JUNE 24, 2008 INSIDE THIS MESSAGE FIND...   Workday Reminders Good Things Are Happening Birders of Orland Grassland (BOG) Close a Great Birding Season Don't Forget About Community Service Hours Would You Like to Write an Article for Our Bobolink Newsletter? Check Our Website for More Information... www.orlandgrassland.org     Workday Reminders   Volunteers meet on the second and fourth Wednesday and Saturday year around.  Here's what they're up to.   Wednesday, June 25th, is a regularly scheduled workday.  These volunteers are planning to rescue oaks in the southeast area of the site.  Contact Dave Carson at daveandnorma@prodigy.net if you'd like to join them to get more information.   Saturday, June 28th, is a regularly scheduled workday.  The volunteers meet at the parking lot at 9:00 a.m.  Using scythes and good old fashioned pull power, it's the season to go after reed canary grass and yellow sweet clover.  Please bring bottled water to carry with you.  Tools will be provided.  RSVP so we know how many to bring.  Contact Bill Fath at wfath@yahoo.com or Pat Hayes at ptihys@yahoo.com for more information.   Good Things Are Happening   We're seeing the results of our restoration work.  Hoary Puccoon is beginning to migrate north.  We saw blue and yellow eyed grass throughout the site this spring, in places it's never been, and more violets than ever.  Little blue is coming up in many, many places.  Wood betony appeared in more places than ever.  And, finally, pale purple coneflower made its appearance, in bloom for all to see, and Rattlesnake Master...it's everywhere!    Birders of Orland Grassland (BOG) Close a Great Birding Season   Last Satuday was the last bird walk for this spring.  The bird walking group that meets on the first and third Saturday during spring and fall, has had wonderful successes.  They closed their last walk of this season seeing a ruby throated hummingbird, cuckoos, yellow throats, Henslow's sparrow, bobolinks, more dickcissel than they could count and more.  Not a bad day at Orland Grassland.  Beginning last fall they've seen 85 speices of birds on their walks. For those who are into numbers, they have counted 1145 birds total. Their membership is 26 and their largest single turnout was 14 members.  Contact Suzanne Koglin at skoglin@comcast.net or Kathy Hamilton at hamiltonreichel@aol.com for information about this fall.   Don't Forget About Community Service Hours   For those of you looking for community service hours, you can get them here!  Volunteer on Saturday or Wednesday, and get credit for working in nature and bringing native habitat back to the prairie.  You'll meet a great bunch of folks, too.    Would You Like to Write an Article for Our "Bobolink" Newsletter?   Contact Dave Dibble, our editor, for the format and deadlines.  He's at orlandnewsltr@yahoo.com.  If you'd like to report sightings you've seen at Orland Grassland, contact Suzanne Koglin at skoglin@comcast.net   See you at Orland Grassland.

 

 

JULY 17, 2007

Friends of the Grassland:

 

Inside this message find~

 

Workday Reports

Sad News

Great Results are Showing From Volunteer Work

FPDCC Crews Are At It Again!

Orland Volunteers At the Taste of Orland

Tune In to WTTW's "Chicago Tonight"

 

Workday Reports

Volunteers have a field day every second and fourth Saturday of every month!  Join us or get a group together and join us, at 9:00 a.m. at the 167th parking lot just 1/4 block west of

La Grange Road.  RSVP if you think you can come so we have enough tools, but drop in if you can.

 

'Tis the season for invasive control for those over-achiever species like white sweet clover, tall goldenrod and teasel.  Left unmanaged, they will overcome everything in their path.  This past Saturday volunteers were out scything white sweet clover.  The good news is, we didn't have enough scythes for everyone!  (Don't worry, thanks to the generosity of the Volunteer Stewardship Network, the volunteer support initiative sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Chapter, we're getting more).  According to one of our newer volunteers, "Hey, if you swing this just right, it kind of sings!".  Yes, indeed. 

 

The Wednesday group has been on hiatus this month.  They usually meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.  We'll let you know when they start up again.  Their forte: teasel.  And it shows.  It seems like it's endless, but those who have been stopping by the Grassland over the years say there's been an incredible difference.  (Thank you Dave Carson, for a persistence that surpasses even that of teasel!)

 

Sad News

Joe Stanton, age 96, has passed away.  You no doubt have seen Joe at all of our events, and Wednesday workdays.  He was our great friend, and an even greater friend to the living things that are a part of our native habitat.  He worked 'til the end, filling his life, and ours, at workdays and outreach events.  We are saddened to lose him, his generosity in sharing his knowledge, his humor, his passion for restoring and contributing to returning native life to the many grasslands and woodlands in our area.   We are comforted to know that this once-in-a-lifetime kind of guy, walked with us.

 

Great Results Are Showing From Volunteer Work

A recent site walk resulted in some interesting observations.  Of course, we took a look at what condition our condition is in, and began compiling a new and improved to-do list.  One important observation, though:  At the sites where clearing work has been done over recent years by volunteers, Great Egret Savanna, Bluebird Savanna-The Scrape-The Watering Hole triangle, where The Grand Prairie western edge meets The Phoenix...yellow breasted chats and orchard orioles.  At The Scrape, pale purple coneflower, little bluestem, flowering spurge, wood betony, blazing star... and no white sweet clover, tall goldenrod or teasel.  We could count on one hand the number of dead teasel stalks we found north of 175th Street.  Dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks, field sparrows and bobolinks kept an eye on us as we made our way around.  Hmmm...coincidence?  Or...restoration work that's working!!!

 

FPDCC Crews Are At It Again!

The Forest Preserve Distrist of Cook County, Tinley Resource Management crew is at it again!  They are getting at the bigger job, the one that needs equipment like gators and timber axes and brush hogs.  Some work can be done by volunteers, but most takes a much bigger effort.  They're out there taking on the reed canary grass, white sweet clover and tall goldenrod, too.  We couldn't keep the restoration effort afloat without them, and appreciate the great work they do for Orland Grassland.  John Mc, Tim, John P, Mark...Thanks!

 

Orland Volunteers at The Taste of Orland

We'll be at our booth at The Taste of Orland on August 3, 4 and 5th.  Stop by!  There will be a chance to talk with the Volunteers, learn about the new bird watching group that's starting up in September, learn about the youth outreach project that uses the "Chicago Wilderness Fieldbook, A Passport to Discovering Nature's Hidden Treasures", participate in a bird id contest for kids and families, and see and hear the sights and sounds of our grassland birds. 

 

Tune in to WTTW's Chicago Tonight

Tune in to WTTW's "Chicago Tonight", this evening, Monday, at 7:00 p.m. on Channel 11.  Tonight's show features discussion on the success of restoration work in increasing bird populations. 

 

See you at the Grassland,

 

Pat Hayes

Orland Grassland Volunteer Steward, FPDCC