Greetings Friends of the Prairie,
NEWS
The first snow of the season marked the end of blooming and the beginning of hibernation. Reptiles, amphibians, ground hogs and 13-lined ground squirrels are snug for the season. Mice, voles, rabbits, foxes and others have prepared shelters from the cold. Deer, the most exposed to the elements, now sport their winter coats. Most of the sensible birds are migrating! Please feed our winter flying friends.
While most frogs were digging into mud for the winter, this one (see photo) popped into the Holt’s laundry room when John opened the door. John redirected the frog to a more natural habitat.
Firebreaks have been mowed north and south in the Prairie in anticipation of Fall and Spring burns. Prescribed burns are our most effective management tool and DNR has planned several for the coming season. Fires help control invasive brush and non-native vegetation which would otherwise take over the Prairie. They also recycle nutrients and darken the earth to receive the sun’s warmth in Spring.
EVENTS
We anticipate our CPPF annual print newsletter will be in the mail the first week of December. The Prairie News features an update on our mission accomplishments, plans for 2019, donation details, thanks and remembrances. Again this year, we are most fortunate to have a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for donations received from individuals during December to mid-February. If you would like to receive the newsletter but don’t think you are on our mailing list, please send your name and street address to the email below.
Plants in Winter Course
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station Director, Jim Reinartz, will be teaching a two-day workshop on January 4 & 5, 2019 called Ecology and Physiology of Plants in Winter. For more information go to: https://uwm.edu/field-station/workshops
What a difference two months make! From September 8, 2018 to November 9, 2018.
WORKDAYS
The October workday was weather wild. In the middle of it, the sky went dark and everyone sprinted into the Cottage garage as high winds were pelting the volunteers with hail! As soon as the hail stopped, they went right back to work. After stacking truckloads of cut brush, they were rewarded with hot cider and 2.5 gallons of homemade chili. MANY THANKS to those truly “hail” and hardy folks!
This Saturday, November 17, the weather forecast is for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 30s with a 10-15 mph NNW wind. Don’t let that deter you. The work will warm you up! We plan to continue clearing invasive brush in the area we worked in last winter. Wear old clothes, sturdy shoes and dress in layers. We supply work gloves, tools, water, instruction and answers to all your questions about the Prairie.
The workday is from 10 AM – 1 PM. Come for part or all of it.
PLEASE NOTE:
We will meet at the Chiwaukee Cottage at 204 -102nd Street
Please park on the south side of 102nd Street.
Lunch at the Cottage after the workday for the volunteers!
(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.