The Harbinger NEWSLETTER of the Illinois Native Plant Society . .dedicated to the preservation , conservation , and study of native plants and vegetation in Illinois." SPRING 20 B Volume 30, No. 2 In this issue: •President's message •Membership report •Chapter news •Member contributed stories by: Espie Nelson Dr. Dennis Nyberg •In Memoriam donation •Amazing Amaranth! •Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank •Native plant workshops •Native plant sales •Online articles •The latest in Invasive Species news •Upcoming event flyers •Wildf lower Quiz After a late winter and heavy spring rains, the spring ephemeral wildflowers are beginning to bloom in the north, but they have been in full swing in the south for a few weeks. This season look for flowers in Full Glorious Bloom (FGB) at a natural area near you. This is Wild Hyacinth ( Camassia scilloides ) in FGB recently in a Limestone Glade community at Cave Creek Glade Nature Preserve in Johnson County. - Christopher David Benda , Editor 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. Please “like” us on facebook at www.facebook.com/illinoisplants . Message from the President Ah spring... too much to do with too little time and resources. Ah spring... when reality meets seed catalog dreams. Ah spring... which sure took its damn time arriving. Enough musing, back to work! The State INPS governing board met April 28. One item we have moved on was to update the INPS website. The new program, in development, will make it easier to for chapters to update activities and to post links to items of interest to members. The INPS board would like to hear from members with ideas of what they would like to see on the website. Send your ideas to me at ig-catchpole@comcast.net . The ideas will be shared with the board for consideration. There are many good things that can be done with an improved website. For example, I want to see an easily updated list of native plant sales. I think there is a need to provide links to groups wanting volunteers to help with restoration projects. Such volunteering can be an amazing way for people without a plant science background to learn why native plants are so important. Linking with groups active in restoration may also build INPS membership. We have also discussed having INPS related items for sale through the website. Now is the time to work out details on this topic. Please share your ideas. Expect a save-the-date announcement soon from central chapter on the INPS Annual meeting. Victoria Crosley has replaced Joanne Durkee, central chapter, as state treasurer. Thank you, Jo, for your years of service as Treasurer! Victoria is a northeast chapter member and is a regular volunteer at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie herbarium. She enjoys sharing her knowledge about the process of preparing plant specimens. Take time to enjoy the spring flora! We need to appreciate it to remember why we all work so hard to protect it. And please don’t forget about our efforts to raise $1,000 to sponsor Erigenia bulbosa in the upcoming 5th edition of Flora of the Chicago Region. We’re almost halfway there and we need your support to make it a reality! -INPS President Janine Catchpole 2013 Membership Report — 560 total members Membership by Chapter Northeast Chapter (Chicago) = 177 members Quad Cities Chapter (Rock Island) = 47 members Irene Cull Chapter (Peoria) = 26 members Forest Glen Chapter (Danville) = 61 members Central Chapter (Springfield) = 131 members Southern (Carbondale) = 112 members Thanks to all members who contributed in 2013! This organization exists only because of your support! Special thanks to Connie Cunningham for her efforts to increase membership levels, which have increased significantly, mostly due to sending out renewal notices. Please help us increase our membership by forwarding this newsletter to people who may be interested in the Illinois Native Plant Society. An upcoming issue of Erigenia . the journal of the Illinois Native Plant Society, is currently in press. Make sure you are current in your dues so you don’t miss an issue of this great publication! Welcome New INPS Members! SOUTHERN CHAPTER CENTRAL CHAPTER Denise Burgus Polly Danforth Debra Carey Steve Mozley Liz Gersbacher Pamela M Salela Stephanie Jarvis Lori Withers NORTHEAST CHAPTER Roberta Allen RT Collimore Steve Fluett Carol A Godoy Ronald Grochowski Michael Huft and Charlotte Gyllenhaal Kenneth Johnson Cathy Me Glynn Gilbert and Mary Nore Andy Olnas Phyllis Schulte Dale Shriver Richard B Wachenheim INPS CHAPTER NEWS NORTHEAST CHAPTER - Chicago FOREST GLEN CHAPTER - Danville Diana Krug (President) Connie Cunningham (President) 3 12 - 504-6473 217 - 516-1792 northeast.inps@gmail.com connie j cunningham@gmail . com QUAD CITIES CHAPTER - Rock Island CENTRAL CHAPTER - Springfield Bo Dziadyk (President) Annette Chinuge (President) 309 - 794-3436 217 - 483-5893 qc inps.home.mchsi.com annette@avrosy stems . com IRENE CULL CHAPTER - Peoria SOUTHERN CHAPTER - Carbondale Mary Hartley (President) Chris Benda (President) 309 - 995-3356 217 - 41 7-4 1 45 hay wool@ winco . net southernillinoisplants@gmail . com For more information about events, please contact your chapter representative above. Northeast Chapter (Chicago) The northeast chapter recently had their first field trip to Hickory Creek in Will County and are presently setting up field trips for the rest of the season. The northeast chapter board is considering plans for hosting the 2014 annual meeting. Quad Cities Chapter (Rock Island) Bohdan Dziadyk is the new President of this chapter. He plans to rejuvenate the chapter and introduce more programming into their bi-monthly meetings. Irene Cull Chapter (Peoria) No news to report. Forest Glen Chapter (Danville) On April 6, 2013 the Forest Glen chapter hosted a Shiitake Mushroom workshop at the Forest Glen Preserve in Vermilion County. Jeremy Parish and Ken Konsis were the instructors. Approximately 33 people were in attendance. Participants enjoyed a presentation by Jeremy explaining some of the history and information of the shiitake mushrooms as well as the procedures for inoculating logs. Each participant selected a pre-cut log, worked though each procedure and went home with their own Shiitake mushroom inoculated log, which will hopefully produce mushrooms in about 3 months. Thank you Jeremy and Ken for a great workshop! See photos at https://plus.google.com/photos/114163254704492869656/albums/5872351591853365713 On April 13, 2013 the Forest Glen chapter hosted a Nature Photography workshop with Michael Jeffords and Susan Post as instructors. The workshop was held in Monticello with 25 people in attendance. The morning presentations and exercises covered a variety of topics including selection and operation of digital cameras, and various photography techniques including subject matter, composition, lighting, proper exposures, and overall creativity. The afternoon was spent at the local Lodge Park practicing the various techniques discussed in class. Much thanks to Mike and Sue for an excellent workshop! See photos at https://plus.google.eom/photos/l 14163254704492869656/albums/5873079939982696529?authkev=CLCn7tClvvbblOE Central Chapter (Springfield) On April 27 th , the central chapter had another highly successful native plant sale. Despite the cold and rainy day, many plants sold out early. The few extra plants were donated to local conservation groups. On May 9 th , the central chapter will host Andrew Holsinger who will present on Rain Gardens. Please see the central chapter page on the INPS website for more event information, http://www.ill-inps.org/Central . Southern Chapter (Carbondale) On April 18 th , the southern chapter hosted Scott Elrick, Illinois State Geological Survey, for a program titled, “Snapshot in Time: Geologic Secrets of the Springfield Coal Fossilized Forests” at Southern Illinois University. It was a terrific presentation with about 60 people in attendance. You can read about his research here, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/historv-archaeology/Phenomena- Forest-Primeval.html and here, https://docs.google.com/fi le/d/QBzkx--0r7pUcWHBCZXh6N29QdEU/edit?usp=sharing . In May, the southern chapter is pleased to host a hike by Dr. John Van Dyk at Rocky Bluff trail in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, May 18 th . Dr. Van Dyk is updating the list of flora for Crab Orchard NWF. Our May monthly meeting will feature Dr. Laura Campbell, post-doctoral researcher at Southern Illinois University, who will present “Native Plant Systems and Pest Management” at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 21 st at the Carbondale Township Hall. Also see the events calendar at our website http://www.ill-inps.org/Events calendar WHAT IS THIS WEIRD PLANT AND HOW DID IT GET TO WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS? By Espie Nelson Several years ago, my husband Don Nelson and I had noticed some unusual plants in our prairie restoration, Lily Cache Prairie, in Plainfield Township in Will County. Lily Cache Prairie is a 35-acre piece of land in the floodplain of Lily Cache Creek which we have restored to prairie and wetlands. After heavy rains, it is not unusual to have the creek overflow its banks and flood some portions of the land. Flooding can occur several times a year. In the 1950's, in an effort to make the land more suitable for farming, some sculpting had been done to the land, including a ditch dug along part of the eastern boundary. (This work did little to drain the property since the land is very flat.) This east boundary has a mix of native/ non-native trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses. The ditch stays moist, but not under water, through the summer. It is within this shaded 5-10 foot wide ditch that the unusual plant was found. The unknown plants did not match any plant descriptions in our botany books. After several futile attempts, it was time to call for help. The plant was eventually identified by Eric Ulaszek of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and Jason Zylka of the Forest Preserve District of Will County as in the genus Oenanthe, most likely O. javanica, possibly O. sarmentosa. Verification was by Steve Hill and Paul Marcum of the Illinois Natural History Survey. How did such an unusual plant show up in a prairie restoration in Plainfield, Illinois? Oenanthe is a genus in the Apiaceae family, the carrot or parsley family. Its typical habitat is damp ground or watery areas. Some species are very toxic when eaten while others are cultivated as vegetables. The species Oenanthe javanica, Java water dropwort or Chinese celery, is native to Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and India and has been used in Asian cuisine. The other species, O. sarmentosa, Pacific water parsley, is native to the western areas of the United States from Alaska to California. Both of these species are perennials. In Illinois, O. javanica has been found near a community garden in Champaign County (though some sources list it as O. sarmentosa). Also, The Morton Arboretum Herbarium has specimens of O. javanica that were found along the west branch of the DuPage River in West Chicago, DuPage County and in Cook County. The Oenanthe plant was found on land we had obtained from my brothers in 2003. They had bought the property in the 1950's to grow vegetables and they had made the drainage modif ications. In the 1990's, they had rented the land for several years to another family group that also grew vegetables. Normally, vegetable growers have produce that they have grown up eating, plants that they are familiar with, vegetables that they know there is a market for, vegetables like tomatoes, beets, beans, green onions, etc. Chinese celery was not a plant either of these produce growers would have known about. Could the introduction of the Oenanthe at Lily Cache Prairie have come from the neighboring property to the east? (That property also is in the floodplain of Lily Cache Creek as well as the Mink Creek floodplain). The early Will County atlas and plat books indicated the ~140 acre tract was owned by a succession of farmers, many whose families still reside in Plainfield. About 1987, the land was bought by a trust (which later sold it to a developer). One of the trust owners still lives in the area and confirmed that they had rented the land to a Korean farmer. The produce was targeted for the Korean market. Chinese celery could have been one of the vegetables. The mystery origin of the strange umbel lifer in Lily Cache Prairie probably has been solved. The Oenanthe plants on our site probably have been there for over 20 years. They are in a shady area and the spindly stems, about a meter in length, form a loose mass in the ditch. There has not been much tlowering. Roots sprout at the leaf nodes and the p^aYiTS^f iKe I ^pf^bpuyu re m this manner rather than by seed. The population for its 20+ year existence has been confined to the ditch area. Since the Oenanthe is a relatively recent arrival to this area, it is not known what its effect will be on natural areas or how quickly it could spread in a favorable habitat. The Oenanthe could become troublesome if allowed to have access to Lily Cache Creek which flows into the lower DuPage River. Our plan is to eliminate it during the next growing season. Espie Nelson and her husband Don are INPS members that have always enjoyed the out-of-doors. Not knowing that there is native and non-native vegetation, they found real "on-the job" training during the early years at Midewin Tallgrass Prairie. They had great fun scouting the site for small remnants of native vegetation. They have done everything involving native vegetation: collecting, cleaning, and planting seed, planting plugs and endless weeding With new found knowledge and a new appreciation for prairies, they volunteer with the Forest Preserve District of Will County and are stewards of the Vermont Cemetery Nature Preserve. They also monitor with Plants of Concern and volunteer at The Moron Arboretum Schulenberg Prairie, as well as their property, Lily Cache Prairie. MAKING CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES RELEVANT By Dennis Nyberg Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago I believe that nature, the air, rain, soil and populations of plants, animals and microbes is what is important to preserve and protect. Why does nature need protection? Clearly, nature arose and exists independent of societies’ rules and laws. Current human economic activities have become so influential in what is happening in and to nature, that the dichotomy of society versus nature appropriately represents current reality even though I recognize humans are a product of nature. A fraction of humans enjoy parts of nature, a smaller fraction cherishes all the components of natural communities and a fraction of that fraction has the knowledge, skill and will to steward a natural area. In many areas the long term future of natural areas is dependent on that sliver of people who understand processes and interactions and are willing to counteract the impacts of the larger society. Even a hundredth of 1 % is a lot of people in today’s world. Stewardship of natural areas is what needs to be supported by the conservation community. Is the conservation community focusing resources on the most relevant activities? Few resources are flowing into natural areas. Instead of protecting communities of evolving populations, i.e., nature, resources are flowing to flights of hope, imagination and commercial exploitation; planting a farm field with native plants, breeding captive plants and animals, establishing seed banks for hypothetical futures and quintessential^ delusional schemes of genetically resurrecting extinct species. These activities suck money and media interest from natural areas. Media loves fear, the new and the hyperbolic. Attention to the real requires work -not an advertised ‘pill’. Conservation organizations that get the most attention have focused on popularity and money. To increase the number of ‘likes’ or votes, they increasingly collaborate with other organizations which results in actions that are acceptable to everyone, but largely banal. Nature needs to be watched, thought about and understood. Nature is complicated, it is real it that its existence is independent of societal popularity and clever words. Societal values are changing, money and popularity are much more easily manipulated in the virtual world. The destruction of the natural world, is a precursor of the greater manipulation of individuals from biological functions into the virtual world. Because I believe what is happening in nature is ultimately important for people and nature, but what people are exposed to by the media is that we should fear nature or that it only occurs at distant locations, I feel ‘attraction to the irrelevant’ is an appropriate description of the world each of us is exposed to electronically. How can you improve the conservation result per unit effort? I think the question to ask for each action/contribution is, “How is my act going to enhance the balance of a natural community?” If you are reducing the abundance of an out of balance native species or an exotic species, you can answer yes with high confidence. If you are contributing to Washington lobbyist, the connection to any natural population is tenuous. The words may lead you to believe this will work, but examining the results per hour and dollar will probably help you realize pulling garlic mustard or other diverse local activities is what helps a lot more. RiverWatch Training Workshops in May Here is a chance to make a difference in nature! Each year between March <& May, RiverWatch staff hit the road to teach people in the State of Illinois the wonders of macroinvertebrates and their connection to stream health, and of course, human health. This year, RiverWatch has scheduled 12 Workshops for new volunteers. From Carterville to Deerfield, we'll be spreading the word. Register today for your chance to become certif ied as a RiverWatch Citizen Scientist! Register for a Training Workshop: http://nqrrec.orq/index.php?option=com content<&view=article<&id=461(&Itemid=198 View the schedule at: https://docs.qooqle.com/file/d/OBxmvzGJIFyOpbiYxVDVUdzZZNnM/edit?usp=sharinq IN MEMORIAM: Dolly Darigo, former naturalist for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, provided a kind and generous donation to the Illinois Native Plant Society in memoriam for two botanists, her husband, Carl E. Darigo, and Dr. Stephen L. Timme. Carl and Dolly have been Life members of the Illinois Native Plant Society for many years. Carl E. Darigo (1927-2012) was a renowned bryologist that received the Julian A. Steyermark Award from the Missouri Native Plant Society honoring his work with bryophytes. Carl began volunteering at the Missouri Botanical Garden bryophyte herbarium in 1992 and was appointed Research Associate in 2002, determining thousands of specimens sent to him on a regular basis, as well as the backlog of specimens already held in the herbarium in need of identification. During this time period, Carl also published 35 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals. Stephen L. Timme (1950 - 2012) was a well-known botanist and teacher from Pittsburg State University in Kansas, where he was a biology teacher and herbarium curator. Steve was a skilled taxonomist and photographer, publishing several field guides, including wildf lower guides for southeastern Kansas, Mississippi, and the Natchez Trace. A more detailed in memoriam for each of these botanists can be read in the soon-to-be published volume 26 of the Erigenia. "A" is for Amazing Amaranth! By Caron Wenzel Years ago while co-teaching a class about native plants with friend and mentor Pat Armstrong, teacher and botanist (and Illinois Native Plant Society life member), we began by having a discussion about just how much stuff grows "out there" that is edible, tasty, free for the taking, and really healthy to eat. Hundreds if not thousands of species of nut trees, berries, flowers, and weeds are edible. We even had a native plant lunch in that class with "weed" salad washed down with Bee Balm tea as a part of the festivities. Pat then brought her then-in-print Wild Plant Family Cookbook. The book changed my life. Ever since, your author has not only had a vegetable garden, herb garden, and prairie plantings, but after weeding all of the above actually used many of the weeds to add to salads and cooked dishes along with the lettuce and tomatoes and beans. Pat's book has been out of print for about 15 years and in those years people have asked me if I still sold copies of Pat's cookbook to give to friends. Many said that it was one of the best forager cookbooks that they have ever used. The text is divided by plant families and the recipes listed under the family heading. My company now has the cookbook in Mobi format (Kindle compatible), soon to be followed by other electronic formats. We are beginning a series to Garden and Greenhouse readership, an excerpted series of recipes from the cookbook: "Amaranth was one of the plants which American Indians cultivated as food, especially Amaranthus caudatus ..... In India, they pop the seeds like popcorn and add honey for a candy treat... .the fresh and tender young green of Amaranthus can also be eaten. Collect them in spring when tender or only use the young tips in summer when plants become course." Amaranth and Bacon Rinse amaranth greens and boil for 15 minutes in a little water. Drain off half the water. Return to heat and add bacon, vinegar soy and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve." Pat tested these recipes with her students over 2 quarts of tender young amaranth leaves 3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces 4 tablespoons of cider vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste many years of teaching. Their comments are listed as contributions to the book. The evaluations make for some interesting reading as Pat put in comments if someone did not like a recipe! Over all, this book is a revelation with little tidbits of information, lots of plant lore and a comprehensive database of plant families and species that includes most of temperate North America. Caron Wenzel is the owner of Blazing Star Inc. a 23 year old native plant seed nursery, environmental consulting, and education business. The web site is www.blazi nq-star.com and Pat's ebook is available from the site. Hopi Red Dye Amaranth Hello Seed Collectors! We’re gearing up for another year of seed collecting with the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank at the Chicago Botanic Garden! Our newly updated collecting list for 2013 can be downloaded from our website here: http: / / www.cbgseedbank.org/ index. php/ restoration-collection-target-species - take a look at our 2013 target collecting list, and contact us if interested in making paid seed collections for the Seed Bank this season. Payment amounts can be found at the top of the collecting list. We bank seed collections from populations of 50 individuals or more, collecting from between 3000 and 20,000 seeds per species, harvesting no more than 20% of the available seed at time of harvest. A complete collection for payment includes a completed standard data form, seed collection, 2 herbarium specimens, photos, and an optional DNA sample. Standard data forms, collection protocols, etc. can be found on our project website: http:/ / www.cbgseedbank.org/ . We collect in ecoregions throughout the tallgrass prairie region of the Midwest and Great Plains — see if we need native species from your ecoregion! Please contact us at dsollenberger @chicagobotanic . org or ev ates@chicagobotanic . org with questions or to sign up to collect seeds. CH I CAGO BOTANIC GARDEN Native Plant ID Workshops in the Chicago Area Workshops at Lake in the Hills Fen (LITH) •Botany for Beginners - Saturday May 4 & Sunday June 2 at 2pm •Basics of Identifying sedges (advanced) - Saturday May 11 & Saturday June 15 at 2pm Workshops at Theodore (Ted) Stone Preserve •Natural Areas Plant Identification - 2nd Sunday of the month, May - October, from 1 :00 - (roughly) 4:00. Chicago Botanic Garden Field ID Classes •Recognizing sedges in the field - Saturday June 15, 9am-4pm Registration is required for all workshops. Please visit http://www.plantsofconcern.org/content/native-plant-id-workshops for more! Rain Garden Workshops from Prairie Rivers Network Saturday, May 4th, 10:00 am Topic: Rain Garden Workshop Location: Peoria Public Library, 107 NE Monroe, Peoria, IL 61602-1070 Speaker: Dr. Stacy James, Prairie Rivers Network Description: This workshop describes what rain gardens are and how they can be constructed and maintained. Attendees will leave the presentation with enough knowledge and resources to construct their own rain gardens. Contact Vicke Nudelman at vnudelman @ prairierivers.org for more information. NATIVE PLANT SALES IN ILLINOIS Citizens for Conservation - Native Plant, Shrub, and Tree Sale Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m at CFC Headquarters - 459 West Highway 22, Barrington Mark your calendar and grab your trowel. Our annual plant sale features perennials, wildflowers, sedges, grasses, ferns, shrubs and trees - all native to our area. Advance orders are due April 15; order forms will be available on our website toward the end of March. More information at: www. citizensforconservation. org Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee - Native Plant Sale Sunday, May 5 from 12pm to 3pm at McHenry County College cafeteria, 8900 US Hwy 14, Crystal Lake Over 150 species available, native plants for every environment; prairie, savanna, woodland, and wetland. Plus organic heirloom garden vegetables and herbs from W & M Landcorp Organic Nursery and native trees and shrubs from Ohana Farms. For more info visit www.the WPPC. org . Grand Prairie Friends - Annual Plant Sale Saturday, May 11 from 8a a.m. to 1 p.m. inside Lincoln Square, Urbana Since 1994, Grand Prairie Friends (GPF) has been growing and selling plants indigenous to the tallgrass prairie of east-central Illinois. GPF volunteers work hard to collect native plant seeds from out-of-the-way places where prairie plants can still be found. Volunteers then thresh and plant seeds; grow, transplant, and label plant seedlings and make them available for sale each spring. Prices are reasonable: $3 for a small pot (3.5 inches), $5 for a medium pot (5-6 inches), $7 for a large pot (8-10 inches), or $45 for a flat of 18 small pots. http : / / grandprairiefriends.org / plantsale . html Lake County Forest Preserves - Native Plant, Rain Barrel, & Compost Bin Sale Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 at Independence Grove, 16400 W Buckley Rd, Liberty ville Prepare your wish list of native plants and visit our 16th annual Native plant Sale this Mother’s Day weekend. Choose from more than 60 varieties of flowers and grasses. Plants are restocked on Sunday morning. Proceeds from the sale benefit our environmental educational programs. Rain barrels and compost bins will be available for purchase one day only, Saturday, May 11th from 9a.m. -3p.m. The sale is sponsored by SWALCO and the Storm water management Commission. Visit http://LCFPD.org/plantsale for a complete plant list and details regarding the barrels and bins. Conserve Lake County - Native Plant Sale (see flyer pg 10) Starting Friday, May 17 at Almond Marsh Forest Preserve, 18155 W Rte 120, Grayslake For over 10 years, EarthWild Gardens has provided Lake County residents with fresh, beautiful native trees, shrubs and perennials of local and regional ecotype that perform exceptionally well in garden settings. For four consecutive weekends starting May 17 - including Fridays - our new home at gorgeous Almond Marsh will be a bustling hub over 100 species of perennials, grasses, ferns, shrubs and trees. In addition to the in-person sale, we are proud to offer an online presale. You'll be able to pick up your order May 17, 18 or 19 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Take 20% off your online purchase of $89 or more - whether or not you're a Conserve Lake County member or a participant in Conservation@Home! Forest Preserve District of Will County - Bringing Nature Home Native Plant Sale Saturday, June 1 from 8am to 3pm at the Sugar Creek Administration Center, 7540 W. Laraway Road, Joliet The forest preserve is partnering with Possibility Place Nursery in Monee to host its first ever native plant sale. More than 80 species of perennials, shrubs, and trees will be available for purchase. Visit www.reconnectwithnature.org for more information. How can we experience plants differently? In “Where did you go? The forest. What did you see? Nothing” Lynda H. Schneekloth discusses how adults send conflicting messages about plants to children and how the dominant message to children is that vegetation can be categorized as “nothing” (Schneekloth, 1989). Examples of conflicting messages adults send to children are “vegetables are good for you, eat them... we need to build something here, bulldoze the trees” (Schneekloth, 1989). How did vegetation become so invisible? Read more at http://artplantaetodav.com/2013/03/08/how-can-we-exoerience-plants-differentlv/ . Set Wild! So Native! Just in time for spring, The Nature Conservancy has launched a native gardening feature online! The content will change on a monthly basis and feature individuals/groups/stories from different states in the Central United States. Check it out at http://www.nature.orq/ourinitiatives/reqions/northamerica/native-qardeninq.xml . New Fern Species Named in Honor of Pop Star, Lady Gaga. Gaga, a new fern genus segregated from Cheilanthes (Pteridaceae). A total of nineteen species are recognized within Gaga ; seventeen new combinations are made, and two new species, Gaga germanotta and Gaga monstraparva, are described. Read the entire article in Systematic Botany, published by The American Society of Plant Taxonomists, http://www.bioone.Org/doi/abs/1 0.1 600/03636441 2X656626 What Plants Think About: An Online Video When we think about plants, we don't often associate a term like "behavior" with them, but experimental plant ecologist JC Cahill wants to change that. The University of Alberta professor maintains that plants do behave and lead anything but solitary and sedentary lives. What Plants Talk About teaches us all that plants are smarter and much more interactive than we thought! Watch the video that premiered April 3, 2013 here: http://www.pbs.ora/wnet/nature/episodes/what-plants-talk-about/video-full-episode/8243/ Illinois Forestry Association: The Oaks of Illinois by Stan Sipp Acorns (oak fruit) are an extremely important wildlife food. Whitetail Deer, Wild Turkey, Bobwhite Quail, Ruffed Grouse, Gray and Fox Squirrels, Woodpeckers, Blue Jays as well as a host of other birds and smaller mammals use acorns when they are available. The following is a compilation of the oaks that might be found in Illinois, both native and exotic. Native oaks are divided into two groups based on the appearance of their leaves and the length of time required for the acorns to develop after the f lowers have pollinated. Read more at http://ilforestrv.orq/Default.aspx?paqeId=1521618 LINOIS restry sociation Our national forests and grasslands provide limitless opportunities to see and enjoy wildf lowers. Wildflower Viewing Areas on the Celebarting Wildf lowers website features a glimpse of this myriad of places where you may see wildf lowers. Find wildf lower viewing areas at http://www.fs.fed.us/wildf lowers/viewinq/index.php Online photo album on Facebook: Rare and Endangered Plants of Illinois! In an effort to bolster appreciation for rare plants in Illinois, an online photo album has been created on the facebook page for the state organization. A few rare and endangred species are available in a photo album that has been created on our facebook page. You can view the photo album at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.542815835729956.90040643. 12801378 7210165 &tvpe= 1 &l=dcO 1 1 b684f A list of the threatened and endangered species of Illinois can be found at: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/RSPB/Documents/ETChecklist2011.pdf Calopogon tuberosus (Grass Pink Orchid); Euonymus americanus, (Strawberry Bush) Science 1 World's Longest-Running Plant Monitoring Program Now Digitized Researchers at the University of Arizona's Tumamoc Hill have digitized 106 years of growth data on individual plants, making the information available for study by people all over the world. Knowing how plants respond to changing conditions over many decades provides new insights into how ecosystems behave. The permanent research plots on Tumamoc Hill represent the world's longest-running study that monitors individual plants, said co-author Larry Venable, director of research at Tumamoc Hill. Some of the plots date from 1906 -- and the birth, growth and death of the individual plants on those plots have been periodically recorded ever since. The century-long searchable archive is unique and invaluable, said Venable, a UA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who has been studying plants on Tumamoc since 1982. "You can see the ebb and flow of climate, and you can see the ebb and flow of vegetation," he said. Lead author Susana Rodriguez-Buritica said, "Long-term data sets have a special place in ecology." Read more at http ://www.sciencedailv.com/releases/201 3/04/1 304291 5421 8.htm Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month Don't plant a pest! Give them an inch and they'll take an acre... Invasive Species Corner Please look at the following resources for the latest in Invasive Species news. ■ Invasive Plant of the Month - Dame’s Rocket (Hesveris matronalis ) Dame’s Rocket (. Hesperis matronalis ) is an herbaceous perennial in the mustard family (yes, it’s related to garlic mustard!) that is a prolific self-seeder. It was first introduced to North America in the 1600"s as a garden ornamental and for medicinal purposes. It is a native of Eurasia and grows from 1-3 feet high with multiple branches and serrate ovate to lance-shaped, alternate, dark green leaves. Its fragrant purple or white four-petal flowers bloom May-June (see pictures below). Dame’s Rocket is listed as a Noxious Weed in Colorado and is prohibited in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Non-invasive alternatives: Phlox paniculata and Phlox Carolina. Its distribution map can be found here http://www.eddmaps.org/distribution/usstate.cfm?sub=5702 . • New Invader Alert An infestation of Black Swallow- wort/Dog strangling vine ( Cynanchum louiseae ) has been confirmed in Cook County, IL. The record can be found here http://www.eddmaps.org/countv.cfm?sub=3398&id=us IL 17031 . More information about this species can be found at http://niipp.net/7page id=530&id=CYLQl 1 . • USFS Northern Research Service / NRS summary on invasive species work in 2012 Dutch Elm Disease. Chestnut Blight. Emerald ash borer. While they are iconic examples of non-native, or exotic, forest diseases and pests, they are hardly alone. More than 400 species of non-native invasive forest insects and diseases have become established in the United States, many in the last 100 years. While some have had little effect on forests, others have spread rapidly and caused economic and ecological damage to forests and urban trees. Because Northeastern and North Central cities have historically been entry ports for invasive pests, Northern Research Station (NRS) entomologists and plant pathologists have a long history of research on the biology and ecology of non-native forest pests as well as on methods for control and eradication. Work by NRS scientists is contributing to better understanding of tree diseases and development of management strategies and planning tools for achieving the goal of healthy woodlands, forest plantations, and urban landscapes, http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive species/highlights/ • May is 2013 Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month (ISAM) This will be the fourth year in a row for ISAM and we hope to continue the momentum we built the last three years. For 2013, 1 would love to see more events being scheduled across the state. Educational events, field days, hay- wagon tours, workshops, presentations, volunteer workdays, 'Garlic Mustard Challenges', training events, and interpretive hikes are just some of the different types of events that have been held as part of ISAM in the past. A big Thank You goes out to everyone that organized and conducted an ISAM event last year! This year, I again want to challenge you to be creative and think of ways to reach new audiences with your message about invasive species. Let's build on the past success of ISAM and continue to raise awareness about this important issue. The threat posed by invasive species is one of the biggest challenges facing conservation in Illinois! ISAM calendar can be found at www.illinoisinvasives.org . If you are planning an Invasive Species Related event in May, 2013 in Illinois and would like to have it listed as part of IL-ISAM and have it included on the ISAM calendar and website, please fill out the Event Submission Form at https://docs.google.eom/file/d/0BxmvzGJIFY0pTlU2RiAxRGJuQi g/edit?usp=sharing . Also, for the second year in a row, we will be selecting recipients for our ISAM awards, recognizing outstanding achievement to prevent and manage invasive species in Illinois for volunteers, professional (individual), professional business (for-profit), and Professional organization (non-profit or governmental). Find the call for nominations at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/OBxmvzGJIFYOpVVRZZXFOdlRWMUE/edit?usp=sharing . If you know someone you think would be a good recipient of this award, please send in a nomination. The calendar of events can be viewed at this link http://www.invasive.org/illinois/Calendar.html . Don't move firewood, it BUGS me! w >T HI f- Ifl ^ ^ h h r. fTi r* Come Experience the Beauty of the Cache River Watershed El l All Nature Fest Activities are FREE! Saturday, May 11, 2013 9;00 am - 4:00 pm Rain nr Shine! Cache River Wetlands Center (8885 Stale Route 37 South, Cypress, 1 L 62923 ) - h \ "-j -■ NEW Cache liver Wetlands T-Shirts will be for SaleT M. Events ami Outings Will Include: ♦ Guided Htfes £ *Canoe Tcuns + iStliibits & film featuring Cache River Cultural Sttamral History + LIVE Wildlife Exhibits * Nature Games R Activities * Fried Asian Carp Tasting ■* Cache Chilli: map & Free Fateh + Silent Auction and 'Raffles and MUCH MORR ’(Pre-Hsgislraiiori required for canoe tours; call ts: 3 "C?? 4 - 22 ?: starting April nth) i For Gfinr< rnfainuiiiaii nn Ihe rwat,p]eiv;c vi^t: \ ^'I '-i I y’lrA ~idt~j PiV : T .' j Fin tD.jftttiijas contact Cypres cred rsi^iicM-Ml Wildlife Refuse sr 6 ia-KM- 733 i. We ate rsm-’itted to preudng access tc this event for ell participants. Please drectall requests ter seeds! River Bend Wildland Trust presents BIOBLITZ 2013 at MILAN BOTTOMS May 31st. 2013 starting at 8:00 PM What is a BloBiitz? A BiaBliti is a C^-bour period of in terse biological survey in an alfempl to documenl oil living things in a strecified Of-e-O- Why join us? We NEED volunteers to help out with, this exciting 24-hour event! ^ease tote this unique opportunity to joir scientists and naturalists from around the region to survey mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, plants, insects, and much morel This is a rare nhanae to gain aooesi to o liSDO-acre bottonntond oomplex whore you nan Itarn, explore, and discover! We can t do this without partners! prairie % rivers . network US Army Corps of Engineers NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE Cun scrvViQ Land In Nu-ri^r.i illii.2-: To volunteer at BioBlitz please contact Marilyn Andress Til., ITZ@R-RWT.ORG OR VISIT OUR WfR PAOt. WWW.RRWT.ORO (HUnffiA, «. eihei ^xomrwdsiMr'is ton? kirns at 61B-6.44-7731 . The Cache Rivet N ature Perl is pa r I ;v zoi orjinissi by: p^jl |5k«.mS JffiTw Th- Nnl.-,irf fVi CunAin-aiity \ir A full size flyer can be viewed at https ://docs.google.coni/file/d/QB 6 FuOLHnkuulYkRmalpCdlJrXOU/edit?usp=sharing Society uwtaiErtS A full size flyer can be viewed at https://docs.google.com/fLle/d/OB6FuOLHnkuulcGtjeUlTSG5QRFU/edit?usp=sharing This is not just a shrub Native plants like this help create beautiful outdoor spaces and resilient ecosystems Add your yard to the growing conservation community-shop at our Inaugural NATIVE PLANT SALE! SHOP AMONG TOWERING OAKS AND WIDE-OPEN VISTAS CONSERVE \ as) =-* HHrtiliiS CONNECT WITH KINDRED SPIRITS AND EXPERTS THROUGH COfAEf AND CVJJJIfATE SESSIONS join us for quality plants and great conversation as we celebrate a beautiful Lake County. idtfilwrs and friends. Free! Ju.^t drop ii M. Salurday^ Mav IS A Sui.fdy. May 11 un SElc- Ganltn _ __ - _ JW-iif f/ii'roivJFiv , 1 .ilul:-'. .ij ir Designer jjmI li | y _ I | j™ uVinci of Eardi Wild Cm den.-; S^ilLirtJas, May 2? A SmsdaVp M*v 26 Designing with fjras*&sand Sedge* IrirA 8-iib}oiJ, Regisctered Landscape Architect and Will 1 . i Plan! Siii’i itilril . M iiiwrtJ Clr-:: .11 hLtiy-ti W*> on? proud to hr the f'l EarllfHM Gardens, whi.-L lus LJ:l Loutm rtilcteiKs I tt, 1 1,-^ul .lu 1 1 .r i ■' : jl.iiL, j:ir i r Hj | l v- L !T-, .',1 ■ l.-nk loru-ard K> f OfKlruj Lfi_£; lJur: L'l jdL'hMi Vi llllr i r'liiiiL [1 .. miJi CDH 5 8 T V ETt] a n<3F Horn B pruperty crmjufeidim ci ctrUHarJuii S.trn, tl.i v, Jim.- I & Sunday, June 2 Composting and Leaf ihrt,idi.ig 1 f, 44 . j|| y ™ I | U ^'iDFKnne Like L cunty SaLurdluy, jurit - 1 S. ^Ufirlay, fufle 2 Monm ch Wayscjlinn^. ^ H D Monaixk AlkatHiaJiJ, Wi&d i 20% OFF pluti 5+^ m rm>re fistf L'iMv>L-rTr: Lki- C cAifiLy ■memt^rs acaI C'rrjie r > at I n n f I om e pTIIgl ALU puilcipail ,.y RtHjkury View Ltig iiicurdiy^ AUy 1 H., J u S |cine S, S A vj U\ t*W Wiuii the big tittls it iJic Tiarnus Alic^ihil MkJrtlilijeiiTn rooiciy. Kireil PltAW* ‘Hillliilitb iSirCinriiJi; rtewlng scoffs aibd espeiilse. ^ Over 1 00 spe-rirs nf loenL and r^gion.i] ecntyp'r* trees, shniH, perennial flori^rs, fetmi, sedges,, jirasacs I'ro-rlr^i^nurd g?|Trl^m rollisrtirfTi* Eipufte uti -Jiatiti t a ajis-wur cjULdUunLs u Im-rntriry TT--sri-wl;i'rl .it regnlar intrrv.ils located. In bciutlful Alcnonc Mai'fh Forest J'rescT'i^, i-i-rti N. Alniojid knail, |usi sn-iiih or Holllc 1 20 in CiTiv^liko OR SHOP IN VGUR PJS! Pt nrd;r onlii-;!- 1- tonscrvelalurtiituntv.uTg Ihir.JEh Ms»7 jnd enjoy in. ti™ nd Jer seleerioii P4.1 „|I ji nir .H-,-li'r M,JJ IT, It J ? ,1 Al. in mm I M:„-.l, Saturday, Juet S it Sundav. Jiint - H rUiiiling nnd CirL- uf TrtL-s ioJ Sltrulis ■! A r i '• U-Api, C i-lilii-, I flrburfcfl, ‘iynirjyTrvT SponioBr Grand Vicloria Fountlati-on anti UL]^E. All petKCCik lappormur Chi Jicrrarj on florae pfujj-jra. M CONSERVE LAKE CDUtllr illtij Id. Ali.iof.:! RcjU iJlinMKWDOJffl K* 7 )«K MRU -W-W-lV.COBKn'cljlitCQLIIllVjeiHr A full size flyer can be viewed at https://docs.google.eom/file/d/0B6FuQT FfnkuulWmpKcE84QVRfVlk/edit?usp=sharing Answers on next page ILLINOIS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY Forest Glen Preserve 20301 E. 900 North Rood Westville, IL 61883 illinoisplants @ gmail.com www.ill-inps.org Governing Board President: Janine Catchpole President-Elect: Chris Benda Past President: Connie Cunningham Secretary: Rachel Goad Treasurer: Jo Durkee Erigenia Editor: Tracy Evans Harbinger Editor: Chris Benda Membership: Connie Cunningham At-Large Board Andy Methven Bohdan Dziadyk ^ Paul Marcum R.J. Fehl Ron Kiser Answers to Wildf lower Quiz on page 11: 1. Delphinium tricorne (Dwarf Larkspur) 2. Silene virginica (Fire Pink) 3. Tradescantia virginiana (Spiderwort) 4. Lilium michiganense (Michigan Lily) 5. Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan) 6. Ipomoea pandurata (Wild Potato Vine) 7. Ascyrum multicaule (St. Andrew's Cross) 8. Passiflora incarnata (Purple Passionflower) 9. Baptisia bracteata (Cream Wild Indigo) 10. Mimulus alatus (Winged Monkeyflower) 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 Dodecatheon frenchii - French's Shooting Star -r . i □ New member Join US) nR*riewal E~1 Address Change on ly MrJMrs./Ms7Misa/Dr._ Street Citv S tale Zip Phone Number Membership Year Email Society □ctseck he it if you need receive newslelter&by postal mail PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: I L LI NOI 5 N ATI VE PLANT SOC I ETY Forest Glen Preserve 30301 E goo North Road Westville, IL 61B83 □ □ □ □ □ □ □ Membership Categories Student £1.100 Irtd Eviduat. .... . . .£20.00 Fain i Iy (new category). . . ..£30.00 Instituti on al r non voting), £20 ,00 Supporting £30.00 Patron ., .,£55.00 Life. £300.00 Chapter Affiliation Central (Springfield) Forest Glen [Westville \ Northeast (Chicago) Southern tCarbondak) Quad City (Rock Island) Irene Cull (Peoria) Unsure if your membership dues are up to date? Email inps.membership@qmail.com or call Connie Cunningham at 217-516-1792