Prairie House Nature Center
Geologic and Hydrologic Report on Wolf Road Prairie by Wheaton College
Conservation Campus Leadership Council
Whole Foods Market Volunteers at Wolf Road Prairie
Field Museum Students Visit Wolf Road Prairie
Ecologists from Congo Visit Wolf Road Prairie
Wetland and Watershed Seminar at Wolf Road Prairie
Professional Development Status Awarded
WFP selected as field site for Critical Trends Assessment Program
University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Program
Ukrainian Ecologists Visit Wolf Road Prairie
Conservation Campus is Native American historical site
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WFP selected as field site for Critical Trends Assessment Program In early August, Illinois Department of Natural Resources botanist James L. Ellis, IDNR Ornithologist Steven D. Bailey and IDNR Monitoring Coordinator, Dr. Brenda Molano-Flores paid a random site visit to Wolf Road Prairie. 
This photo of Wolf Road Prairie at peak summer bloom was taken at the time of the site visit. The Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) is a long-term endeavor, which monitors the condition of forests, wetlands, grasslands, and streams throughout the state of Illinois. This project seeks to assess changes in ecological conditions as well as serving as a baseline from which to compare regional and site-specific patterns throughout Illinois. This program is unique because it is the first-ever attempt at a statewide comprehensive assessment undertaken by a state natural resource organization (Illinois Department of Natural Resources). A total of 600 sites representing four habitats (150 of each; 30 sites per habitat per year) have been randomly selected from across the state on both public and private land. Since 1997 the CTAP professional scientists of the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) have been conducting surveys at these sites. As of 2001 140 forest, 139 wetland, 126 grassland, and 150 stream sites have been monitored . In forests, wetlands, and grasslands data on herbaceous and woody vegetation, bird, and insect data is collected. 
This year rattlesnake master was abundant at Wolf Road Prairie Among other things several ecological indicators such as species richness, diversity, and dominance of native vs. non-native, presence of threatened and endangered species at every site are measured. In the case of birds, data on cowbird abundance is collected. In streams, aquatic insects are the primary assemblage used as indicators of condition. The Critical Trends Assessment Program can be found on the Internet at: http://eagle.inhs.uiuc.edu/ctap/index.html Photos by Cynthia Gehrie return to main page, Save the Prairie Society |