Greetings Friends of the Prairie,
The beautiful sunrise over Lake Michigan pictured above is in utter contrast to the horrific nor’easter storm that hit this past weekend. Huge waves fed by winds at times over 50 miles per hour deposited sand, rocks and debris, flooded yards and roads, and tore apart poorly protected shoreline areas, including in the Kenosha Dunes. The facts that the lake is near or at its all-time high and that there is no ice pack along the shoreline to act as buffer exacerbated the damage. The waves pushed sand and gravel into the mouths of creeks blocking out-flow and contributing to flooding. Residents in the area reported water in areas and at levels they have never before seen. But it has happened before and will likely again.
Newsletter
Our annual fundraising Newsletter went out in December and has had a great response. If you did not get it in the mail, you can read it online by clicking here. It details our mission accomplishments in 2019, plans for 2020, lists of volunteers and donors, as well as expressions of kinship between humans and Chiwaukee Prairie. The dollar for dollar match up to $20,000 from individuals continues until January 31, 2020.
Read more about it and please consider donating at
www.chiwaukee.org/donate
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Photo by Jay Johnson
Happening on the Prairie…
This winter, a combination of grant funded contractors, DNR staff, and, of course, our volunteers are making great strides in removing invasive brush and returning the Prairie to its native plants. Beneath the brush waits a seed bank of native grasses and forbs that, given this chance, will explode on the scene and send their roots deep into the soil to sequester carbon and provide habitat for the Prairie’s more mobile occupants.
Workdays
On Saturday, December 21, we planned to start clearing an entire quarter acre lot of invasive brush and small trees. WE DID IT! (The small trees came down 5 days later.)
This Saturday, January 18, we will move all that cut brush into burn piles. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely we will be able to burn because of the wind conditions. The prediction is for AM snow showers, winds WNW at 20-30 mph and a high of 32 degrees. We supply work gloves, tools, instruction, water and answers to all your questions about the Prairie. The workday is from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Come for part or all of it.
PLEASE NOTE:
We will meet on 2nd Avenue at 121st Street.
Stop by the Cottage at 204 -102nd Street after the workday for snacks and beverages. Bring your lunch.
Please park on the south side of 102nd Street
(Map 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.