The Harbinger NEWSLETTER of the Illinois Native Plant Society “...dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and study of native plants and vegetation in Illinois.” AUGUST 2012 Volume 29, No. 3 i V * The Water Lotus ( Nelumbo luted) is flowering in wetlands across the state. Also called ■■■■■■ iillill mmBMM GO GREEN! If you are receiving a black and white newsletter by postal mail, please help us lower our costs by signing up for an electronic copy in color. Please send your email address to illinoisplants @ gmail.com to be added to our email distribution list. Also check us out on facebook at www.facebook.com/illinoisplants 2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Chapter events are too numerous to list here. For information about events with your chapter, please contact the following representatives. NORTHEAST CHAPTER - Chicago Janine Catchpole (President) 815-603-5190 northeast.inps @ gmail.com QUAD CITIES CHAPTER - Rock Island Robert Byrant (President) 563-349-0448 qc inps.home.mchsi.com IRENE CULL CHAPTER - Peoria Mary Hartley (President) 309-995-3356 havwool @ winco.net Also see the online calendar at our website http://www.ill-inps.org/index.php/events SOUTHERN CHAPTER - Carbondale Chris Benda (President) 217-417-4145 southernillinoisplants @ gmail.com CENTRAL CHAPTER - Springfield Annette Chinuge (President) 217-483-5893 annette @ avrosvstems.com Forest Glen FOREST GLEN CHAPTER - Danville Connie Cunningham (President) 217-516-1792 conniei Cunningham @ gmail.com Nix 1-66 Online Petition Have you signed the petition to show your support for the Citizens for Southernmost Illinois? The Citizens for Southernmost Illinois have serious concerns with the purpose, planning and development of 1-66. The negative impacts simply outweigh any questionable benefits for the people who live and recreate here. We can't afford to gamble away our remaining economic and natural resources. CSI is dedicated to promoting and protecting our rural lifestyle and the rich natural environment that is part of our home and livelihood. The biologically rich and diverse environment of Southernmost Illinois has made it a destination with a reputation for high quality outdoor recreation experiences such as hunting, fishing, bird watching, canoeing, hiking, nature photography and much more. The environmental devastation resulting from yet another Interstate highway in this area will have dire consequences for the natural resource-based recreation and economy of the region. The online petition is at http://citizensforsouthernillinois.org/?page_id = 81 ERIGENIA A Note from the Erigenia Editor Greetings all. Erigenia has a new address for correspondence! This assures continuity if the editor should change. The new contact email is erigenia. editor @ gmail.com . Please spread the word. And it is time to submit articles for the next issue. Suggestions for feature articles and artists would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you for your support. The latest issue of Erigenia should have come in the mail last month. If you didn’t receive your copy, send an email to erigenia. editor @ gmail.com . ~ Tracy Evans, Erigenia Editor Message from the President Hello Everyone ! As my husband and I sit with our coffee and tea out on our back porch in recent mornings, we’ve noticed the grackles and blackbirds flying over have begun to group into larger flocks - a sign for early thoughts of fall. The coolness of the last few days have brought some much appreciated respite to the heat and drought most of us have been experiencing this summer. While fall is still a good ways off, I hope you all have been able to get out and enjoy the refreshing weather. It is almost time for me to bid farewell as president of INPS. It is hard to believe that 2 years has passed since I first stepped into the president shoes. With the upcoming elections at the Annual Meeting, the torch will be passed to Janine Catchpole. I have no doubt she will serve us all well. We have been hard at work. Many thanks are due to the dedicated members of the INPS state board and volunteers. Several changes have been made in the last few years, with more to become apparent in the coming months. Things we have accomplished include, The INPS website is working and has been updated. INPS has a facebook page. Erigenia is now printed and mailed directly through Allen Press Past Erigenias have been scanned and are available for online viewing and downloading. Harbinger has a new editor and has been transferred to mainly electronic format We have a new email address and updated address book for mailings The INPS home office has been returned to Forest Glen Preserve in Westville, IL Membership duties have also been transferred to the Forest Glen office. Mailing of membership renewals will recommence in 2013. We are working on developing an online payment method for membership renewals We are working on getting Erigenia indexed in Biological Abstracts We are working to update our by-laws, to bring to a vote at the Annual Meeting Most positions on the INPS Executive Board will be up for re-election at the Annual Meeting. Some will have the option of re-instatement with a few vacancies to fill. For those that may be contemplating joining us on the INPS state board, meetings are now offered as conference calls for those interested in serving on the board, but unable to attend all meetings in person. The Quad Cities Chapter has a great Annual Meeting planned! Detailed information on activities and registration are found further in this newsletter. Please join us - and bring friends! It has been a great honor to serve you all as INPS President these past 2 years. Thank you very much for the opportunity. I look forward to joining you at the Annual Meeting and, as always, I hope to see you outdoors ! Sincerely and humbly yours, Connie Cunningham □ rt J.TLi J.TD BSjrJIDS? Nature How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plans The Partnershp of Douglas W. Tnllamj Inw^h.-lHruiLi Presents Dr. Doug Tallamy, Author Of Bringing Nature Home October 20, 2012 DUPAGE COUNTY Check-in: 8:45am Speech: 9:30am Q & A & Book Signing Afterwards Sponsors The Growing Place Possibility Place Nursery, Inc. Rizzo & Associates, Lid. Natural Garden Natives Thanto you to our generous partners, sponsors & volunteers? Event is FREE, but registration is required at http ://bring i ngnature hom e. eventbrite.com Registration doses October 7. 2012. How anyone wtth 3 patch of earth can help sustain wildlife in their community HcJiiiay Inn Bad I room 205 Remergton BlVd. Botingbfook,. IL -S044D Zz? s a “Geologic Jewels" Protected in Randolph County One of Illinois' geologic jewels, with canyons, gorges and sandstone cliffs, will now be protected in perpetuity' under a recent deal by Clifftop and HeartLands Conservancy. The two nonprofit [and trusts worked jointly to purchase a unique tract of land in Randolph County. "Illinois residents usually think such natural features are unique to the Southwestern U.S. But, Southwestern Illinois also hosts these geologic jewels and our organizations are excited to protect and conserve this property/ 1 said George Gbemagel, President of Clifftop's Board of Directors. The 115-acre parcel of land contains sandstone canyons and gorges and cliff systems that host unusual plant communities. A significant stretch of Mill Creek also winds through the property The newly named "Mill Creek Natural Area" hosts plant species now found much further north. These rare glacial relict communities demonstrate the power of ancient geologic forces as the canyons have sheltered plants such as club moss, cinnamon fem, and bishop's cap for eons. HeartLands and Clifftop worked together in 2010 to purchase, jointly own, and permanently protect the 475-acre White Rock property in Monroe County. The Grand Victoria Foundation and private donors in Southwestern Illinois provided funding for the Mill Creek acquisition. The organizations will conduct a number of special guided field trips to Mill Creek Natural Area, but the site will not be open to the general public in the near future. The organizations are planning restoration and stewardship work for the benefit of the property and the unique ecological communities sheltered there. Please see our website - ww , w.c[iffrooalliaince.Gr:i - for additional information about the Mill Creek Natural Area acquisition and more photos of this gem of an area. Pharos by Tam Roiiins, Thomas Rotfins Photography Note from the southern chapter president: Congratulations to the organizations that stepped in and helped acquire this land. It is my hope that someday the INPS can be in a financial situation where we can assist in acquiring property for protection. We need your help to make this goal a reality! 2012 Annual Meeting of the Illinois Native Plant Society September 21-23 at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois {Please see the following pages for detail s) 2012 Annual Meeting of the Illinois Native Plant Society September 21-23, 2012 Augustana College Rock Island, Illinois dedicated to the preservation, conservation and study of the native piants and vegetation of Illinois. * The Quad City Chapter and the Officers of the Illinois Native Plant Society cordially invite you to the Society's 2012 Annual Meeting. This event will take place at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois and at several field trip locations in the surrounding area. One of five major communities of the "Quad Cit- ies/ 1 straddling the Mississippi Paver on the Xowa-Hlinois boundary, Rock Island is joined by Moline and East Moline on the Illinois side and by Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa The rural areas of the Quad City Re- gion are predominately farmland, with most of the natural areas associated with the Mississippi River and its tributaries such as the Rock Paver in Illinois and the Wap siprn icon and Cedar Pavers in Iowa The area is rich in both natural and cultural history, especially in the early settlement of the Mississippi Paver Valley, west- ward expansion and the development of the Mississippi Enver as a commercial highway. Friday: Registration and evening activities will be at Hanson Hall of Science, Augustana College 4:00 - 6:30 PM — Registration and Check-in: located in the atrium 5:30 - 6:30 PM — Mixer: heavy hors d'oeuvre and wine/beer social will be m the atrium 6:30 - 6:45 PM — Welcome to the 2012 Annual Meeting and announcements. 6:45 - 7: 15 PM — “How and Why was the Mississippi River Transformed into a Commercial Highway” Speaker Bob Bryant will take you on a photographic tour down the Upper Mississippi River through the camera lens and eye of Henry Bosse. These rare cyanotype photos were taken, from 1883-1893., to document the Corps of Engineers improvements on the river and show how our nations largest natu- ral flowing river’ s transformation began and why. Bob is President of the ENPS Quad City Chapter, has a B.S. in biology and a M.S. degree in recreation and park administration from Western Illinois University. He retired after serving 31 years in Iowa's County Conservation Board system as an executive director and naturalist, and currently works part-time as the natural resource manager at Nahant Marsh Education Center in Davenport, IA Special interests and projects: bald eagles, na- tive plants (especially ferns), fieri stic inventories and local history 7: 1 5 - 8:00 PM — " Past, Present, and Future of the Upper Mississippi Paver Floodplain Forest " Guest Speaker: Dr. Susan Romano will discuss changes in the floodplain forest community resulting from changes in land use, river hydrology, tree disease, and climate change Dr. Romano is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Western Illinois University m Macomb, Illinois. She earned her Ph.D and B.S. degrees from Southern Illinois University -Carbon dale, and a M.S. degree from Western Illinois University. Her research interests include forest ecology, ecology of the riparian forest community, regulated river ecology, forest management and silviculture. This includes using Geographic Infor- mation Systems (GIS) as a tool to understand ecological relationships between the spatial genetic plant distributions at a landscape scale. Saturday: Registration and check-in for field trips will be at Hansen Hall of Science, Augustana College 8: 00 - 8:30 AM Registration and field trip check-m: atrium 8:30 - 8:45 AM Organise field trip carpools and depart 8:45 AM - 4:30 PM All-day field trips (includes travel time) Saturday All-Day Field Trip Options 8:45 AM - 4:30 PM Field Trip # 1 1 Blue Heron River Cruise - Clinton County, I A Conservation Board's Rock Creek Park and Mis- sissippi River Ego Tourism Center is located within the backwaters of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Fvefuge The Blue Heron is a 26-passenger pontoon boat used to conduct Mis- sissippi River Eco tours A Conservation Board naturalist will conduct your tour through back- waters, sloughs and the mam channel. Thomson/ Fulton Sand Prairie Preserve contains 212 acres of sand prairie that is recovering from past grazing and off road vehicle activity Owned by the Illinois De- partment of Conservation, the 37 -acre south unit was dedicated as a state preserve in 1970. The area is home to 182 plants, western hog -nosed snake and ornate box tur- tles. Hike difficulty easy Field Trip #2 The fern workshop, highlighting the ferns of the Quad City region, will cover the identification, distribution, uses, folklore, field guides and photographing ferns. The workshop will be held at Nahant Marsh Education Center (SW part of Davenport, IA). Wildcat Den State Park (423 acres) , north of Muscatine, I A, is one of the most unique parks in Iowa, com- bining natural beauty and solitude, preservation of historical structures, trails, camping and picnic areas for recreational use The Pine Creek Grist Mill, built in 1848, is one of the finest examples of mid -nineteenth century mills, and is the only operational grist mill between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. The park has some of the most unique sand- stone features in eastern Iowa. The trail to and through the sandstone ra- vine, known as the “Devil's Punch Bowl”, shows many of the geological and floral features of the park. Wildcat Den is home to 25 species of ferns. Hike difficulty: moderate Big Sand Mound Nature Preserve (510 acres) is privately owned by the Monsanto and Mid- American Companies. The preserve, located south of Muscatine, IA along the Mississippi River, is managed with guid- ance from Louisa Ecological Advisory Committee, The preserve includes sand prairie, sand dunes, bottomland forest and oxbows. The preserve in- habitants include 352 native plant species, including 30 rare plants and animals. Because of its fragile environment and being privately owned, the Big Sand Mound Preserve is only open to the public once every three years or by special arrangement. Hike difficulty: moderate Swamp White Oak Preserve (654 acres) is one of the best examples of a swamp white oak savanna, once common m floodplains of the Midwest. Most savannas like this one have been either overgrown due to lack of fire and grazing, or have been cut down for agricultural purposes. The preserve is an open savanna dominated by swamp white oak and bur oak trees. It sits on a low sand terrace along the Cedar River, in Muscatine County, IA, and has 294 native plant species. The preserve is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. Grazing has been introduced as a management tool to help control reed canary grass and other invasive plant species. Hike difficulty: easy Field Trip #3 Saturday: Late afterno on and evening activities will b e at the Wilson Center, Augustan a College 4:45 - 5:15 PM - Illinois Native Plant Society State Board Meeting 5: 30 - 8:00 PM - IMPS Membership Meeting, Banquet and Silent Auction 8: 00 - 9:00 PM - Keynote Presentation by Kenny Salwey “The Last River Rat” Kenny Salwey is the last of a breed of men whose lifestyle has all but disappeared in this fast-paced, high-tech digital world. As an Alma, Wisconsin, native, he grew up learning the ways of the old- time river rats For 30 years, this weathered woodsman eked out a living on the Mississippi River as a river guide, trapper, fisherman, hunter, woodsman and root and herb collector Kenny’s life has been portrayed in the Emmy Award- winning film “Mississippi Ta- les of the Last River Rat”. This BBC-Discovery Channel documen- tary focused on the seasonal ebbs and flows of the Upper Mississip- pi River, its plant and animal life, as seen through the eyes of this veteran, river man. Kenny inherited the ability to spin a tale from his maternal grandmother, and today is a master storyteller, environ- mental educator, keynote speaker, nature writer, and advocate for the Upper Mississippi River. His book senes includes: “The Last Enver Fvat — Kenny Salwey’ s Life in the Wild," “Tales of a River E.at — Adventures along the Mississippi River,” “The Old Time River Flats'" and his latest, a youth -oriented book “Muskrat for Supper — Exploring the Natural World with the last River Rat.” Sunday Morning Field Trip Options 8:30 - 11:30AM Field Trip # 1 Black Hawk State Historic Site and Preser ve (208 acres) is managed by the Illinois His- toric Preservation Agency This steeply rolling and wooded tract borders the Rock River in Rock Island, Illinois The area is closely identified with the Sauk nation and the warrior -leader whose name it bears - Black Hawk. Black Hawk Historic Site is noted for many natural features gla- cial loess from the Ice Age, sandstone cliffs and shale from the Coal Age and marine fossils encased in Devonian limestone formed some 350 million years ago. In 1984, 100 acres of the forested north section was declared a Nature Preserve. The area was heavily damaged by a windstorm in 2008. On-going, post -winds term restoration began in 2010 under a grant from the U.S. Forest Service. The Watch Tower Lodge, built between 1934 and 1942 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the State of Illinois, is a one -story limestone struc- ture with rough -hewn timber construction. The lodge houses a large assembly room, the Hauberg Indian Museum and exhibit room on the CCC and then work at Black Hawk. Hike difficulty: moderate Collin son Ecological Preserve (67 acres) near Milan is one of three biological field stations owned and managed by August an a College in Illinois. Dominated by upland oak -hickory forest, this field station includes two high-quality loess hill prairie openings on the slope of a bluff overlooking Mill Creek. In 2007, the western 20 acres of this site were dedicated as the Josua Lindahl Hill Prairies Nature Preserve joining the Illinois Nature Preserve System that began in 1963. A fossil rich Devonian outcrop is situated on the slope between the hill prairies. This state nature preserve has been the recipient of substantial financial support from the Illinois State Wildlife Grant to preserve and expand, the acreage of lull prairies. The entire Collin son Preserve is an excellent representation of what resto- ration and effective management can do to help preserve rare populations of native species while creating a working educational facility Hiking difficulty, moderate. Credit Island Park is located on a 450-acre is- land of the Mississippi River in the southwest part of Davenport, IA. The 1837 Scott County vegetation plat map shows Credit Island at that tune was covered by bottomland forest After 100+ years of development and recreational use {golf course, lodge, picnicking, athletic fields, etc.) the southern- most portion of the island is the only remnant of the mature bottom- land forest community that once dominated the island. A botanical survey of Credit Island (late 1950's) listed 210 species The golf course has recently been abandoned because of annual flood damage and costly repairs A botanical survey is currently being conducted on the island. Pink turtlehead (Chelone oblique, special concern in Iowa) has recently been re-documented The island was a site of one of the westernmost battles of the War of 1812. On August 6, 1814, Brevet Major Zachary Taylor and his 300+ soldiers were defeated by the British who were aided by Sauk warrior Black Hawk. The City has received a grant from the National Parks Service’s Battlefield Protection Program to do addit i onal r e s e arch mt o th e l si an d ' s p ast . Hik e dif fi cu lty : e a sy Silent An c ti on It ein s! ! 1 ! C ont a ct Bob Bryant at bjbryant9@msn.com or 563-349-0448 prior to the meeting with the name of item(s) and value (s) so that bid sheets can be prepared ahead of time Please bring items for the Saturday Night Silent Auction. Directions to Augustan a College From 1 - 74 : The Augustana Campus is most easily accessed from 1-74 by exiting on either the Enver Drive Exit if bound from Iowa, or the 7 th Street Exit if bound from Illinois, in Mo- line. Then follow either major street west (down river) into Rock Island where their convergence is near the Augustana Campus Sports Fields. Turn south (uphill) on either 38 th Street or 30***" Street (depending on your original position) to reach 7 th Avenue and head into the campus on 7 th Avenue to find parking lot H near the Sciences Building. If you reach the Quad City Botanical Center, you have gone too far Entrances to the Science Building are on the east and west sides near the north end (away from the parking lot). A map of Augustana College will be included in your confirmation notice Lodging: The closest lodging to Augustana College are: Radisson, John Deere Commons in Pv.ock Island and the Stoney Creek Inn, in Moline. Also relatively close is the Holiday Inn & Suites in Pvock Island, which is within walking distance of the Rock Island District, an Arts and Entertainment Area of the Quad Cities featur- ing restaurants and nightlife spots. A complete listing of hotels, motels, camping and Entertainment are avail- able from the QC Tourism Board at www.visitctuadcitieg.com or www.quadcities.com/lodgmg/hotels-motels. Most of the following Illinois motels and inns listed below are readily accessible from 1-74 Best Western Airport Inn (30^76^9191) Fairfield Inn (30^762 9083) LaOuinta Inn (309-762-9008) Comfort Inn (30^762 7000) Hampton Inn&Suites (309-762-1900) Motel 6 - Airport Road (309 761 8711) Country Inn & Suites (309-797-4249) Holiday Inn {309-76^8811} Radisson. John Deere Commons (309-764-1000) Exel Inn (309-797-5580) Holiday Inn Express (309-762- 8300) Stoney Creek Inn (309 743-0101) Field Trip # 3 Most of the following Iowa motels and inns listed below are readily accessible from 1-74 Heartland Inn (563^355-6336) Isle of Capri Casino Hotel {563-35 ^7280} Super 8 (5 63-355-7341) Holiday Inn (563^355-4761) Marriott Courtyards (563-355-3999) The Lodge (563-359- 7141} Camping : Rock Island \ Quad City ROA @ Camelot is located on the outskirts of Rock Island near 1-280 approximately 10 miles from Augustana College, 2311 78 th Ave. Rock Island, IL 61201 (309-787-0665). Illiniwek Forest Preserve campground (309-496-2620) is located just north of Hampton, Illinois, below Lock and Dam 14 and downstream from the 1-280 bridge across the Mississippi Enver. 201 2 Annual Meeting erf the Illinois Native Plant Society September 21-23, 2012 !! Registration deadline: September 15 !! Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Email: Registration Options: Select only one Full Conference •INPS Member (includes: mixer, sack lunch and banquet) $70 •Non-member (includes: mixer, sack lunch, banquet, and one -year INPS membership) $90 •Student (includes: mixer, sack lunch and banquet $50 Saturday and Sunday •INPS Member (includes: sack lunch and banquet $60 •Non -member (includes: sack lunch, banquet and one -year INPS membership) $80 •Student (includes: sack lunch and banquet) $40 Field trip and meal options: Please indicate your preferences by placing an X in the appropriate boxes be- low This will aid the Quad City Chapter in making the necessary provisions. The Blue Heron River Cruise and Thomson Fulton Sand Prairie field trip is limited to 26 participants. Saturday all- day field trip options 1st Choice 2nd Choke 3rd Choice 1. Blue Heron River Cruise and Thomson/Fulton Sand Prairie 2. Fern Workshop and Wildcat Den State Park 3. Big Sand Mound and Swamp White Oak Preserves Sunday half- day field trip options Choose one 1. Black Hawk State Historical Site 2. Collin soil Ecological Preserve 3. Credit Island Park Please writ e l n any v eg s t an an r e qu e s : s b e 1 o w Banquet Entree Preference: Chicken Marsala Eggplant Parmesan Napoleon _PDrk Lam with apples and mustard cream sauce Please m ake p aym ent out to: You will receive an email or mailed confirmation Quad City Chapter, Illinois Native Plant Society based on your contact information provided Mail payment and registration form to: above. F or m or e info rm at l on , c out act : Illinois Native Plant Society Quad City Chapter, 936 22nd Street Rock Island, IL 61201 Bob Bryant, QC Chapter, President Email: bjbryant9@msn.com Cellphone: 563-349-0448 ILLINOIS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY Forest Glen Preserve 20301 E. 900 North Rood Westville, IL 61883 illinoisplants @ gmail.com www.ill-inps.org Dodecatheon frenchii - French’s Shooting Star Governing Board President: Connie Cunningham President-Elect: Janine Catchpole Past President: R.J. Fehl Jr. Secretary: vacant Treasurer: Jo Durkee Erigenia Editor: Tracy Evans Harbinger Editor: Chris Benda Membership: Ken & Lorna Konsis At-Large Board Bohdan Dziadyk Bob Edgin Ron Kiser Andy Methven Angella Moorehouse Paul Marcum Please become a member and support this local non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and study of the native plants and vegetation of IllinoisIH Illinois J Native /Kant Society Join us! M r ./Mrs./M s is s/D r ._ S t re et City Phone Number, Email PI New member O Renewal 3 n Address Change only “ ~ □ □ □ Zip □ .Membership Year Qj State n Check here tf you need to receive newsletters by postal mail' PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: ILLINOIS NATIVE PLANTSOGETY Forest Glen Preserve 20301 E. 900 North Road Westville, IL 61883 □ □ □ □ □ □ Membership Categories Student $1 3.00 Individual $20.00 Family (new category) $30.00 Institutional (non voting), $20 .00 Supporting $30,00 Patron $55.00 Life... $300.00 Chapter Affiliation Central (Springfield) Forest Glen (Westville) Northeast (Chicago) Southern (Carbondale) Quad City (Rock Island) Irene Cull (Peoria) Unsure if your membership dues are up to date? Email illinoisplants@Qmail.com or call Connie Cunningham at 217-516-1792