New plants found at Fermilab

In this day and age, it is likely that any new plant found in a given area would be unwanted. Usually, new plants means aggressive, exotic (not native to northern Illinois or even North America) and it should be controlled by whatever means necessary before spreading all over. However, in the first week of work, Fermilab's consulting restoration ecologist, Ryan Campbell, found two desirable, rare, native species.

The first, Woodland Bluegrass (Poa sylvestris) has never been documented in the years of woodland surveys. Two reasons are possible. Either Dr. Betz and others overlooked this inconspicuous Poa, or it was established more recently through seed trades with local forest preserve ecologists. Either way, we are glad to have it with us in the woodlands of Fermilab.

The second plant is an exciting one! It is known for its blue fruits. These fruits are actually the ripe seed coat itself that burst through the plant ovary during development. It is blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides). We know that seeds of this species were traded to us from a local forest preserve some years ago.

The plants found (one mature and one young) are a testament to the successes of the restoration work here at Fermilab. Again, blue cohosh, we welcome you to your new home at Fermilab, in a woodland that continues to be restored and managed with the right ecological principles in mind.

Photo courtesy:  Ryan Campbell

Coyote Sighting

Say hello to Batavia coyote 351! Fermilab employee Greg Vogel photographed this young male coyote recently on the laboratory site. The radio collar and ear tag identified him as a holdover from an urban wildlife study conducted recently by Ohio State University and the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. We know that this guy was actually born two years ago in Schaumburg, then made his way here to try and join up with the local coyote social group. Coyotes are relatively common in the area and provide a welcome degree of ecological balance as a “top” predator. They eat mainly rodents and often scavenge, and in the Spring, a favorite food is goose eggs, thus helping to control the Canada Goose population.

Photo courtesy:  Greg Vogel

May/June Newsletter Published

Check out the latest FNA newsletter! 

If you have any ideas for newsletter topics, please leave a comment or send email to fermilabnaturalareas@gmail.com.

Earth Day Fairs, Here and There

Last week Fermilab's Environment, Safety & Health Section hosted an Earth Day fair in honor of Earth Day's 40th anniversary.  FNA's table included a live corn snake, which proved a popular attraction.  Fermilab employee Bridgett Thomson let visitors hold her pet snake and answered many questions about caring for such a pet.

Over the weekend, FNA hosted a table at the Bartlett Nature Center's 10th anniversary Earth Day fair.  Held at the James "Pate" Philip State Park, which like Fermilab is home to a remnant prairie plot.  Many of the FNA table visitors were interested in Fermilab generally, including activities for families and scouting groups.  Fermilab's Education office is a great resource for this type of information!

Earth Week Prairie Seed Planting

About a dozen volunteers turned out for the spring prairie seed planting last Wednesday.   Volunteers planted native seed for dry, mesic, & wet prairies in the Interpretive Trail Prairie. Each mix contained several native species. On the higher elevations they planted Canadian milk vetch, prairie cinquefoil, butterfly weed, purple prairie clovers which tend to thrive in dry prairies. Mesic contained about 40 native species including: gray goldenrod, spiderwort, common blue-eyed grass, prairie blazing star. Wet prairie mix had about 30 native species including Riddell’s goldenrod, Sulliavan’s milkweed, swamp aster, cardinal flower and over a dozen species of sedges. 

Thanks to everyone for coming out - we appreciate your help!

Upcoming Events

In anticipation of spring and in honor of Earth Day, FNA has many upcoming events:

April 17 - Habitat Restoration work day
April 21 - Prairie Seed Planting, 11:30 a.m., meet at Margaret Pearson Intepretive Trail, Fermilab
April 22 - Fermilab Earth Day Fair, Wilson Hall Atirum, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
April 24 - Bartlett Park District Earth Day Fair
April 27 - Woodland Wildflower Walk, 11:30 a.m., meet at Margaret Pearson Intepretive Trail, Fermilab
May  4 - Arbor Day tree planting (rain date May 6)
May 15 - Habitat Restoration work day

Please join us!

Seed Collection Volunteers

Ryan Campbell, Fermilab's consulting ecologist, is looking for one or more volunteers who are interested in learning native prairie plants and collecting seed. This seed will be used in an experiment to test how many pounds of seed per acre result in a diverse prairie restoration. The answer to this question will guide future restorations at Fermilab as we take acres out of temporary agriculture. The volunteer(s) are needed 1-2 days a week from May to September. Please email Ryan for more information.

March/April Newsletter Published

Catch up on the latest FNA newsletter, published earlier this week.  Thanks again to Paula Lambertz for leading this effort!  As the weather warms, we've got many activities planned, including an Earth Day seed planting and a May tree planting. 

Leave comments here or send us an email to let us know what you think.

Seeking Intern

Fermilab Natural Areas is currently seeking a 2010 intern for the Robert F. Betz internship at Fermilab.  Please find the full intership listing at Chicagoland Environmental Network.

FNA visits Fermilab Friends for Science Education Open House

Last Sunday February 21st Paula Lambertz and I set-up camp at the Fermilab Friends for Science Education's (FFSE) Open House event in Wilson Hall. Thousands of families and folks from the community turned out to experience the busy array of tours and events offered. Paula and I stood at the FNA table set up just outside the elevators and watched as excited children stared in amazement as they entered the atrium. We spoke to hundreds of children and adults about FNA and all of the opportunities to experience nature at Fermilab. We collected email addresses, answered questions and exchanged wildlife stories. It was a great event overall- very well organized and good time for all the smiling faces that passed through the elevator on Sunday.
Many people had questions about the wildlife at Fermilab. One family from California wanted to know if we had any large snakes on site. My best answer was the fox snakes I had seen in the prairie and woods edge. An excited group of girl scouts asked for directions to the bison pen. Another little girl from Geneva offered a detailed account of a family of coyotes that lives near her home as her family waited patiently for her through three rounds of the elevator as she finished. It was interesting to note how people were attracted to the table, just passing by the photos of wildlife at our booth seemed to inspire stories.

Report: Annual Meeting

About 24 Directors, members and friends came out for the 3rd Annual General Membership meeting of Fermilab Natural Areas on Thursday, February 18.  As part of the agenda, FNA Board of Directors' President Rod Walton offered an overview of 2009 activities as well as an outlook for 2010.  Jolie Macier presented the Treasurers report and Dick Untch summarized the activities of the Tours Subcommittee.  Elections were held for four open Board seats, with Mitch Adamus, Shawna Coronado, Jolie Macier & Jim Volk being re-elected to two-year terms.  Finally, Susan Dahl, President of the Fermilab Friends for Science Education, and Sue Sheehan of the Fermilab Education Office discussed the history, structure and activities of FFSE.

Annual Meeting, 2/18

The Fermilab Natural Areas Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 18, 2010.  The meeting will feature a report on 2009 efforts, a financial report and future plans.  In addition, four seats of the Board of Directors are up for election.  Finally, Susan Dahl, President of the Fermilab Friends for Science Education, will discuss her organization.

Please join us on Thursday, February 18, at 7 p.m. in Wilson Hall's One West Conference Room. 

We're Back!

Yes, the FNA website is up & running.  Thanks for your patience!

FNA website down

We're working with our hosting service to restore access to the Fermilab Natural Areas website.  Thanks for your patience!

Reconnecting for Restoration: Fermilab and Morton Arboretum

On Thursday, January 14th, Fermilab and Morton Arboretum reconnected. In the past, Bob Betz and Ray Schulenberg shared ideas, seeds, and work in their respective attempts at tallgrass prairie restoration. Now, as both of these great men are gone, we must carry on. Three members of Fermilab met with the Arboretum's Manager of Natural Resources. For about 2 hours we toured his site, including the restored prairie now named after Schulenberg, and savannas and woodlands under different stages of restoration. The morning was sparked with talks of seed trading and common ideas and goals. We rounded out the half-day trip by meeting with Plant Ecologist and Betz friend, Marlin Bowles. Besides donating seeds of a rare milkweed to Fermilab, Marlin gave us an in depth tour of the gravel and dolomite prairies that he recreated at Morton Arboretum. The species list boasts an impressive number of rare, threatened, and endangered plants. All in all, it was a great morning with great people and Fermilab looks forward to fostering the partnership that was re-established on that cold, winter day!!

E-Newsletter Published

Fermilab Nautral Areas has published its first electronic newsletter.  This edition contains wrap-ups of important events from 2009 that took place in the natural areas on the site as well as information about FNA, including how you can get involved, and links to natural area experts, the FNA website and blog. Thanks for your continued support!

3rd General Membership Meeting

Everyone is welcome to attend FNA's third general membership meeting on Thursday Feb. 18, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. in Wilson Hall 1-West Conference Room. The meeting will feature progress & financial reports, future plans, including budget. In addition, Susan Dahl, President of Fermilab Friends for Science Education, will discuss her organization. Elections will be held for FNA officers for the coming year; four (of nine) two-year Board seats are up for election.

Radio Talk

Rod Walton, FNA President and Fermilab ecologist, was interviewed by New England Public Radio's Inquiry program earlier this week.  The interview highlights the genesis of the Fermilab prairie as well as the current stewardship efforts.  You can listen to the interview online.

Julie's Summer Report

Julie presented a summer summary at yesterday's ELM meeting.  Here's a synopsis & her beautiful photos!  While she's off to other adventures, including resuming her studies at DePaul, we're hoping to welcome her back next year to more prairie collecting & stewardship.  Thanks for all of your hard work, Julie!

- We collected 90 species from the prairie, woods, and wetland areas. These include everything from our more common species to rare and prized species. Most notably, I collected seed from Turks cap lily and the prairie lily that we pollinated and marked earlier this summer. Of the 100-plus flowering plants we counted of the Turks cap, only 17 had valuable seed pods, an inevitable loss due mostly to deer browsing.

carva laciniosa, kingnut hickory

- I began working on a new plant map to illustrate and provide information, including the GPS locations of plants that we gathered throughout the summer. The map will include a picture and a link to an informative website. So far, this map includes mostly the locations of the lilies, along with 10 other species.

alisma subcordatum, water plantain

 

- Bob Lootens and I attended the Batavia League of Women Voter’s annual volunteer fair at Batavia Library in September. It was a very successful event in general, made up of dozens of volunteer organizations from the area and many interested citizens looking to donate their time. We were one of the only environmental organizations there, and most people were very intrigued by what we do and surprised by our existence. We signed up about 10 new volunteers, and handed out a number of FNA and prairie brochures, as well as numerous Harvest fliers.

lilim philadelphicum, prairie lily

- Lastly, we diligently marked collection sites for the harvest in the Main Ring, with color coded tape and plenty of mowed paths to make it simple for our volunteers.

Tomorrow's (10/31) Harvest Cancelled

from Julie Allen & Bob Lootens:

Unfortunately, the harvest for tomorrow, October 31 is cancelled. It is just too wet and sloppy and would be too much of a mess tomorrow, even if the sun does come out. Thank you very much if you were planning on attending, and please pass the word on that the harvest is cancelled.

Harvest Photos

The rain cleared away for our first harvest on October 3.  About 100 folks came out to help collect cord grass, culver's root, false sunflower, nodding wild onion, obedient plant, prairie sunflower, sweet black-eyed susan, round-headed bush clover, showy tick trefoil, spotted joe-pye weed, wild bergamot, wild quinine.

Junior Prairie Rangers group photo (above)

& seed collecting (below

Lunch under the oaks.

Gathering instructions before heading into the prairie

Collecting seed

Seed bins

In Case of Rain

We're looking forward to seeing folks at the harvests this October.  Trails are mowed and plants are marked for picking.  If it is raining -- or just too wet from lots of rain -- this Saturday's (October 3) harvest may be cancelled.  Please call the Fermilab switchboard at 630-840-3000 for a last minute check before heading out!

Looking for Volunteers

Thanks to all of the volunteers who've been helping with the summer harvests!  Summer may be coming to a close, but we're always looking for volunteers - particularly wtih the fall prairie harvests in October and lots still to do to help FNA get strong organizationally.  Send us an email to let us know what you may be willing to help with! 

Pictured:  Julie Allen at the Volunteer Fair, Batavia Public Library, September 19, 2009

Species of the Prairie Harvest

We're busy getting ready for the first volunteer prairie seed harvest on Saturday, October 3rd (the second harvest is scheduled for October 31).  Here are some of the species that are slated for harvest:

Allium Cernuum, Nodding Wild Onion

Ratibida Pinnata, Yellow Coneflower

Physostegia Virginiana, Obedient Plant

Desmodium Canadens, Showy Tick Trefoil

Echinecea Pallida, Pale Purple Coneflower

Gentiana Flavida, Cream Gentian

Monarda Fisulosa, Wild Bergamot

Petalostemum Purpureum, Purple Prairie Clover

Press Coverage: Baltimore Checkerspot Release

Yesterday's Chicago Tribune featured the release of the Baltimore Checkerspots at Fermilab earlier this month.

Volunteer Fair

Fermilab Natural Areas will host a booth at the Volunteer Fair tomorrow at the Batavia Public Library, hosted by the Batavia League of Women Voters.  Come out & see us!  More information.

Of plants old and new

What a wonderful series of moments it has been of late. Just two weeks ago, world-renowned botanist Dr. Robert Mohlenbrock ( http://perspect.siuc.edu/06_sp/mohlenbrock.html ) was leading a wetland plant ID course here at Fermilab. We were honored to share with him the collaborated efforts of many, led chiefly by the late Dr. Robert Betz to make the natural areas of Fermilab what they are today. This was indeed inspiring to us who are directly involved in the current land management and also who have the vision to progress into future management of this very special green space within the Chicago region. Now, two weeks later, I am back home in Carbondale, IL. This place is also home to Southern Illinois University, my recent alma mater. The department of Plant Biology is where I roamed from 2004-2009 and finished both my Bachelors and Master of Science degrees. These halls and offices were also the place where Dr. Mohlenbrock worked out of from 1957-1990. Before him, the Botany department was founded by the late Dr. George French whom French's shooting star is named after: Dodecatheon frenchii. Dr. French also founded the SIUC Herbarium, from where I am working out of today. Mohlenbrock helped update and curate this herbarium during his tenure and used it extensively as he published his many volumes and papers. Now, as I go about my work for Fermilab from the SIUC Herbarium, I am unexpectedly greeted by the pressed plant samples of these two legendary botanists. Dr. French's samples from the late nineteenth century when the forests of southern Illinois still held the components of an intact ecosystem, of pre-settlement wilderness. Mohlenbrocks handwriting and samples on the plants key me into the details that are shown in his books I use.
I am here working on the notoriously difficult grass-like plants known as the Sedges and Rushes. In the Spring of 2009, Bob Lootens and I visited Dr. Betz' wife. It was in their home that she presented to us two small wooden boxes and proclaimed "I don't know what to do with these". Bob and I looked at each other with curiosity and opened the boxes. The inside revealed Dr. Betz' home collection of Sedges and Rushes, each specimen lightly pressed and dried, glued to a large index card, wrapped gently in a plastic sandwich bag, and, most importantly, labeled with the species name. I was extatic. We surely had a use for these specimens at Fermilab. Sedges and Rushes are an important component of not only wetlands, but also prairies and woodlands and with his collection, we could go leaps and bounds further in identifying what we have on the Fermilab site. Not only that, but we can then determine which ones we can collect seed from and which we might trade for with local forest preserves.
So it is now, in the herbarium, going through each specimen, referencing the books 'Plants of the Chicago Region' by Swink and Wilhelm, 'Kane County Wild Plants and Natural Areas' by Dick Young, 'Illustrated Flora of Illinois, Sedges: Carex' by Dr. Mohlenbrock, 'Distribution of Illinois Vascular Plants' by Mohlenbrock and Ladd, and all the pressed samples from the SIU Herbarium, of which there are many. I am taking notes, taking macro-lens photographs, and beginning to catalog what species are correctly labeled from Betz and which need updating. This information will be used to ID the Sedge samples the FNA Interns collected all summer as a side project. Just like our prairie plants reference catalog, we will put together a nice one for these grass-like plants, complete with photos, samples, and key characters for easy field ID.
All the while, the connections of our common plant interests are so very evident. I have this place to myself, in the quiet depths of time I am going back to samples from the 1800's. I have just taken a dusty book off the shelf. It is the 1st Edition of Floyd Swink's 'Plants of the Chicago Region' circa 1969. It seems frail from age, but moreso from use. As I open the cover, I notice that the owner has signed their name on the upper right hand corner of the first page. It reads: Robert H. Mohlenbrock. I have come across some of Swink's original plant samples too. They are from the mid-1960's and in the end they have found their home in Carbondale. Some of these samples are stamped as used for the 4th Edition of he and Wilhelm's book. Corrections to scientific names are handwritten by Wilhelm in 1992.
So here I am, a 29 year old ecologist and the year is fading to 2010. These names and relicts from the botanical past surround me. The work I do is dependent on them. Even though now I have the internet and photo databases and blogs right here at my fingertips, I still prefer to be in company with those who took the time and made the case for a better world. A better world through plants.

Ryan E. Campbell
Consulting Restoration Ecologist
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
www.fermilabnaturalareas.org
Phone: 618-203-3882
Email: ryancamp@fnal.gov

Baltimore Checkerspot Release

Earlier this week, Fermilab's Tom Peterson hosted Vincent Olivares and Doug Taron of the Notebaert Museum for another butterfly introduction to Fermilab.  They released catepillars of the Baltimore checkerspot, a wetland butterfly, across from the education center along inbound Pine Street.


In 2005, Shawn Wischoeffer planted the caterpillar host plant, turtlehead, in wet areas along Pine Street as part of his Eagle Scout project. The plants have spread and developed well over the past years.

Read a press account of the release online.

Fall Harvest Dates Set

Though the prairie is in its blooming glory, plans for the fall harvest are underway. Volunteer harvests are scheduled for October 3 and October 31. More information.

Butterfly Walk

Tom Peterson will lead a butterfly walk this Thursday afternoon. Beginning at 4:30 p.m., the walk will step off from the Margaret Pearson Interpretive Trail (at outbound Pine Street). Possible butterflies include gray commas, who fly at the woods' edge in the late afternoon; swallowtails who may be nectaring on the bee balm and thistles; skippers could be in the prairie.

Please plan for mosquitos and mud, too!

Upcoming Volunteer Workday

On Monday, August 10 at 9 a.m., volunteers will meet at the Fermilab Science Education Center. Courtney & Julie will coordinate the collection of dark green bulrush (Carex annectens and Carex lanuginosa).

Summer Activities: Plant Maintenance & Enrichment

Courtney & Julie have also been helping fight off reed canary grass:

Prairie Cord Grass plugs were transplanted around 2 different Reed Canary Grass patches to see if Prairie Cord Grass would be a good, natural competitor to minimize the spread of Reed Canary Grass. The perimeter of the patch as well as each Prairie Cord Grass plug location were recorded with the GPS so the patches can be monitored in the future.

Teasel heads were cut off and plants were sprayed with herbicide to prevent their further spread.

Photo: reed canary grass; orange tape represents plantings of cord grass; cord grass pictured below.

Summer Activities: GPS Documentation

Another post from Courtney & Julie:

We pollinated and took GPS locations of Michigan Lilies around the site (on left). We will go back in the fall to collect some seed pods from these plants so they can be spread into new areas.

Turtlehead populations have been counted and GPS coordinates have been recorded so some butterflies that feed on turtleheads can be acquired from the Peggy Notebaert Museum.

GPS locations of blooming species have also been recorded throughout the summer so they can be found and seed collected later in the season. The GPS coordinates will also aid in finding these species in the upcoming years.

Summer Activities: Seed Collecting

(A post from Courtney Gill, 2009 Robert F. Betz Intern, and Julie Allen. Courtney & Julie have been busy all summer with various restoration activities, from seed collection and pollination to GPS documentation of species location.)

Recent species we've been collecting include prairie sundrops, meadow anemone, white wild indigo, belwort, white baneberry, jewelweed, broad-leaved puccoon, white trillium, pale-spike lobelia, marsh vetchling, smooth yellow violets, indian plantain and some sedges.


Thank you to the volunteers who have helped us collect bicknell's sedge, spiderwort and red bulrush this summer!

Pictured, left to right:

Courtney, Mohammad, Nino, Julie, Josh, Judy, Jacques

Butterfly Walk

Tom Peterson will lead a butterfly walk tomorrow, Friday, July 31 at noon, beginning at the Margaret Pearson Interpretive Trail. Plan on a 45-minute walk and the potential for mud and mosquitos.




Some possible butterflies: pearly eyes (photo), little blue spring azures, eastern commas, tiger swallowtails and more!

Sunset Photos

Check out photos from last week's "Sunset on the Prairie" walk! Participant & prairie harvest volunteer Marlene Rosecrans provided the photos.

Sunset on the Prairie

Next week Ryan Campbell, Fermilab's Consulting Restoration Ecologist, will host a prairie wildflower walk and discussion about the ecology and importance of the Fermilab prairie and its contribution to the Chicago Metropolitan landscape. On Thursday, July 23rd at 7:30 pm, the walk will depart from the gravel parking lot at the Margaret Pearson Trail (Interpretive Trail). The walk will progress through a grass trail, please wear appropriate shoes.

Rain date will be Friday, July 24th at the same time.

Prairie Wildflower Walk June 27

Ryan Campbell, Consulting Restoration Ecologist for Fermilab, and long-time groundskeeper Bob Lootens will lead a Prairie Wildflowers walk on Saturday, June 27th at 9 AM. Interested folks can meet at the Margaret Pearson Interpretive Trail parking lot on the Fermilab site. Enter the Laboratory from Kirk Road, on Pine Street. Check for details on the FNA Calendar.

Help Wanted!

If you love Fermilab and our natural areas, and if you would like to help out in a very material and important way, volunteer to help us with our fundraising efforts. The model we want to pursue to raise money for projects is primarily to write grant proposals to fund individual projects that address the three main parts of our mission: restoration, community, and ecology research.

If you have some experience in writing grants or other fundraising, send us an email at fermilabnaturalareas@gmail.com.

Bird Sightings

At yesterday's Ecological Land Management Committee meeting, Peter Kasper, Fermilab physicist, made a report regarding recent bird sightings. The sightings, and many photos, are maintained in an online diary.