Our clients are the backbone of our company and our existing partnerships help us to grow. To help maintain our consistently high level of client service and satisfaction, we will be highlighting a variety of client projects in this newsletter and editions to come. If you are a Tallgrass client, past or present, and would like to be featured in a future Client Profile, please contact: customer.relations@tallgrassrestoration.com.
  

Whippoorwill Farm Preserve, A Mettawa Gateway Preserve
Mettawa Open Lands Association (MOLA)
Cheryl Pytlarz, President
mola06@mettawaopenlands.org
103 Indian Ridge Rd
Mettawa, IL 60045
 
 

Whipoorwill Farm Preserve after buckthorn removal.

Whippoorwill Farm Preserve (WFP) is a seven acre restoration site located at the busy corner of Rt. 60 & Riverwoods Road (near the I-94 toll) in Mettawa, Illinois.  Every day, over 30,000 cars pass by the site.   For years, these travelers passed by a buckthorn thicket at a density of one tree per square foot.  Today the site, in the 4th growing season since restoration began, serves not only as protected open space, but also as an experimental project.  The seven acres have been divided into three sections. One-half acre is under scientific research by Research Professor, Liam Heneghan and graduate student, Lauren Umek from DePaul University. The remaining acreage, being restored by two distinctly different methods, is divided equally between Tallgrass Restoration, LLC (Tallgrass) and another contractor.  Tallgrass mowed down the buckthorn in their section and incorporated the debris into the soil (similar to farming practices), returning it to a healthy pasture as it was for decades past.  Native seed will be introduced this fall. As far back in time as a 1939 aerial photograph shows, this site was in pasture and grazed until 1993 when it was left fallow until restoration began in 2006.  

 

In 2006, Tallgrass' Project Manager, Doug DeWitt, was contracted to provide restoration for the site.  Since then, Doug has worked closely with the individuals of MOLA in order to restore its section of WPF according to the management plan provided.
 
Tallgrass client and president of MOLA, Cheryl Pytlarz is the site's director.  As a resident of Mettawa and a conservationist, she was interested in restoring WFP long before the restoration actually began.  "Cheryl has been great to work with," said Doug, "she understands the need for ongoing maintenance." When I asked her if she would summarize her feelings about our services she said "Tallgrass has been cooperative and flexible with this project."

 

As stated above, when the management plan was adopted for the site by MOLA, it consisted of three sections: DePaul University, Tallgrass and the other contractor.  The one-half acre DePaul University section is under research by Liam Heneghan and Lauren Umek.  In the DePaul University section, there is a total of 45 test plots, comprised of nine testing methods each being tested in five plots.  Liam and Lauren are testing the effect on the soil nutrients and microorganisms based on the different restoration methods.  Two of the methods include those used by the contractors.

 

Tallgrass is restoring their section in the fashion titled by Liam as "The MOLA Way."  This is the process of mowing invasive brush and destroying the roots and seed bank through their incorporation deep into the soil.  Non-native pasture grasses are then sown and the pasture is allowed to grow and be burned for four growing seasons.  Native seed will be introduced this fall after the pasture is killed.  This approach slowly returns the landscape back into a native plant community by having a pasture transition, rather than forcing the landscape from a dense buckthorn thicket into a native plant community.  This process is done to remove nitrogen from the soil.  Soils that were previously infested with buckthorn generally contain higher levels of nitrogen than soils with native species and the belief is that nitrogen-rich soils inhibit the growth of native plants.

 

The other section is being restored using the more traditional Best Management Practices (BMP) method that usually involves minimal soil disturbance by removing invasive woody brush by cutting, stacking and burning it on site. Native seed is then sown. Removal of invasive species by way of BMP also involves spot herbiciding and selective mowing of invasive species and periodically prescribed burns.

 

During the summer of 2008 Doug DeWitt from Tallgrass accompanied several others while participating in MOLA's "Spirit of Mettawa" Yard Walk.  The walk's goal was to educate the public about the restoration activities taking place at WFP.  Doug was able to answer any questions the residents had about the Whippoorwill Farm site and the restoration Tallgrass has been contracted to do at the Farm.

 

 

Doug DeWitt talking to a local resident at MOLA's "Spirit of Mettawa's" Yard Walk Summer 2008.

 

MOLA actively restores WFP in between contractor visits through its periodic "Spirit of Mettawa" Area work-days.  Community members and families, and HSBC  employees volunteer to help with the restoration efforts.  The work days for the 2010 growing season are listed below.  Bring your family and friends out this summer to help continue the management of the restored site and learn about all the great things Tallgrass, MOLA and others are doing to create a beautiful WFP landscape.

 

 

Time	Date	Tasks
1-4PM	Wed, 7/21	Wood chip path
1-4 PM	Wed, 9/8	Seed collecting
1-4 PM	Wed, 10/6	Seed sowing
9-NOON	Sat. 10/9	Seed collecting
Visit Mettawaopenlands.org  for more details.

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C-value = 8
 
 
Photo by Tallgrass Staff

This is a native perennial plant that can get up to 2-5' tall, unbranched.  The flower heads are in a dense spike on top of the flower and could be anywhere between 6-8" tall.  Blazing Star is often found in upland mesic to dry prairies and prefers full sun.  The flower head consists of 5-10 purplish pink flowers with cylindrical, stalk less flower heads.  The size and showiness of the flowers can depend on the local ecotype.  Their flowers are produced late July through September.  The flowers bloom from tip of the spike, downward.  This way you are always able to determine what stages the plant is at in bloom.  The leaves are linear and each leaf has a prominent central vein.  Both the leaves and stem have visibly short, stiff hairs. 
    
There are six different species of Blazing Star, all part of the Asteraceae family.  The flowers are pollinated primarily by long-tongued bees and butterflies. This plant is a goldfinch favorite.

Invasive
Common Reed or Phragmities (Phragmities australis)
 
 
Photo by Tallgrass Staff

Phragmities is a tall grass that can reach up to 20 feet.  This plant is commonly found in marshes or along road sides in swales and ditches.  It tends to form dense stands, displacing native species.  Although the seed head is dense, the seed production and viability has much less of an impact than the root systems as far as reproduction.  The roots grow by way of rhizome sending numerous up shoots per root, producing several different plants.  This is why this species poses such a threat to our native habitat and is so hard to get rid of.

There are many strains of phragmities, 11 are considered native to the United States.  The native species is rare and hard to differentiate from the invasive species.  Natives grow more scattered than the non-native strain. 

Phragmities can be great at stabilizing shores but also tends to clog waterways and shade out native aquatic plants.  The rapid spread of phragmities came with European colonization.  Water carries the root fragments downstream. 

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Tallgrass Prairie Open House 2010

A tour in progress. 

 

Steve Yost, Peter Layton, Erin Kocourek, Chris Kaplan and Ron Adams (from left to right) getting ready to lead a prairie tour.

Tallgrass employee Catherine Haigh and Smokey the Bear greet the public.

    

Chris Kaplan points out and describes the native prairie plant Spiderwort.

 

 

First time staffer, Erin, stated, "Assisting with the prairie tours gave me a chance to share Tallgrass' passion with the public, and to pass on precious knowledge about a rapidly disappearing habitat. I can't wait until next year!"

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Tallgrass Builds Bridges

A small creek circling through Nature Park is prepped for the installation of two bridges. The bridges will be able to accommodate hikers and horseback riders as they venture through the park.

Footpads are planted firmly on either creek bank and steel support beams are maneuvered atop. The disturbed soil from the installation and the remaining footprint of these bridges will be minimal, perfect for a natural area.

 

Next the lumber. It's starting to take shape!

    

415 pieces on each bridge. Seen here volunteer Chris M. (left) and Tallgrass' Ron Adams (right).

    

Our own master carpenter, Aaron Hocking, finishes up the railings.

Done! Two solid additions to the park. Amazing!

Double amazing!!

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