Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Fleming Road Plans


We've had quite a few calls from TLC members asking about the County's plans for rebuilding Fleming Road in Bull Valley.

It is a short stretch of road that runs less than 3 miles between Country Club Road on the south and Route 120 on the north. I drove the road this morning after reading today's article in the Northwest Herald. The article reports on the Open House that the County's Highway Department had Tuesday night to begin discussing the proposed road repairs with members of the community.

It appears that the County is taking pains to avoid the debacle that occurred last year when the plans for widening Alden Road were announced!

Fleming is already designated a scenic road by the county, and the 5 minute drive along the road - even on an overcast day like today - makes the reason clear. The road is narrow, hilly, and many areas are lined with oak woods. The character of the road is decidedly rural in character, which should prompt drivers to slow down - which is one key to safety!

Road construction is a frustrating endeavor (in my opinion). People like their cars, and don't like to drive on roads with potholes or washboard conditions. Many people also like to push the speed limits, and seem unfazed by poor visibility or poor road conditions. Highway engineers are often motivated by safety when they propose widening road, removing hills and curves, and cutting down trees.

But, that is why it is so important that residents get involved in the process early, and stay involved, because the safety of those few reckless maroons who want to shave a few seconds off their drive should not dictate the design of any road.

The expressed goal of the county is to improve the roadway while preserving the scenic character of the route. We'll be watching the project as it moves forward, as this road - that runs through the center of the largest concentration of oak woodlands in the county - and the residents who live along it, should continue as a scenic road.




Monday, March 22, 2010

Horse Fair Springs Fen update!

That's skunk cabbage poking up through the snow on the first day of Spring (March 20th) at Spring Grove's Horse Fair Spring Fen! The little creek was thick with those early-rising, prehistoric-looking plants that are a sure sign of a natural, high quality wetland.

Kudos to Linda Balek for exploring this forgotten corner of the Village last year and finding this hidden gem! March 20th was the second Volunteer Work Party at the property, and what a Party it was. Just five of us made a big dent in the invasive brush, two with chain saws and three hauling & stacking the cut wood!

Who knew it would snow on that first Spring morning! But a few flakes didn't stop the volunteers, just as they didn't stop the skunk cabbage from poking up after its long winter nap.

The pictures on the right and left show the area before and during clearing -- lots of brush is visible. The picture on the right shows Ted Thornton & Rich Paull wrestling with a box elder that has been cut, but won't fall because its upper branches are hung up by grape vines. Snags like that have can't be left to fall later -- they could hurt someone if they fell unexpectedly.

The final picture is of the same area after the clearing is complete. The dark spot in the middle appears to be a wet area that will probably be thick with skunk cabbage next time we're out there!!





Wednesday, March 10, 2010

For the Love of Oaks

Look at that red oak acorn! Looking like a chubby head with a cap that's a bit too small!

Did you know that an oak tree has to be 20 years old before it produces acorns? At 20-years, an oak is technically mature, but still just a kid -- kind of like people, I guess.

That is why the state of McHenry County's oak woods is so alarming. The rate things are going, we are going to lose a lot of the large old oaks in the next 20 years, but there are not many young oaks growing in the local woods to take their places when the ancient giants succumb to age or disease.

There are a number of reasons why oaks are not reproducing, but most of the problem has to do with what is happening on the ground under the trees, after the acorns fall. One of two conditions is often to blame: either a lawn is maintained under the oaks - meaning that any young seedlings that start to grow will be killed by the mowers; or, invasive brush chokes them out and blocks the sun that they need to grow!

For many years, I had one of those mowed lawns around our large bur and white oaks on our lot in Harvard. Then, about 5 years ago, we started restoring areas of the yard to native plants, gradually replacing large parts of the lawn with savanna & woodland species - grasses, wildflowers and shrubs like hazelnuts. We even installed a rain garden, and then last fall, mulched a couple of areas extensively to help eliminate even more lawn around the oaks.

And we see young oaks growing, thanks to the many squirrels that bury their acorns all over the yard!

TLC works with a lot of landowners who are tackling buckthorn and honeysuckle thickets around their oaks. One piece of advice we hear over and over again is "start small." Pick one oak, and decide to clear the brush around it - being sure to paint the cut stumps with an appropriate herbicide like glyphosate. When clearing the brush, keep an eye out for any young oaks trying to grow, and avoid harming them -- they are the future!

You don't have to do everything at once, but by resolving to at least start to make things more hospitable for oaks, we can all make a difference!