Greetings Friends of the Prairie,
NEWS
The beautiful shooting stars and other early bloomers have given way to the vivid blue Lupines, lavender Phlox, bright orange Coreopsis and many others, as the Prairie continues its sequential revelations of color and form. Young ground hogs follow their mother about, Tree Swallows are fledging, and turtles are on the move to find nesting spots. There is an abundance of life and lushness at Chiwaukee this time of year. Of course, it includes ticks and invasive plants, too. A few precautions take care of the former and lots of helping hands deal with the latter.
This year we are again fortunate to have the assistance of the Youth Conservation Corp teams from Lake County. Together with our regular workday volunteers, we hope to control some of the more aggressive bad actors including Yellow Hawkweed, Garlic Mustard, Dames Rocket, Common St. John’s Wort and Queen Anne’s Lace! Last week our board member Alan Eppers led the fourth annual corporate volunteer day for Xcenda employees, including his wife Amy Duhig, in removing an amazing amount of Hawkweed. If you have a company, club, or group who would like to volunteer for part of a day, please let us know!
EVENTS
CHIWAUKEE PRAIRIE WALKS 2018
Naturalist Kay McClelland will lead Chiwaukee Prairie Walks three times a month from June to September. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. Over the summer we will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses and some sedges. She has a plant list available each time, as well as occasional other handouts.
| Third Monday | Third Thursday | Third Saturday |
| 6-8 PM or sunset: | 9-11 AM | 9-11 AM |
| June 18 | June 21 | June 16 |
| July 16 | July 19 | July 21 |
| August 20 | August 16 | August 18 |
| September 20 | September 15 |
For the June walks, we will meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Park on 2nd Avenue. Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sun screen, insect repellent for possible ticks, and a hat are wise. We go in light rain but not if there is lightning.
Kay McClelland, Naturalist
262-994-1939 (Mobile)
kaymac1939 @ gmail.com
WORKDAYS
In May, volunteers set out to remove Garlic Mustard from the savanna. As it turned out, Garlic Mustard was few and far between. Great news! The bad news was that Lion’s Tooth was in bloom and widespread. The flowers were bagged to prevent it from going to seed and turning the savanna into dandelion heaven.
This Saturday, June 16, we will be pulling the flowers off another dandelion-like forb, Yellow Hawkweed. In some western states this invasive plant literally takes over range land. The seeds are easily spread by wind and animals, so preventing seed production is critical.
The prediction is for partly cloudy skies with a south wind and a high of 80 degrees! Wear old clothes, long pants and sturdy shoes or boots. It is tick season, so consider bug spray. We supply work gloves, tools, water, instruction and answers to all your questions about the Prairie. We will work unless there is lightning in the area.
The workday is from 10 AM – 1 PM. Come for part or all of it.
PLEASE NOTE:
We will meet along 4th Avenue north of 116th Street.
Please park on the east side of 4th Avenue.
(Map of the vicinity at www.chiwaukee.org/about/where/)
If you would like to be notified about additional workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email volunteer@chiwaukee.org.
Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on scheduled workdays. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgment when deciding whether to attend.
If you have questions, email volunteer@chiwaukee.org or call 773-515-2772.
Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.