This free magazine educates about the natural areas around Chicago through articles, events, and advertisements. It focuses on streams and rivers in this issue, with articles about river otters, rain gardens, and paddling the Kishwaukee River. The publisher hopes to continue publishing the magazine and increase support through advertising and donations."

1. Celebrating our wilderness connections in the Chicago Region
Complimentary • SPRING 2011
Our Creeks & Streams
The Littlest Creatures
Paddling the Kishwaukee
River Otters
Rain Gardens
“[The Tree speaks]: Come to me, here beside the River.
Plant yourself beside the River.”
—Maya Angelou

2. Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.
Consulting Engineering Services:
Civil • Municipal • Construction • Design/Build
Mechanical • Structural • Stormwater
Management • Traffic Operations
Environmental • Surveying • Water Resources
Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.
9575 West Higgins Road, Suite 600
Rosemont, IL 60018
Phone 847.823.0500 Fax 847.823.0520
www.CBBEL.com
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Something special that says who YOU are?
We're Landscape Craftsmen
Experienced and down to earth, we will work
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847-483-9870
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muddybootslandscaping.com
Visit www.chicagowilderness.org to find a June event near you.

3. As beautiful as the winter is, and with my love of the changing seasons,
still there is a wonderful thrill as Spring arrives. The smell of freshness
in the air, the returning birds and wildlife emerging, all feels magical
to me.
In this issue we are highlighting streams and rivers in our region, and feature some great
articles I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
This is the third issue of Way of the Wilds, and I’m hoping we can continue publishing
This free magazine educates and and distributing this important magazine. The biggest challenge has been funding, as I
informs through articles written by local
know so many are feeling these days. If you or anyone you know is interested in advertis-
experts, offering ideas for experiencing
and taking ownership and pride in the ing, investing, or has ideas to share, email me at debbie@wayofthewilds.com— please
earth and its processes around them.
don’t hesitate to write. My intention has been to expand the awareness of the natural
We are dedicated to providing local
photography and information of interest world in our area. I’d love (and need) to have additional support and involvement!
to those involved in local stewardship
as well as pieces of interest for everyone This issue introduces expanded articles on our website— you’ll see the green www icon
interested in conservation, recreation
(at right) near these articles. Just go to the website, click on the issue and a larger
and their families.
version will open for you. You can download this pdf, or read it online.
Publishers: www
w
Debbie Mackall, Kerry Leigh
Happy planting, and I hope to see you again with the summer issue!
A portion of every issue of Way of
—Debbie Mackall, Publisher
the Wilds is donated to support our
natural resources.
To place an ad in Way of the Wilds, please
call Debbie at 847-726-2093, visit www.
wayofthewilds.com, or email debbie@
wayofthewilds.com for information and Debbie Mackall is the Creative Director 19th Annual
ad rates. and artistic visionary of Shine Visual Chicago
Thanks to our sponsers! Communications. She will personally River Day
See us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/wayofthewilds
Applied Ecological Services oversee your project, designing and
Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.
producing your materials to provide the
Integrated Lakes Management
most dynamic and impressive image for Saturday, May 14, 2011
Editorial
your company.
9 am – 12 pm
Please send your editorial suggestions
or other correspondence to debbie@ As needed, we will provide all of your Over 4,000 volunteers will gather for a day
wayofthewilds.com. media needs from design, writing and web of hands-on environmental work along the
Chicago River. Volunteers will collect
©2011 Way of the Wilds. All rights programming through printed materials
garbage, remove invasive vegetation, spruce
reserved. Way of the Wilds is a registered trade- and delivery. See our website for samples up river-edge trails, and much more.
mark of Shine Visual Communications, Inc.
of satisfied customers.
We do not endorse the products or services Be part of the revival of the Chicago River!
and are not responsible for any claims made Let’s get started!
in advertisements. We reserve the right
To find a Chicago River Day location near
to refuse advertising which we feel is you, visit www.chicagoriver.org and sign
not compatible with our intention. up today!
No part of this publication may be reprinted Presented by
without permission from the publisher. The
goal of Way of the Wilds is to educate and
inform, bring people and nature together and 847-726-2093 | www.shinevc.com
encourage interaction with our natural world.
w ww.wayofthewilds. c o m Cover photo by Ray Mathis Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 3

4. By Frank Veraldi
to the cohesive nature of water, gravity
is briefly over-powered setting a spring
A stream is a magical bond between into motion, pushing up and through
The two elements, earth and water– bound
unto themselves, bound together, and
the earth. The spring boils into a seep,
where the cohesive forces of the water
have sliced a small escape wedge through
Magical
pulled through the landscape by gravity.
A stream is a ribbon of life etching a the ground materials once deposited by
mosaic– barren and lush; scoured and great glaciers.
Bond piled; torrential and tranquil. This rib-
bon of life, when healthy, maintains a
Falling down the rim of the valley, the
velocity of the conjoined drops gather
delicate balance between the water, the
Between
speed, and transfer energy back into the
soil, the creatures and the plants. earth by tumbling gravel and carrying
When streams have room to move clay. This process is called sediment
Earth around in their active floodplains they
create backwaters, oxbow lakes, wetland
transport, and without it, a stream
would not have a diverse array of stream
depressions and riparian grasslands. bottoms or substrates, nor the ability
& Water When streams are prevented from this
dance of dynamic self creation, these
to fertilize its floodplain. Several more
seeps join each other as our first drop
diverse wetlands begin to vanish from from the oak savanna leaf arrives at the
the landscape as we have seen in our bottom of the valley rim, now a full-
urban streams that have been restricted fledged creek.
in their movement by channelization. This newfound energy begins to push
By not allowing a stream to erode and larger pieces of earth, but carves shrewd-
move in the landscape, and by mak- ly as the bonded droplets are pulled by
ing the riparian zone all the same, the gravity the quick and easy way. The liq-
stream and its biology begins to die. uid ribbon begins to spin: first left then
In the beginning… right, then left, then right again. This is
A stream begins with a drop of water called helical flow, and important creek
on a leaf, perhaps in an oak savanna on fish such as hornyhead chub and com-
a hill of piled sands and gravels. The mon shiner rely on this process to bring
drop is pulled by gravity through root, them food. Large piles of stone begin to
soil and till. Deep below the hill, the sort where elevation changes are greatest.
drop joins with billions of others which The increased velocity from a quick drop
collectively we call groundwater. Due in elevation slings the liquid ribbon that
Page 4 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

5. is our creek to the opposite side of the ates a hemi-marsh, a mix of vegetation forces, as intended by nature, are impec-
channel spearing the bank and bed. The and open water that is bowl shaped cably musical. Streams can be beautiful
spinning ribbon, like a corkscrew, shaves with a wet prairie rim. Here the liquid melodies that erode and deposit, and
off clay, sand and stone from the bank, ribbon loses much of its energy and the resonate through and over the land. U
and in one motion, drops them to the corkscrew stops spinning. The stream
other side of the channel just down- splits into braided paths, and in some Frank Veraldi is a biologist with the
stream. This process is called cut and fill areas, just a mass jumbling of reeds and US Army Corps of Engineers at the
alluviation which produces that classical open water. At the edge of this terrace, a
Chicago District.
snakelike meandering pattern of a creek narrow outlet releases the liquid ribbon
viewed from the sky looking down. back into a helical knife– this sediment
free ribbon is now an extra fine blade. Turtle photo by Brian Tang, stream photo by Hank Erdmann
A summer thunderstorm swells the
As the ribbon of water falls down the
creek so that it overtops its banks and
side of the ancient river valley terrace, it
begins to flow faster with much momen-
gobbles up clay, sand and gravel, creat-
tum. The liquid ribbon is no longer a
ing a large ravine, the floor of which is
delightful cork screw, but a raging del-
now occupied by a very large creek.
uge of suspended rock and stone. This is
called a channel forming event in which And Now From Creek to River….
the water reworks both the channel and The wet prairie has long turned into
the floodplain into new configurations. dark forest. The vast floodplain of the
A weakened clay bank gives way to this Illinois River has now silted in with
natural sandblaster– its plants, soil, and upland clays to create prime conditions
till melt away into the flow. for huge trees. The once oak savanna
A week after the storm the shrunken spring now transfers its mass of water to
deluge has returned to the clear liquid the greater river, becoming one with the
ribbon from ground fed droplets. The helical energy that drives stream life, the
aftermath is revealed; the stream now magical bond between earth and water.
flows left where it once flowed right, The same forces that drive life on earth
and in its place is left a weakly connect- also govern the universe we know. With-
ed backwater that will slowly fade into out these forces there can be no life.
the surrounding woodland– a masked Stream life requires the constant pres-
footprint of what once was. sure of an applied force of flowing water
At the first terrace of the valley, the called hydraulics. The word hydraulic
changes in elevation are slight, and comes from the Greeks, “hydr”– water
gravity gently loosens its grip and cre- and “aulos”– musical instrument. These
Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 5

6. StreamLeaders
Community Involvement
By Laura Barghusen
Making a Difference on our Waterways
We started the StreamLeaders volunteer StreamLeaders volunteers put on waders
program at OpenLands with partners and step off the banks and into the
such as the Illinois Department of water. Working quickly, they scoop
Natural Resources and Shedd Aquarium up fish that have been momentarily
in 1995 to encourage volunteerism stunned by a fisheries biologist using
and facilitate partnerships between a backpack electroshocker. Later, they
volunteers and professionals to under- kneel in the water and push their hands
take projects that would improve into the streambed feeling for native
stream habitat. mussels embedded in the sand, silt
or cobbles. Finally they do the “riffle
The volunteers come from many
dance” moving their feet quickly to
The exciting discovery of a young Slipper- different backgrounds: engineers who
dislodge macroinvertebrates from riffle
want to better understand the waters
shell mussel, an Illinois State Threatened rocks and drive them into a net. Back on
for which they design systems; a lawyer
land, the sorting, separating, and iden-
Species, by a volunteer in the meanders and his family looking for something
tifying begins. Volunteers learn to tell
fun to do together; students seeking
last August was an early encouraging sign stonefly larva from sowbugs, and know
experience in the field; teachers who
the differences between a White and a
that the restoration may offer high quality want to bring lessons back to their
Creek Heelsplitter mussel. The goal is to
classrooms; artists who seek inspiration
habitat to support diverse species. see how healthy the stream and it’s
in nature; and volunteer site stewards
biological community is. Of course
who want to get more involved. What
there must be number crunching, and
they have in common is their love of
counts have to be put into equations
being out in the water, in prairies and
such as the Index of Biotic Integrity
woodlands, people who want to connect
(IBI) for fish, the Mussel Classification
with life in the creek and learn how to
Index (MCI), and the Macroinverte-
evaluate the health of creeks and rivers
brate Biotic Index (MBI), before we can
to make a difference in preserving and
say how diverse or healthy the stream is.
protecting the places they love.
For the past two years, StreamLeaders
have been monitoring a project, for the
Forest Preserve District of Will County,
to re-meander a straightened section of
Spring Creek in New Lenox, returning
it to a more natural condition. Water
moves very quickly through straightened
channels, resulting in erosion and loss of
high quality habitat. The meanders were
recreated using a historic photograph
as reference, the ditched section was
filled in, and the creek waters redirected
through the meanders. U
Laura is the Associate Greenways
Director at Openlands. To learn more
or to volunteer go to www.openlands.org.
Page 6 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

7. The Littlest Creatures
Living with Wildlife
By Jim Bland
On a recent trip to Alaska my wife Illinois has lost about a third
and I were introduced to grizzly bears, of its stonefly species.
sea lions, humpbacked whales, and
We do not usually associate insects
bald eagles. These reasonably can be
with winter months but there are two
called charismatic megafauna. They are
stonefly families which are dubbed
easy to see and easily capture people’s
“winter” stoneflies. In watersheds that
imagination. Whales feed on krill, a
get significant groundwater inputs, sum-
microcrustacean; bears, eagles, and sea
mer water temperatures can be cooler
lions feed on fish, which in turn feed on
and winter temperatures warmer than
tiny invertebrates in the water. To my
in streams fed exclusively by surface
mind the littlest creatures of the natural
run-off. Winter stoneflies have dark
world don’t get enough exposure. These
coloration and they have an anti-freeze
littlest creatures are called “macroinver-
substance in their bodies to resist winter
tebrates”. The name is meant to convey
low temperatures. Many families of
that they are large enough to be seen by Jim Bland is the author of “Aquatic
stoneflies are active predators on other
the naked eye, roughly 1 mm all the way
stream invertebrates; others are Macroinvertebrates of Illinois: A
up to 450 mm. Macroinvertebrates are
shredders, shredding leaf materials Supplement for the Illinois RiverWatch
critical creatures for the health of our
into edible fractions.
stream fish. They are what are called the Program”which will be available through
‘first producers’ as they break up organic The Illinois RiverWatch Network is one of
‘RiverWatch’ in Spring of 2011.
matter in the stream and in turn become a variety of similar programs around the
food for the larger creatures. country designed to monitor the bio-
logical health of regional streams. This
One example of a macroinvertebrate
statewide program educates and trains
group is stoneflies (Plecoptera). They are
volunteers to collect high quality data
typically found in fast flowing, highly
on the biological health of our regional
oxygenated healthy streams. Some biolo-
streams. After training and outfitting
gists regard stoneflies as one of the most
with appropriate collection equipment,
endangered of the aquatic faunas. They
volunteers collect stream invertebrates,
are among the most sensitive organisms
identify them, calculate various stream Wild Bird Center of Fox River Grove
in response to stream degradation and "Your Backyard Nature Specialist"
metrics based on their collection, and
habitat modification. It is thought that
report their data to RiverWatch. U
“ Over 1700 individuals have received RiverWatch certification in stream
monitoring and have collected an unprecedented amount of information for
evaluating Illinois streams since the program was established in 1995. Data
Large selection of quality outdoor
collected by volunteers over multiple years allows us to gauge the health and
bird seed, feeders and houses
integrity of our streams and helps professionals make informed decisions about
Mon-Sat: 10-5, Sunday: Noon-5
water resources.” Vera Bojic, RiverWatch program manager for the National
Free home delivery in McHenry, Lake,
Great Rivers Research and Education Center. Northern Cook and Northern Kane Counties
For additional information about ‘RiverWatch’ or to request the power point
Stone Hill Shopping Center
presentation, contact Vera Bojic,at 618-468-2881 or email vbojic@lc.edu.
934 Route 22 • Fox River Grove, IL
847-639-6594 • wbc-frg.com
Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 7

8. Wild
Spots Flint Creek Preserves
k
Watershed Features
• -1/2 miles of limestone hiking trails
3
traveling through large oaks
• Winds through 106 acre private preserve
• eatuiful view of natural hill (Kame)
B
which rises dramatically above the
Fox River
• inds through 3/4 mile with restord
W
Flint Creek Watershed, Lake County
by Tom Vanderpoel
Citizens for Conservation, a nonprofit
group in the Barrington area, could see
a large wave of development coming
in the 1990s, so it went to work on a
plan that called for a greenbelt along
the creek and surrounding areas. This
unremarkable little creek led to a plan
co-owned by Citizens for Conservation
and the Lake County Forest Preserve
District. This fen is home to eight en-
dangered species and is being managed
intensely to keep the community from
degrading and disappearing from an
altered ground water regime. The sec-
that has seen a twenty year quest to save tion of Flint Creek that flows through
oak woods, prairies and wetlands. some of this open space and restore its the forest preserve has a B rating quality
• esting spots for spotted sandpipers,
N ecosystems. To date the creation of a which is high for Lake County.
sedge and marsh wrens, swamp sparrows 680 acre Lake County forest preserve
Parking for Grassy Lake and Wagner Fen
and sora rails as well as many others. called Grassy Lake, two Citizens for
Forest Preserves is at the Lake Barrington
Conservation preserves totaling 150
Village Hall located at Old Barrington
acres, and two Village of Lake Bar-
Road just west of Miller Road.
rington preserves totaling 50 acres all
Flint Creek winds its way north through line up along the creek. Flint Creek Savanna
This savanna lies just south of Grassy
the Barrington area eventually find- Grassy Lake Preserve
Lake. The quality of the wetlands has
The Grassy Lake preserve has 3-1/2
ing the Fox River as it has done for encouraged a pair of sandhill cranes to
miles of limestone hiking trails that
nest for 14 consecutive years. Spotted
millennia. In the late 1980s it was still travel through large oaks along the
sandpipers, sedge and marsh wrens,
creek. Part of this trail allows tantaliz-
surrounded by farm fields, rolling oak swamp sparrows and occasionally sora
ing views of the Fox River which will
rails have found breeding homes in
groves, and had intermittent riffles in be greatly enhanced when the 90 acre
the wetland vegetation. Four species
newest addition is opened. This section
of frogs, toads, painted and snapping
the water that sparkled in the sunlight. boasts a natural hill or ‘kame’ that rises
turtles live in what were once tiled and
dramatically above the Fox River and is
abandoned soybean fields. Habitat re-
full of history. When the trail veers away
strictive butterflies such as eyed-brown,
from the creek it takes you on a journey
black-dash skippers, and bronze coppers
through even larger oak groves that rise
float above the sedges. You’ll love it. U
above Grassy Lake and its large marsh.
Parking is located off of Route 22 south of
Wagner Fen Nature Preserve Good Shepherd Hospital. 847-382-7283.
Wagner Fen is the northern terminus of Permission is needed to access.
the trail and is a 100 acre wetland that is
Tom is a biologist with Citizens
for Conservation.
Turtles and duck on log, by Susan Clark,
Marsh Wren photo by Brian Tang.
Page 8 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

9. Places to Play by Steve Voss
Paddling the Kishwaukee River
T
The arrival of spring marks the end of the long anticipation
and the beginning of the paddling season for many
enthusiasts. The Kishwaukee River is one of Chicagoland’s
Kishwaukee River River
Kishwaukee
Garden Prairie Rd.
Lawrenceville Rd
paddling jewels and is one of the most paddled of the Red Horse Bend Park County Line Rd.
Epworth Rd.
Take Out Put In
Illinois Water Trails. To Belvidere
Route 20/Grant Hwy.
The Kishwaukee River system is made up of several branches Logan
Ave.
and many tributaries totaling over 160 miles of canoeable To Marengo
waterways. Adopted in 1999, the Northeastern Illinois Water
Trail System includes all of the Kishwaukee River as it flows
through McHenry, Boone and Winnebago counties. Kishwau-
kee is the Potawatomi name for “sycamore tree. Put In Location: Route 20 west through Marengo to County
Line Rd. Turn right on County Line Rd. past the “Bridge Out”
The Kishwaukee is also one of the three highest water quality
signs to the end of the road. Unload and carry boats and gear to
rivers in Illinois. The Illinois department of Natural Resources
river. Many paddling clubs use this.
has classified the Kishwaukee as a “Class A” stream, meaning
that it is amazingly clean and healthy. Take Out Location: From the Put In Location, drive south to
Rt. 20 and turn right. Continue on Route 20 to Garden Prairie
The section of river for this paddle is County Line Road in Rd. and turn right. Cross the bridge over the Kishwaukee River
Marengo to Red Horse Bend, just east of Belvidere. Along this and turn left onto Lawrenceville Road to Red Horse Bend Park.
three to four hour adventure, you’ll encounter farm bridges
and a few homes and farm buildings, but the character of For more regional water trails information, check out the
this pristine small stream remains remarkably wild— wildlife Northeastern Illinois Water Trails Map link: http://openlands.org/
is diverse and plentiful. As you silently paddle along, keep Northeastern-Illinois-Water-Trails/View-category.html
your senses sharp and tune into your surroundings. One can Don’t Forget:
expect to see deer, mink, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, owls, An approved PFD (personal flotation device),
vultures, great blue herons and various species of ducks. The
river banks are mostly wooded and the spring forest floor will Whistle, extra paddle, bow/stern ropes,
be in bloom. Plenty of fluids, snacks/food, first aid kit,
Good boat handling skills will be needed to negotiate two Dry bag with rain gear and a change
very small runnable dams. Because of the many turns in the of clothes, Sunscreen, lip balm, hat and
river and a possible downed tree, portaging is always a pos- insect spray.
sibility. Breaks or lunch can be enjoyed on one of the sandbars
You are paddling on private lands so it is
or beaches you find along the way. They will also provide you
important to be respectful and carry out all
with a wonderful opportunity for a swim. U
of your trash.
Steve Voss is an avid paddler of well over 1500 miles a year.
Heron photo by Brian Tang
With over 40 years on the water, Steve is a member of the
Prairie State Canoeists; Illinois Paddling Council’s Paddler
Patrol; Des Plaines River Water Trail Keeper and maintains
the Nippersink Water Trail.
Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 9

10. Field Guide
Exploring a Stream Edge
By Nan Buckhardt
Spring is a time of renewal in nature; The eggs develop into baby turtles using
most folks think of birds nesting, the warmth of the nest. If you are lucky
flowers blooming, and trees getting enough to find a nest, visit it often so
new leaves as signature signs of you don’t miss the parade of baby turtles
spring. The warmth of spring making their way to the water.
brings activity to streams and
Beavers make their home in most of the
rivers as well.
larger rivers and lakes in the Chicago
Insect activity increases as the wa- area. Though evidence of beavers is
ter warms. Look for spidery looking easy to identify (look for the chewed
insects called water striders actually trunks of trees near the water) catching
walking on top of the water. When the a glimpse of one is truly special. Two
light is just right you will see six shad- factors make beavers hard to spot: they
owy spots where its delicate feet touch are most active at night and can hold
TAKE CARE: Walk slowly and evenly
the surface with breaking the water their breath for a long time. Try to visit
as you approach the stream’s edge – quick tension. The skittering movements of a an area where beaver live near dusk.
small group of water striders often look Walk quietly near the stream and keenly
movements and unexpected shadows can like a synchronized dance routine. listen, a nervous beaver may slap his tail
on the water in disapproval if you
interrupt viewing! Take this warning to Blue gills prepare their gravelly nests
startle him.
for spawning when the temperature of
heart to get the best look at the critters that the shallows is approaching 75 degrees. The true reward in your visit to a
Watch closely as the male fish defend stream’s edge during the spring is the
live in and near the water.
their nesting territories; it can be quite personal renewal you feel by being in
a show. nature; the bonus will be the heron or
wood duck lifting off the water or the
It is not uncommon to see a snapping
mink trying to secretly sneak into the
turtle lumber onto land looking for a
water’s refuge. U
place to lay her eggs. After mating in
the water, the female looks for a nest Nan is a long time stream explorer with
location where a hole is easy to dig. She the Lake County Forest Preserves.
will deposit up to 100 eggs in the nest,
Turtle photo by Robert Visconti,
cover the hole and return to the water.
Wood Ducks by Mike Umbreit
Page 10 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

11. Young Wild Explorers
River Otters by Denise Collins
As winter slowly ends, all of nature Two or three babies are usually born
eagerly awaits the coming of spring and to a litter in the early spring. The
animals of all kinds prepare for their baby otters are called kits and are
young to be born. This time of year, the helpless at birth. But soon they’ll
river otters in the waterways of Northern be ready to learn everything their
Illinois choose their mates. Last year, at mother can teach them like how to
Glacial Park in McHenry County, one swim and hunt. Mother otters have even
pair of otters found a deserted muskrat been known to catch and release prey so
den and made it their home. their little ones can quickly improve their
hunting skills. Otter dads rarely help.
River otters, like so many animals, are
sensitive to water pollution and will Otter kits grow quickly. When they’re
disappear from areas with polluted water. about two months old they’ll start
Their new home in the wetlands of Gla- exploring outside their den. Three
cial Park gave them plenty of space along months after that they’ll be hunting for
the winding Nippersink Creek. Otters are themselves. The young otters leave home
carnivorous. This means they eat other when they’re about twelve months old
animals to survive. Their diet is mostly because by then, their mother has a new
fish but they’ll eat just about anything litter of kits to raise. The young otters at
Naturalist in a Box is a realistic,
they find including eggs and young birds, Glacial Park will spend the spring, sum- hands on, quality environmental
shellfish, and insects. mer, and fall playing their otter games. education material for children
In two years, they too will settle down developed by a Montessori
Besides hunting, otters spend most of the Teacher and conservationist.
and raise their own families. U
spring, summer, and fall playing. Otters
play more than most wild animals do.
They wrestle, play tag with each other,
Denise is the author of several novels and
Open a box
and slide on the river banks. They’ll also
children’s books and is a keen observer of
the natural world. She lives at Glacial
and explore...
toss clamshells and fetch them just like a
Park with her husband Ed.
dog fetches sticks!
Did You Know?
• iver otter ears and noses can open and close just like our eyelids do?
R
This special feature is very useful for swimming underwater.
• ey have extra long whiskers to help them feel their way through murky
Th
water?
• iver otters, like skunks, are Mustelids? They both have stinky scent
R
glands that they use to mark their territory.
• ou can learn more about river otters at: www.defenders.org/wildlife_
Y
and_habitat/wildlife/river_otter.php
www.naturalistinabox.com
Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 11

12. Making a Difference
Meet
by Cynthia Fox
Sean Sha ffer
And he hasn’t been alone in his efforts. “ew, gross!” reaction from the crowd,
Organized by Friends of the Chicago what they don’t know is that he often
River, this annual event inspires an throws the invasive plant in his salads at
Sean Shaffer (above left) has been getting average of 4000 volunteers to head out home.
his hands dirty (literally) at Ronan Park to worksites along the river to clean
Some of Sean’s favorite Chicago River
up and restore habitat. Sean has been
for over a decade. As a volunteer Site Day memories are when he’s able to put
a tireless leader in the effort, having
down the loppers and teach something.
Captain at Ronan Park for Chicago River trained, inspired and educated hundreds
“One year”, he says, “we saw a coyote
Day, Sean rolls up his sleeves every year to of volunteers to participate in Chicago
on the other bank of the river so we
River Day.
do hands-on restoration work on behalf of stopped and talked about it and what
As the 2009 recipient of Chicago it means that it’s there – being able to
one of the state’s most important water-
Audubon Society’s Protector of the show people that this is habitat and it is
ways. Environment—Education Award, Sean wildlife, and it’s not scary.” Those are the
brings a unique perspective to Chicago teachable moments he looks for.
To volunteer with Sean, head over to the
River Day. He explains that he is always
When we asked Sean why he keeps
Nature Center at 5801 N. Pulaski Road thinking of new and creative ways to
coming back to volunteer at Chicago
Chicago, IL 60646. To find out how to engage and connect his fellow volunteers
River Day, he says “It’s a fun and worth-
with nature. When working with volun-
volunteer at Chicago River Day on May while day outside with like minded
teer high school students, for example,
people. You really get to see the differ-
14th, please visit: www.chicagoriver.org/ he says that “teens couldn’t be happier
ence you make that day, and every time
events/chicago_river_day with loppers and tools,” and that he uses
you visit.” One of the best feelings, he
that as a starting point to dig deeper to
says, is “coming back to Ronan Park and
get them to see the bigger picture. He
having to search for Buckthorn – when
hooks his audience – young and
it used to be everywhere.” U
old - right at the beginning by
talking about one of Ronan When Sean is not volunteering at Chicago
Park’s most wanted River Day, you can find him leading na-
plants, garlic mustard, ture walks and showing kids the wonders
and then eating it. of earthworms at the North Park Village
Although he often Nature Center.
gets an
Page 12 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

13. The ancients held that four primal
elements existed from which all other
Today those same communities
respond to the caress of fire as they When
Fire and
things could trace their creation. Earth, have through the centuries. Flower-
Air, Fire and Water each possessed ing increases, seed set is higher, the
unique characteristics marking their plants grow robust and healthy, and as
relationship with the physical world.
Air ruled ideas, earth that of physical
a result the wildlife dependent upon
that plant community also benefits.
Water Mix
matter, fire the spark of intellect and Invasive shrubby brush and other
water the deep emotions. exotic non-native species are set back by Ed Collins
by periodic controlled fires. The
While in the world of philosophy the
blackened ground warms faster in
elementals rarely interacted with one
the early spring sun promoting seed
another, this is certainly not the case in
germination and plant emergence.
the realm of ecological restoration. Here
fire, water, air and earth form a sublime Even the river itself benefits from
partnership passionately expressed in the increased insect populations depen-
art and science of prescribed burning. dent on healthy streamside plants
communities. These in turn become
Earth is represented by the prairie,
the food source for fish, amphibians
woodland and wetland restorations
and reptiles living in and around
that are a hallmark of our region. These
the water. Plant debris entering the
natural communities require periodic
stream becomes the detritus that feeds
interaction with wildfire to remain
everything from fresh water mussels to
healthy. The speed of such fires are con-
invertebrates.
trolled by the prevailing winds on any
given burn day. Finally it is water, in the So next time you see the annual
form of fire breaks such as Nippersink flames of spring and fall in your local
Creek, and used to create burn lines that forest preserve or municipal park,
ultimately direct the course and move- know that this ecological rite is help-
ment of the flames. ing to bring a vanishing landscape
back to life from the ashes. U
Prescribed fire is crucial to the health of
nearly every Midwestern natural com- Ed Collins is the Natural Resource
munity type, including paradoxically,
those found along streams and rivers. Manager with the McHenry County
The riparian marshes and sedge mead- Conservation District and project man-
ows historically dotted the floodplains of ager of the Nippersink Re-meandering
the Chicago Region evolving under the
sculpting hand of landscape scale fires. project at Glacial Park.
Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 13

14. Art and Soul
by Kerry Leigh
Meet Melissa, a woman who loves nature has a broad appeal to people
water and mud. everywhere, I believe that my paintings
She also loves butterflies and Rumi, and are particularly relevant to the people of
once spent entire days at the wrong time Chicago. Much of what we know about
of year searching for skunk cabbage. habitat restoration was developed right
here, and we have
Her first memories much to celebrate
were very visual, in that!”
and she was always
coloring, every sur- Aldo Leopold,
face around her. Monet and Robert
Bateman were
Her tolerant par- prime influences.
ents were scientists Bateman
and although her in particular was
Art today is caught on the horns of a dilemma first degree was in an artist with a
as to its relevance. Photographers’ skill and biology, the visual strong environ-
kept tugging at mental ethic and a
passions in capturing stunning images are her and she took high standard
escalating while at the same time ‘schools’ and classes in art. of accuracy.
‘movements’ often declare nature art as When she was a Melissa’s paint-
butterfly monitor ings are bold, rich,
irrelevant, passé, derivative. I believe that it for The Nature Conservancy at Illinois full of depth, movement and life. They
is this, the meeting of souls between the Beach State Park, Melissa began to really express a passionate understanding of
understand the interactions of plants, the wholeness of life in a fragmented
artist, nature, and the viewer that make insects and soil. This was her moment world, and intimately reflect the soul of
nature art, and art in general vital and of crystallization, a moment where the the woman.
richness, vibrancy and riotous colors of
very relevant. Melissa has also begun pen and ink
the natural world began to pour out of
her in the medium of acrylics. botanical drawings, learning how to still
— Melissa Pierson
the artists’ hand. Her desire is not just
As I looked at her work, she spoke to me for accuracy, but for these drawings to
about what influenced her. retain an “aliveness” that many botanical
Melissa said, “I feel very fortunate to live drawings strive for. U
in an area where people are informed See Melissa’s work at:
and dedicated to maintaining their melissabluefineartandgardendesign.com
natural heritage. While the beauty of
Page 14 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

15. Wild Landscaping by Bob Kirschner
Here are a few especially important
raingarden do’s and don’ts:
Rain Gardens • O choose an area of your yard that slopes
D
away from the house, staying at least 10 feet
Aren’t Only for Rain! away from your foundation (you don’t want
the water seeping back into your basement).
• O level the top of the garden’s encircling
D
berm to maximize the amount of rainwater
captured.
• O emphasize using native plants recom-
D
mended for rain gardens – they have deep
roots that help break up tight clay soils
and are well suited to wide fluctuations in
A beautiful garden oasis in your yard that helps the environment? soil moisture.
Consider a rain garden! • O consider height, color, texture, and
D
bloom season when selecting your plants.
A rain garden is a shallow depression that’s excavated into the landscape Group species of plants together so their
with a small raised berm or lip on the down slope side to temporarily trap beauty is more recognizable. After all, it
rainwater runoff. Is there a good spot for a rain garden in your yard? If your IS a garden!
home has roof gutters and downspouts, then the answer is probably “yes”
since redirected downspout water is an easy way to “water” your • ON’T site your rain garden where water
D
rain garden. ponds after a rainfall. Those soils are already
“plugged” and water infiltration rates will
Rain gardens allow rainwater to slowly soak into the ground, helping to be low.
recharge aquifers and reduce flooding by limiting the storm water runoff
that drains into our sewers. As the rainwater travels through the garden • ON’T use seed to plant your rain garden;
D
soil, urban pollutants are filtered out and so our water is cleansed keeping use live plants or plant divisions instead.
pollution from our streams and lakes. They also provide bird, butterfly and Seed will wash away.
dragonfly habitat. • ON’T build a rain garden that’s too small
D
In September 2009, the Chicago Botanic Garden opened its new Plant or too big; consult the publication cited to
Conservation Science Center with a one-acre Rainwater Glen where you determine the best size. Many residential rain
can see many species of native plants that are great candidates for use in gardens are between 100 and 300 square feet.
rain gardens. • ON’T worry about mosquitoes breeding
D
For more information download: Rain Gardens: A How-To Manual for in your rain garden. A properly designed rain
Homeowners at http://dnr.wi.gov/runoff/rg. U garden will drain most of its water within a
few hours to a day (but mosquitoes need a
Bob Kirschner is the Curator of Aquatic Plant & Urban Lake Studies at the week or more of standing water to lay and
Chicago Botanic Garden. hatch their eggs).
Photo courtesy of Integrated Lakes Management Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 15

16. Managing Our Lakes and Ponds by Keith Gray
Our Resources
In nature, water bodies accumulate sedi- plan. Aluminum sulfate, or other clay
ment and nutrients over centuries before based products with free radicals, tie up
they become home to algae and heavy the phosphorus dissolved in the water,
aquatic growth. In urban areas like the and make it unavailable for algal con-
Chicago region, lakes and ponds often sumption. If native aquatic plants are
become nutrient rich and overgrown introduced, their root systems stabilize
much more quickly. Managing these the soil, produce oxygen, and create
resources so that they are attractive, habitat for organisms that actually feed
functional, and even more importantly, on algae.
a safe habitat for desirable wildlife can
Once the phosphorous is settled out of
be a challenge.
the water column it can re-dissolve into
Continuing to treat symptoms instead of the water if there is not enough oxygen.
Other ways to reduce phosphorus addressing the cause of nuisance (aquat- Aerators (fountains and diffusers) do a
in the water include: ic) growth might get short-term results, great job of mixing, and therefore oxy-
but long term it’s costly because the genating a pond, which keeps the phos-
• iscouraging geese, whose waste is
d
problem never really goes away. Progres- phorus in the sediment and unavailable
very nutrient rich;
sive, responsible companies should con- for algae. In response to the greater need
• liminating phosphorus in lawn
e sider options aside from the traditional for non-chemical solutions, manufactur-
fertilizers (the middle number chemical applications. Aquatic resource ers have developed innovative equip-
should be ‘0’on the label); managers are looking at the claims made ment to assist in these tasks. Tools on
by the sellers of enzymes and bacteria to these machines can be interchanged to
• educing erosion in the watershed,
r
improve water quality, but phosphorus is harvest aquatic growth, remove sedi-
specifically along the shoreline
elemental, and no matter what you do, ment, or access places to do stabiliza-
where nutrient rich soil accumulate
it will always be phosphorus. Further tion work that couldn’t be accessed
in the lake and reduce water depth,
studies are needed to get a better idea of previously. For ponds and sections of
leading to conditions (nutrients,
their potential for commercial use. water where access in a developed area
sunlight, warmer water) that
is tough, these options go a long way to
promote algae growth; and Since phosphorus is a leading cause of
economically address water management
unsightly (and potentially toxic) algae
• emoving the sediment and/or
r proactively. U
blooms, controlling phosphorus is a
aquatic growth from the water
logical step in a proactive management
body.
Keith is secretary for Mettawa Open
Lands Assoc., a board member for
National Ecological Contractors Assoc.,
and Liberty Prairie Conservancy.
He is also the founder of an environmental
laboratory and the president of Integrated
Lakes Management.
Page 16 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

17. I first read these words when I had not yet “grown up” myself, but they struck
me even then as profoundly insightful. I was at the University at the time, Seasonal
immersed in Latin names of stream fishes and aquatic insects, the anatomy of
pondweeds, concepts of nutrient cycles and river ecology, darter zoogeography.
But with these words I was immediately transported to an earlier classroom of
endless summer days on my beloved Kishwaukee River, building a portfolio
Musings
of pure experience that would later foster scientific curiosity and eventually a Spirit of Place/
career. Place of Spirit
Rivers are powerful formative agents. In those days there was little worry that
kids with access to a river would ever suffer from nature deficit disorder. When
school let out in early June, it was down to the river for the next three months,
fishing, swimming, catching crayfish, and daydreaming. Each morning re-
quired a bike ride down to its banks to see how the river had changed over-
night. Dry spells revealed the mysteries of a previously hidden river bed that I
had only imagined my lure dancing across. Spring flows drove home the river’s
raw power, once nearly claiming this young swimmer while trying to reach an River
island during April high water. The drone of late summer cicadas in the ancient
silver maples, the smell of drying algae and rotting September cottonwood
leaves, the magic of daybreak on a sultry July morning while waiting for the
Schooling
By John Rogner
rod tip to twitch - all high definition memories that intervening years of study
and professional practice have not dimmed.
“When I call to mind my earliest impressions,
These are more than just childhood diversions and fodder for middle-aged nos-
talgia. Early and direct outdoor experiences lead to lifelong pastimes and career I wonder whether the process ordinarily referred
paths. They also create the fertile ground for what eventually grows into a land
ethic - the idea that there is a right and a wrong in how we treat our lands and to as growing up is not actually a process of
waters, and a commitment to act.
growing down; whether experience… is not
This river world did have limits. Just beyond the town’s last bridge crossing
was the wastewater treatment plan, but treatment seemed secondary to simple actually a progressive dilution of the essentials by
collection and discharge. What I remember is froth and foam from bank to
bank, past the bend and out of sight. This was the end of our river playground the trivialities of living.”
- you just didn’t go any further downriver.
It seemed a travesty to me that we would pour suds into living waters that were —Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
home to such magnificent creatures as northern pike, softshell turtles and, as
I would learn much later, banded darters. At the time it just seemed wrong.
But in other places it was far worse. These were the days when rivers actu-
ally caught fire. Fortunately there were powerful voices speaking out against
environmental desecration, people like Rachel Carson who, grounded in early
experiences and later armed with science and free speech, persuaded Congress
and a country that we needed to change course. Americans finally
said “enough”.
The years that followed produced the most remarkable and progressive set of
environmental laws passed by any nation. Congress decreed that Americans
had rights to things like clean water, clean air, and biological diversity. We
have a long way to go. But suds no longer pour out of that treatment plant
and the Kishwaukee River remains one of the most biologically diverse streams
in Illinois. And I have no doubt that it still creates magical afternoons and
career paths for kids fortunate enough to live within a bike ride of its banks. U
John is works as the assistant director of the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources and still loves to muck about in rivers.
Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011 | Page 17

18. Wild Mart Green Fire Documentary Save Money and Energy Glacier Oaks Nursery
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Page 18 | Way of the WILDS | Spring 2011

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