DatesJun 14th - Jun 20th 2009 Service ProjectConstruction of overlook platform and access trail Free DaysDay hiking & touring of the wild side of Midewin AccommodationsTent camping near cars Trip RatingStrenuous : using tools, bending, lifting, hauling, trail work LeadersRobert Jackson Equipment |
Named “Midewin” after the Potawatomi word for healing, the total prairie site stretches across 19,000 acres and is the largest piece of protected open space in northeastern Illinois. At one time, prairies dominated more than 60 percent of the Illinois landscape. Tallgrass prairie thrives in areas with more rainfall than in the shorter, mixed-grass prairies and Great Plains to the west. Aptly named, tallgrass prairies grew nearly to the height of a horse and rider, although the rich and diverse plant life also included shorter grasses and hundreds of species of wildflowers. Today, less than one-hundredth of one percent of true tallgrass prairie remains in Illinois. When fully restored, this wetland/prairie landscape will provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and unprecedented open space for Chicagoland residents and visitors to enjoy. Our work project is construction of an overlook platform and access trail to the overlook. The overlook platform entails building a 10' x 12' steel base with a wooden platform. It will serve the public to overlook Buttonbush Pond off of the Prairie Creeks Woods Trail. The trail work involves constructing a connector trail that links the new overlook platform at Buttonbush Pond to the Prairie Creeks Woods Trail. On our free day, we can hike and explore the wild sides of Midewin and we’ll plan for different evening tours on the prairie. As an option on the free day, Midewin has invited WV to participate in an innovative research project called the “Bobolinking Project” that is designed to identify predators of grassland songbirds. It will involve the deployment of about 120 artificial nests made of woven grass that will be placed on the ground and in low shrubs. Some of the nests will have motion detection cameras focused on them to help identify predators. Each nest will have a quail egg and a molded clay egg to simulate the two sizes of songbirds’ eggs. The Forest Service may also provide instruction on the use of GPS units to map and pinpoint the locations of the deployed nests. The nests will be monitored after deployment to identify predators through tracks, dental imprints on the clay eggs and photos to further build the restoration of the Midewin Tallgrass Prairie breeding grounds.More information about the Midewin project
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