Greetings Friends of the Prairie,
Fall has painted the Prairie yellow with 10 kinds of Goldenrod, Sunflowers 7 feet tall, Sneezeweed and False Sunflower. Mixed in beautifully are the white, blue and purple Asters, purple Ironweed and lavender Joe-Pye-weed. All are attended by the tall bronze and golden Big Bluestem and Indian Grasses waving. Drive down 1st Court south of 116th Street to take in a vista that will make it easier to say goodbye to Summer. But something you won’t see from the road are the exquisitely blue Gentians that nestle among the other plants but can often be found along the trails. Chiwaukee is home to four Gentians: Bottle, Downy, Fringed (photo below) and Lesser Fringed. To pollinate the Bottle Gentian, a bumble bee must force its way inside. How does it learn to do that? Like so much in nature, when you look carefully, it is astounding. Come see Fall on the Prairie!
Fall has painted the Prairie yellow with 10 kinds of Goldenrod, Sunflowers 7 feet tall, Sneezeweed and False Sunflower. Mixed in beautifully are the white, blue and purple Asters, purple Ironweed and lavender Joe-Pye-weed. All are attended by the tall bronze and golden Big Bluestem and Indian Grasses waving. Drive down 1st Court south of 116th Street to take in a vista that will make it easier to say goodbye to Summer. But something you won’t see from the road are the exquisitely blue Gentians that nestle among the other plants but can often be found along the trails. Chiwaukee is home to four Gentians: Bottle, Downy, Fringed (photo below) and Lesser Fringed. To pollinate the Bottle Gentian, a bumble bee must force its way inside. How does it learn to do that? Like so much in nature, when you look carefully, it is astounding. Come see Fall on the Prairie!
PRAIRIE PLANT WALKS
Naturalist, Kay McClelland, will lead the last Chiwaukee Prairie Walks of 2019 later this month. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. There will be a plant list.
Later Fall Bloomers: Thursday, September 26, 9-11 AM
Plant Identification: Saturday, September 28, 2-4 PM
Meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Park on 2nd Avenue. Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sunscreen, 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
Longest Serving Director Retires
Dawn Feldman-Brown joined the CPPF Board of Directors in 1993 motivated by a love of the Prairie and a strong desire to help preserve it. Living across from the Prairie made Dawn uniquely positioned to engage neighbors and newcomers about its importance and over the years she brought new directors and many volunteers to CPPF. She was our liaison to the Carol Beach Property Owners Association and to our longtime supporters, the Four Seasons Garden Club. Leaving the Board, but not leaving the Prairie! THANK YOU, DAWN
Students travel far to visit Chiwaukee
Classes from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Milwaukee Area Technical College made the trip recently to study the native plant communities of the Prairie. In the upper right of the photo below, the specks are dozens of monarchs which took flight as the students moved into the field for a closer look.
Bat monitoring opportunity
The Department of Natural Resources has an easy to use echometer to do bat surveys at Chiwaukee. If you are interested in doing a bat survey, email Samantha Kiser at samantha.kiser@wisconsin.gov.
WORKDAYS
Last month, volunteers gleaned a variety of invasives along the sides of all the trails south of 116th Street including Queen Anne’s Lace, white sweet clover, chicory, mullein, asparagus, sow thistle and cottonwood saplings. The volunteers were handsomely rewarded with hotdogs and chips!
This Saturday, September 21, we may be gleaning invasive forbs or collecting seed or cutting sumac or something else. Reconnaissance before Saturday will determine the task. Sorry for the uncertainty. The prediction is for mixed clouds and sun with a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms, a high of 77, and southwest wind at 10-20 mph. Wear old clothes, long pants and sturdy shoes or boots. 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 or a downpour.
The workday is from 10 AM – 1 PM. Come for part or all of it.
PLEASE NOTE:
We will meet on 2nd Avenue at 121st Street.
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.
(Map of the vicinity at www.chiwaukee.org/about/where/)
If you have questions, email volunteer@chiwaukee.org or call 773-515-2772.
Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.