[BCNnet] Habitat Clinic at Hickory Creek, Will County

[bobolnk at ix.netcom.com]

This season's Habitat Clinics have been very well-attended and, by all accounts, excellent.  Victor Cassidy did much of the work to set them up, and he did a great job.  One was added to the schedule after the others, so you may not have heard about it.  Here's the info: 

HICKORY CREEK BARRENS, WILL COUNTY
Saturday, September 9, 9 a.m. – noon

Hickory Creek Barrens is a 575 acre management unit within the 1,800+ acres of Hickory Creek Preserve. This site was chosen for Nature Preserve status because of many significant or exceptional features. First and foremost is the presence of a large mosaic complex of prairie-forest transition that includes prairie and savanna, and a silt-loam barrens community, remnants of which were formerly not known to occur in northern Illinois. The site provides habitat for the largest Illinois population of the state threatened Savanna Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa nieuwlanndi) and also includes an experimental re-introduction of the federally threatened Mead’s Milkweed (Asclepias meadia).

Hickory Creek Barrens also provides habitat for two state-listed bird species including the state threatened Veery (Catharus fuscencs) and Brown Creeper (Certhia Americana). Also verified at the site is the presence of the uncommon Byssus Skipper (Problema Byssus). 

A total of 355 plant species representing 79 plant families have been documented to occur within the preserve. 264 or 79% are native and 71 or 21% are introduced. A 1988 breeding bird survey documented 85 species of birds representing 29 families. Twelve soil types also occur within the preserve boundaries.

The speakers will be: 

Dave Mauger -FPDWC Land Management Program Co-Coordinator, 
Timothy Bell Ph D. Chicago State University-Plant Population Biologist – Research Associate for Rare Plant Conservation at Morton Arboretum, 
Phyllis Schulte - site steward since 1992, 
and (possibly) Marlin Bowles - M.S.Head of Plant Conservation Biology at Morton Arboretum.

Areas of discussion will include:

Challenges of Reed Canary grass and Black Locust clones: Two common invasives that require unique strategies-- what is working and what did not. 
Dynamics of a Barrens Community: The unique challenges of restoring a silt-loam Barrens Community. 
Byssus Skipper Habitat 
The incredible contribution of Volunteers in restoration(or how to try to restore 575 acres and keep your sanity): Approximately 95% of all restoration at Hickory Creek Barrens has been accomplished by the “Prairie People Volunteers” for the FPDWC. 


Please register by e-mailing Shelley Ancheta at chicagowildthings at yahoo.com or calling 847-965-9239. Habitat clinics are for free for current and potential Chicago Wilderness.  More information is available at www.habitatproject.org

Judy Pollock
jpollock at audubon.org