Save the Prairie Society

2016 NATIVE PLANT SALE

Posted on June 1, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

NATIVE PLANT SALE

STPS is hosting Linda Love’s Gardens on Sunday, June 26th – 1 pm at the Prairie House. Linda has been growing native Illinois plants for many years and has a reputation for raising healthy quality plants at reasonable prices. Linda will gladly help you with your selections if you need advice in regards to degree of difficulty or positioning for light. STPS members will be available to talk to you about Wolf Road Prairie. If you have any questions, email info@savetheprairiesociety.org.

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This is a wonderful way to help the environment. Studies have shown that butterflies and moths prefer to lay their eggs on native plants. In turn, the resulting caterpillars provide the protein that immature birds must have to develop bone and muscle. A decline in native insects is directly related to a growing decline in our bird populations.

New Photos of Wolf Road Prairie

Posted on May 23, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

Check out the latest eight photographs of the beautiful Wolf Road Prairie – April and May 2016. They are the last pictures in the gallery.

Effects of Climate Change on Bird Migration

Posted on April 22, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

Naturalist Ron Skleney will discuss . . .

– What effect does climate change have on bird migration?

– What factors determine the timing of their migration?

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How is the food they depend upon impacted by temperature differences?

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Ron will help us sort through the research and find emerging patterns

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La Grange Park Library

555 N LaGrange Park Library

North of Ogden and South of 31^st Street

May 17, Tuesday at 7 pm

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Questions and discussion to follow.

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For more information, call 708-354-5512.

Have you ever seen a prairie burn?

Posted on April 17, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

Before the Europeans came to North America prairies burned regularly — sometimes many square miles at a time due to natural events such as lightning. Those natural burns usually occurred at least once very two or three years. Now prairies have to be burned to keep the woody plants from taking over.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video of a burn performed last November. Be sure to watch the end as new GREEN starts to appear.

https://youtu.be/kAcFc90p5mE

New Photos by Fidencio Marbella

Posted on April 17, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

Fidencio Marbella t Fid. south end 16

ook some great photos on the south end of Wolf Road Prairie

– mallard,

– a red-tailed hawk,

– a tree swallow,

– and a mallard again.

They are all in the gallery.

The Contested Land: The Changing Flora and Fauna of the Chicago Region

Posted on April 9, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

Noted author and researcher, Joel Greenberg will be speaking on

Tuesday, April 12 at 7 pm

Plymouth Place [Dole Hall] – 315 N LaGrange Road, LaGrange Park

Between Ogden and 31st Street

Admission $20 – Members and STPS Volunteers Free

Joel is the author of several noted books including

The Natural History of The Chicago Region &

A Feathered River Across The Sky

Joel will discuss ecosystems like prairies and woodlands, as well as

individual species,to see how their status has been affected by

modern humans. Habitat loss, direct take,introduced species,

pollution, and climate change are all factors that will have

impactedthe biological richness that this area once held. But

even in the face of such challengessome species, like the coyote

and sandhill crane, have increased over the years. He will look

at some of those stories too. (He is a consultant for the Chicago

Field Museum & the Academy of Science at the Peggy Notebaert

Museum.)

Woodcock Watches

Posted on March 10, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

Four Friday Woodcock Gatherings on The Deck of The Prairie House (11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester, IL — West of Wolf Road between 22nd and 31st Streets)

Starting Time: Sunset.

March 18, March 25, April 1, April 8

The north side of Wolf Road Prairie has had as many as four males performing their dramatic courtship flight, in which the male ascends in ever widening spirals and ends in a zig-zag descent. Upon landing, the woodcock waits for a response from a female while calling to her with a vocalization that sounds somewhat like that of an insect. Birders often compare it to the call of the nighthawk.

If a female does not respond, the male will repeat his performance again until finally ending his exhausting performance after about an hour in either failure or success. Either way the next evening, he will try his luck again.

Here is a link to their dance – which is pretty funny.

American Woodcock Dance

Indian Mounds of Illinois Including the Chicago Area

Posted on February 4, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

Illinois has more Indian Mounds than you would think, each one with its own story. Jack has explored, studied, and compared the different sites. Join us and find out what he has learned. indian mounds 2

This is a free event.

Sunday, February 14 at 2 pm

LaGrange Park Library – 555 N LaGrange Road

Presenter Jack MacRae, retired DuPage Forest Preserve Naturalist

THE SS EDMUND FITZGERALD – A STRANGE ENCOUNTER

Posted on January 11, 2016 by admin Posted in Uncategorized

On Sunday, January 31st at 2 PM at the LaGrange Park Library follow the journey of Jack and Diane Doyle as little by little with much luck and many unexplained coincidences they discover many compelling details surrounding the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald prompting them to dig further into the haunting tale of a Lake Superior tragedy.

Could any ship have endured the waves and winds of that horrific November storm of 1975? What do we know of the captain and crew. And what is the legacy of the Edmund Fitzgerald?