Fleming Road Update

Members of the Fleming Road Alliance sent a series of updates to the County Board over the last couple of weeks to cover topics ranging from road design standards to Groundwater recharge issues.

Their bottom line is this: Keep Fleming Road in the same footprint.

And they have a list of ideas for why and how that can happen:

1. Maintain 10-foot lanes and 1-2 foot shoulders. Minimize grading. Repair the [road] base where necessary...

2. Leave the alignment (sight distance) and drainage patterns the way nature accommodated them when the road was first a local farm road.

3. Reduce the posted speed limit to the lowest permitted by law.

4. Post the weight limit at 6 tons per axel (as before), to maintain safety and extend the life of the road.

5. Preserve one of the last remnant Oak Hickory Woodlands left in this county.

6. Respect the property rights of owners to the middle of the road.

7. Embrace the Natural Heritage Corridor [the easements that TLC holds with the Village of Bull Valley along the roadway] and take this opportunity to be a leader in Context Sensitive Solutions [a road design framework promoted by the State].

8. Direct MCDOT [McHenry County Department of Transportation] staff to acquire the necessary variances, waivers and exceptions to avoid application of standards that do not fit Fleming Road's unique glacial topography.

9. Maintain control over the construction process. [This issue came up when county staff commented that they don't control what the contractors do when they are actually building the road.]

I'm sorry, but these all seem very reasonable to me. And, I think that much too much is spent on road work anyway, so why spend more than is necessary? It should cost less than $1 million to repair the road base in a few areas and then repave the 2 1/2 mile stretch of Fleming, as compared to $10s of millions to rebuild the road. So what if they have to repave it again in 5 years, that will still cost less than rebuilding the whole thing. Heck, they could repave it every year for 20 years, and it would still cost less than rebuilding it...

So, kudos to you, residents of Fleming Road, for standing up to say "enough is enough." I hope people in the right places are listening.

A Little Oak Poetry

A friend sent me this poem recently. I keep it on the desk where it is close at hand to lend some solace if I start to feel tense or frustrated. I highly recommend it.

By Mary Oliver

Black Oaks

Okay, not one can write a symphony, or a dictionary,
or even a letter to an old friend, full of remembrance
and comfort.

Not one can manage a single sound, though the blue jays
carp and whistle all day in the branches, without
the push of the wind.

But to tell the truth after a while I'm pale with longing
for their thick bodies ruckled with lichen

and you can't keep me from the woods, from the tonnage
of their shoulders, and their shining green hair.

Today is a day like any other: twenty-four hours, a
little sunshine, a little rain.

Listen, says ambition, nervously shifting her weight from
one boot to another -- why don't you get going?
For there I am in the mossy shadows, under the trees.

And to tell the truth I don't want to let go of the wrists
of idleness, I don't want to sell my life for money,
I don't even want to come in out of the rain.

Oaky D'Oak, we're planting Oaks!

For Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 30), TLC is planting oaks with people throughout McHenry County. These little trees will be Mighty Oaks one day, but it could be 20 years before we're sitting under their shade!

So, what's up with that? What's the point of planting a tree if it is going to take that long to turn into a "real" tree?

Well, for those readers who have been checking out this blog for the last couple of years, you already know the answer, but let's review - for old time's sake!

McHenry County was once 40% covered in oak-hickory woods and savannas. Today, nearly 90% of those woods have been lost. Many were cleared in the earliest days of settlement for farming or building homes, barns & fences, or even to provide fuel to heat homes. In fact, during the first 40 years following settlement, 50% of the oaks were cut down. Over the following 130 years, another 38% were sacrificed - primarily for development.

So, isn't one tree as good as another?

No, Oaks are better. They really are in many ways.

Oaks have acorns. Acorns are a valuable food source for a diversity of wildlife ranging from deer to blue jays. Native people would make biscuits from acorn flour because they were potent sources of energy.

Insects love oaks, and more insects use oaks for at least some part of their lifecycles than any other type of tree. And a diversity of insects translates directly into a diversity of birds! So, even if one doesn't appreciate insects, most folks do like birds.

Oaks are McHenry County's heritage. Not maples, not willows, not cottonwoods. Oaks. Quercus. Macrocarpa (bur), Rubra (red), Bicolor (swamp white), Alba (white). And if we play our cards right -- if we all do what we can to restore, protect and regenerate our local oaks -- oaks will be our future too!

Remember, the Greeks said: A society grows great when old men & women plant [oaks] whose shade they know they shall never sit in. Let's make McHenry County a great society!!

Are oaks like people?

The first TLC easement was accepted in 1991 from Leta & Alice Clark at the corner of Thompson Road & Route 120. The sisters wanted to be sure that their "Wildflower Preserve" was never developed, despite a friend's comment that the corner "would make a perfect spot for a gas station" one day! Actually, legend tells me that the friend's comment is what led the sisters to seek out someone to help them make sure that fate would never befall their lovely corner.

The photo was taken in April 2010 while driving past on Route 120, heading from McHenry to Woodstock. About 10 years ago, IDOT redid the intersection and took some land along Thomspon and 120, which I believe led to the eventual die-off of several oaks that were very near to the roads.

There was an enormous bur oak right at the corner that died in 2009. Some say "fungus" was the cause, but I feel in my heart that the bur oak's fate was sealed as soon as its roots were cut and crushed during the road work a decade ago.

I have started to think of these oak trees as if they were people. It's not that far-fetched, really. Sure, they live 2-3 times longer than most people, but they cannot reproduce until they reach some stage of maturity -- about 20 years old. Each oak is unique, and grows more distinctive as it ages.

As most people age, it isn't usually one thing that kills us, it's some combination of things that add up over the years. Well, why wouldn't it be the same for our oaks?

I would like to think that we can afford these elders a little respect, rather than seeing how much abuse they can take before they succumb?

Slow Down! Take a Cue from Nature

As I look around this time of year - leaves off the trees, flowers now brown, insects and other small creatures hidden away - I can't help but think of the wisdom of Nature.

Months ago, ss the amount of daylight was shrinking and temperatures started to decline, plants and animals were heeding these signals and starting to store energy for the coming winter.

Deciduous trees and bushes like oaks and maples literally shut down for the season. Sap no long flows, and without leaves, photosynthesis - that energy producing machine - ceases. Perennial plants like coneflowers and hostas die back to the ground after storing as much energy in their roots as they can. Frogs find a mucky spot where they nestle in for the winter, their vital signs dropping to near zero as they enter a state of suspended animation.

When the snow and ice and freezing temperatures arrive, they are ready. And rather than fight back against the weather with shovels and salt and four-wheel drive, they wait. They wait patiently while the amount of daylight grows longer and the temperatures climb ever so slowly.

The plants and animals are ready for winter. Are you?

The amount of daylight will continue to shrink for another two weeks, only to reverse the pattern December 22nd. So, there is still time to ready oneself for winter. Perhaps take a lesson from Nature, and relax for a time rather than fighting against the inevitable?

Embrace the next snow by choosign to stay home that day rather than cursing the inconvenience of the weather and tackling the roads. Build a snow-person, or take a walk with a camera and see the patterns and shapes that the blanket of snow creates.

Don't fight the first ice storm. Make a cup of hot cocoa and do the crossword puzzle in the paper, or pull out that book that sits on the shelf still unread!

And when the temperature drops, find a loved one to snuggle with, rather than turning up the thermostat. Enjoy those quiet moments that winter brings. Celebrate them!

Nature understands that this is a time to slow down and conserve one's energy - to recharge for the times ahead. Winter is Nature's gift, and for that I am truly grateful.

The restorative force of fire

It seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it? Using fire as a tool to improve the condition of natural areas.

Yet, through millenia of struggle between plants, animals, and the natural forces of wind, snow and fire, a system developed in this area where the trees that were best able to withstand the effects of fire came to dominate much of the landscape. And along with those trees came the plant, animal, bird & insect species that were most compatible with those trees.

Yes, I'm talking about our oaks.

Like sentinels, the bur oaks stretched their branches out across the prairie, catching the maximum amount of sunlight - growing broader than they were tall.

And the fires made that all possible.

McHenry County sits at the line between two ecoregional zones - the Grand Prairie and the Prairie-Forest Border. To the south, east and west of this area there once stretched a vast grassland where the buffalo roamed and fires once swept for miles and miles before hitting a natural barrier like a river.

To the north and west was once the prairie-forest border region where the prairie gave way to trees, but the trees did not form actual forests. Instead, the trees - often oaks - were widely dispersed, or found in clusters where they were sheltered from the prairie fires that came from the south and west. This is where the oak savannas were created, and where a unique system of insects and plants emerged that is now one of the most endangered natural communities on the plant.

In the absence of fire, today's oaks are crowded out by fast-growing, shade tolerant species like maples, buckthorn and honeysuckle.

So as odd as it seems, we try to burn the woods when conditions permit, as it is the easiest way to keep them in a healthy condition that supports a greater diversity of plant & animal species!

Why we plant oaks

The facts can seem overwhelming:

- Nearly 90% of the oak woods that were here in 1837 are gone.

- At the rate things are going, the remaining oaks could be dead in 20 years.

- It takes twenty years for an oak tree planted today to produce its first acorns.

- The remaining oaks are not reproducing either due to:
* improper management of the understory (e.g. allowing species like buckthorn to grow un-checked, or keeping a manicured lawn under the trees),

* effects of animals (e.g. deer browsing young trees, field mice eating acorns), or

* the effects of invasive species on the soil chemistry and the unique web of life needed by an oak's root system.

Yep, it is tough being an oak tree in McHenry County today.

And that's why we plant oaks whenever we can. On 10/10/10, that meant planting 100 oaks around McHenry County with the help of nearly 100 local residents. Those 100 trees will not replace the woods that are at risk today, but by working with local residents to plant trees today, we are teaching a next generation to take ownership for the future of these trees.

Since 2007, TLC has worked with nearly 1,000 local residents of all ages to plant over 1,000 oak trees. Those people can visit the trees they planted, and know that they are part of something bigger - something hopeful - something positive for the future.

It is too easy to get lost in the facts, and to feel overwhelmed, wondering "what can I do? It's hopeless! I can't change things!" But the fact is that every one of us has the ability to do something. Even just one thing, and that WILL make a difference.

Plant an oak. Clear some buckthorn from underneath an oak. Gather acorns in the fall and deliver them to TLC. Support organizations like TLC who are working to save the remaining oak woods, and to help ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to experience the magic and wonder of these magnificent trees -- just as we do today!

The fact is that there is time. These trees are still with us today - they have lasted long enough for us to learn what they need, and to take action.

Native Americans and the Land

Did you know that native people, for perhaps thousands of years before Europeans arrived on this continent, managed the land to make it more conducive to hunting? They lit fires to keep the brush down in the woods, and to keep the landscape around their encampments open for visibility, and safe from wildfires.

This painting by Frederic Remington, noted painter of the American west in the 1800s, shows Native people watching a grass fire that they set. This would be an image that Remington actually witnessed -- he wasn't one for painting from his imagination -- he liked to depict real people and real situations that he witnessed first hand. Kind of like an early newspaper photographer, but with a canvas and paint brushes.

An early settler's journal describes this place we live in today as looking like "apple orchards planted by the hand of God for the pleasure of man." The oak woods that early settlers found were open, easy to walk or ride a horse through. Today, one might say they were "park like."

This open and inviting scene was part natural (through spread of wildfires), but also partly human-made, through the use of controlled fires by Native peoples.

After European settlement of the region, wildfires were eliminated as were human-made fires. This permitted brush and less hardy trees (like maples and ash) to grow unhindered by fire.

The lesson I wanted to pass along is this thing we call "ecological fire" is not exactly new, and the landscape that our forefathers and mothers inherited when they moved to McHenry County was hardly untouched by human hands.

So, once again, the old becomes new, as we relearn the ways that many generations of Native people took for granted. Careful management of the land was good for game, safety and ultimately survival of those peoples.

Relearning these ancient lessons of how to tend the land in ways that promote sustainability for us and for nature can only benefit every member of the community.

What's a Scenic Road?

It may be safe to say that "scenic" is in the eye of the beholder. One person's scenic drive may be tedious to another who just wants to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, and is annoyed by the hills, slower speed limits, curves and trees close to the road.

I love driving through the county's gently rolling farm fields, but know people who think this area is too flat and the farm fields are b o r i n g.

Whether one likes scenic vistas of farmfields, or curvy, hilly routes that cross through examples of the county's glacial remants (moraines, kettles, kames and outwash plains), there are many scenic driving experiences to be had in McHenry County.

For example, I think most any road through Bull Valley is scenic, with their windey turns and hills, plus the trees overhanging the road and the farm fields stretching across the rolling hills.

O'Brien Road (that turns into Vander Karr Road as one heads east) is one of my favorites. It crosses through farm fields, past conservation land, and over the Nippersink Creek in the north part of the county between Alden and Richmond.

Thayer Road is another of my faves, going from Alden Road in the west to Greenwood Road in the east, passing farm fields, oak woods, and crossing at least one branch of the Nippersink Creek. I find the vistas across farm fields along Thayer amazing. The view is fairly flat and most trees are in the distance, so they don't block the view. I'd like to explore some of the isolated woodlands out there sometime -- they seem so remote and mysterious!

In the middle part of the county, there is Collins Road running west from Woodstock across the flat, outwash plain that sits between the Woodstock and Marengo moraines. The road starts out straight and level, with beautiful views of an agricultural landscape. As Collins hits the Marengo Ridge glacial moraine, the character of the road is transformed into a hilly, wooded route - the vistas are gone, and trees are the norm.

Then there is Fleming Road, a 2 1/2 mile route that runs from Country Club Road at its south end northwest to Route 120 east of Woodstock. In that short stretch of road, one passes visible examples of the county's "swell and swale" glacial terrain, complete with kettles and hills that were left behind when the Wisconsin glacier retreated 12,000 years ago. Additionally, the road passes through perhaps the largest concentration of remnant oak woods in the county.

Scenic may be in the eyes of the beholder, but I'm sure glad for the scenery around McHenry County that I get to behold!

There are Fungus Among Us!

This is a blusher mushroom found June 24, 2010 in some woods north of Harvard. I'd never seen one of these in person -- only in photos.


It's a type of Amanita, which are usually poisonous, but this a non-deadly variety! While many mushrooms are quite safe (and good) to eat, there are quite a few that are either deadly poisonous resulting in near instant death, mildly toxic (causing gastric distress), and/or containing slow-acting toxins that may take several days to affect your vital organs and kill you.


So, it's never a good idea to eat a found mushroom unless you are absolutely sure you know what it is. But, just touching a poisonous mushroom won't kill anyone, so collecting them for identification is quite safe.

I was able to identify the blusher by looking at a combination of characteristics: cap color, presence of a "veil," stem size, shape & color, gill color, spore color and the location where the mushroom was found (in this case, on the ground in some oak woods). In this case, white spores and flesh bruising red were two of the keys. Another key was that the blusher is commonly found in oak woods.


If you look closely at the photo with the cut stem pieces turning red, you can see white spore prints on the piece of paper. Spore color is one of the key pieces of information needed to identify a mushroom, so I always try to get a spore print by separating the cap from the stem and placing it on a piece of white paper under a glass overnight. This increases the humidity around the mushroom which helps to release the spores.


Something else I learned about Amanitas today: there is a mold that attacks them and turns them into gnarly, solid things, as seen in the picture to the left. I cut the mushroom thing in half lengthwise, and was surprised to find that the stem and cap flesh seemed to be fused, and while there was a cap-like piece at the top of the mushroom, but there were no gills, and the exterior was covered in a hard crust.


I would never have guessed that there was a mold that attacked fungi! That's one of the things that keeps me interested in identifying mushrooms - there is always a new variety that I have never seen before, either because I'm in a different type of habitat, or its a different time of year.

Killing Gypsy Moths

Well, it is gypsy moth season! The caterpillars have emerged and are now quite large. Soon they will pupate, and in August emerge as moths.

There are lots of references on the Internet that explain the lifecycle, spread and management of these invaders.

I can sum up the primary management objective in one word: kill.

Kill by squishing them or dropping the caterpillars into a bucket of soap water. Power spray them out of the trees - even the big caterpillars seem pretty fragile. Wrap your trees with fabric (something inexpensive like burlap works just fine).

The fabric works like this: the caterpillars feed at night, and then climb down the tree during the day to get out of the sun - and presumably hide from predators like birds. At night, when they climb back up the tree to feed, some will get caught in the fabric. Others will use the fabric as a resting place where they are hidden from predators. When checking the fabric in the morning, it will be easy to kill the caterpillars.

The next phase when it is going to be relatively easy to kill them is when they turn into moths. And they actually make it easy for us! The female gypsy moths are nearly white, and they don't fly. So, they are easy to spot, and kill. The males are brown and do fly, so are not easy to catch or see, and harder to identify as a gypsy moth versus some other native moth.

The gypsy moths are not native to North America, but they have been in our country since the late 1800s!

I went to college in the early 1980's in Massachusetts, and the gypsy moths had taken over the woods! I recall being in campus in June for orientation, and they were everywhere. In fact, they were so dense that you could hear them eating, and their droppings (called frass) sounded like a light rain! Despite the heavy infestation, the trees have survived. And so they will here, especially with a little help from us!

Fleming Road situation

I've been thinking a lot about Fleming Road (runs from Route 120 to Country Club, about 2 miles). If you haven't driven it, it is worth the drive. Truly one of the most scenic roads in the county. Hilly, wooded, gentle curves, the whole bit.

A friend calls it "tummy tickle" road because of the hills - a name that started when his kids were little and they liked the roller-coaster effect of driving along Fleming!

BUT, it is technically a county highway that is considered by them to be the route from Route 120 to Route 14 by way of Country Club Road and Ridgefield Road.

Over the years, some folks have used Fleming as a cut-through for just that purpose - to get from west Crystal Lake to points north like Wonder Lake. And folks who are "cutting through" are often looking to get from point A to point B a bit faster than it would take to go around on the main roads. And that means they want to go as fast as possible.

Well, Fleming just isn't that kind of road!

Fleming is more of a "Sunday Driver" road - you know, the kind where folks drive slowly, looking at the scenery, and enjoying the rural, pastoral landscape along the road.

Well, now the road may be threatened because some feel it needs some "improvements." And those "improvements" are likely to mean the road will be less hilly, wider, and with trees set back farther from the pavement. All of that translates into "less scenic" if you ask me.

Now, here's what I don't understand. Why can't they just replace the pavement and do the work within the existing right of way? Why can't they keep the road largely the same as it is today, and enforce the speed limits, rather than changing the road to make it more of a speedway for those folks who want to shave a few seconds off their trip from Crystal Lake to Wonder Lake?

Why?

Support TLC in April!

Just a reminder that there are only a few days left in the month of April, which means just a few more days to support TLC & the environment!

If you haven't ordered your oak yet, you have until Friday! Red, bur & swamp white varieties ranging from two foot ($20) to five foot ($75). And 30% of the sale price supports TLC's 3rd Generation Oak Fund to help ensure that oaks will be an important part of the McHenry County landscape FOREVER!

Summer's coming, and that rainbarrel full of clean, free water will be so good for the garden, but you have to order yours by Friday to get the great price of $65 for a 55-60 gallon rainbarrel! Tumbling composters are also available for just $130.

Pick up for the trees, rainbarrels & composters is May 14-15 at Hennen Conservation Area, 4622 Dean Street, Woodstock.

And, you have until Friday to eat at Duke's Ale House, who will donate 5% to TLC if you bring a coupon with you (or ask your server for one at the Restaurant).

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.

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!

Celebrate with TLC on January 31st!

Ninety one years ago this month, January 6, 1919, Teddy Roosevelt died in his simple house on the outskirts of Oyster Bay New York. His passing affected many, for he was recognized by Americans in his day as a friend of the people and a man of courage.

TLC is pleased that the former President will come to life on January 31st at our Annual Meeting, giving those present a chance to meet the man responsible for preserving millions of acres of land through the creation of National Parks, the designation of National Monuments, and the establishment of the National Wildlife Refuge system.

We are still taking reservations, but with nearly 150 people signed up for the event, we will run out of room soon! Please visit our website to make your reservation today. Member tickets are just $35, and non-member tickets $45 (which includes a year membership - what a deal!!)

Among the items that will be included in the "Local, Green, Natural & Handmade" Silent Auction is a salesman's copy of the 1919 book 'The Life of Theodore Roosevelt" written by S. Draper Lewis. The book is in fair condition, but the many photos included in the book are all in good shape.

The brunch starts at 11am, TLC's awards program will begin at 12:30, and the President will speak starting at 1pm!

Bully!

Another Amazing Year

By the numbers, 2009 was an amazing year for TLC. Another 263 acres of precious McHenry County land will never be developed.

- ten conservation easements preserving a total of 200 acres of land.
- one land donation preserving 3 acres.
- one land purchase of 60 acres.

A huge THANK YOU to the landowners who chose to place permanent conservation restrictions on their land, ensuring that future generations will enjoy the beauty and abundance that these lands provide.

As in other years, the numbers are only part of the story. The places preserved include:
- twelve acres of critical recharge for the Boone Creek Fen
- 26 acres adjacent to MCCD's Glacial Park
- 60 acres of sedge meadow that provides a critical stepping stone of habitat
- nine acres of oak woods that are a remnant in the oldest glaciated area of the county
- 75 acres of sustainably managed tree & shrub nursery land
- four acres of buffer for the Parker Fen
- nine acres along the Nippersink Creek
- an ancient grove of hickories
- 16 acres of high quality wetland adjacent to MCCD's High Point Preserve
- three acres adjoining the 150 acre Finch Farm that TLC preserved in 2007
- three acres along Pistakee Lake, presrving a family legacy that has been passed down for most of a Century.

There are many more stories like these waiting to be told! Stories of people, land, and people with the land! I'll take the time to tell some of these stories in the weeks ahead.

If you can attend our annual meeting on January 31st, you'll have the chance to meet some of the people behind the stories! Hope to see you there.

Mulch Right

We had several very large branches removed from a couple of the old trees on our lot, and decided to keep the mulch for use around some of our trees.

This situation presents the opportunity for me to offer a short lesson in correct mulching.

Frankly, mulching ones trees properly is critical to the health of your trees -- or, perhaps I should say that incorrect mulching can kill trees.

Leaving the grass growing right up against the tree is problematic for many reasons, including:

- you risk mower damage to the trunk,

- if you fertilize or use herbicides on your lawn, you kill the beneficial soil organisms that the tree needs to take up nutrients from the soil, and

- you compact the root zone through continued traffic with a lawnmower.

Here are a few tips on mulching well:

1. NO MULCH VOLCANOES. Never, ever pile the mulch up in a hill around the trunk of the tree. This all-to-common mistake promotes root growth into the mulch, which weakens the tree. It also invites insects and rodents to feed on the smothered bark.

2. To keep weeds from growing up through the mulch, lay down several layers of newspapers in the area where the mulch will be placed. 6-10 layers of newspaper will smother the grass and weeds, but still allow water to soak into the ground, and permit the soil to breathe. The newspaper will break down over a year or so, and you will be left with a rich humus (organic soil) under the layer of mulch.

3. Pull grass and weeds out from the area next to the trunk before mulching. This step will save you work later, because sure enough, the first place weeds seem to show up is right next to the trunk -- unless you clear them out prior to laying down the newspaper and mulch.

4. The mulch should create a bowl of sorts -- thickest in the area furthest from the trunk. Think of the bowl as a way to ensure that water won't runn-off away from the tree, but will soak into the ground nearest to the trunk.

5. The mulched area should be at least three feet around the tree for oaks and hickories to protect the densest section of roots from compaction and disturbance. I have to admit that because of time, the mulch circle shown here extends only about 2 feet from the trunk.

After getting a good ring of protective mulch around the tree, then it is time for installing native plants under the rest of the tree's canopy! But that's a lesson for another day !!

Life without the Internet

It was a long three weeks in some ways.

TLC moved our office about 500 feet on July 25th from a pole building at the back of a plant nursery to a 100 year old farmhouse at the new Hennen Conservation Area to serve as care-takers of this City of Woodstock park. We'll open and close the gate every day, monitor the trails, pick up trash, and provide a presence to help ensure vandalism does not become a problem.

And the 500 foot move meant we were about 300 feet out of the DSL service area for our former Internet provider. Thus began our three week journey to find an alternative to DSL...

In the meantime, being disconnected from the world of Internet and e-mail meant that we had plenty of time to organize all of the records that were moved from the old office, and ample time to work on organizing the Hennen Conservation Area for a public opening later this month. (August 30th from 2-3:30pm!!)

Thank you to the crew of summer interns who worked through heat and rain to put in a trail system (over 2 miles) and to begin removing invasive species that were crowding the handful of giant oaks they discovered while exploring the property (like the 52 inch diameter one pictured above).

Our new location at Hennen will give TLC lots of opportunities to actually run programs to help connect people with the great outdoors and with the work that TLC does to preserve and care for the land. For example, we'll work with City staff to plan "back to nature" programs to help connect Woodstock residents with the great outdoors -- a special opportunity presented by this site.

Hennen Conservation Area is a 25 acre parcel that was donated to the City by Phyllis & Tony Hennen - long time residents who retired to Minnesota three years ago. The Hennen's were known to many in the community through their daughters Tonya and Tara, and through their involvement in the "Stop the Stacks" battle against a proposed peaker plant in their back yard.

So, I guess the bottom line for me is that three weeks without the Internet was a very small price to pay for the priviledge of getting to work here every day -- actually the three weeks was a gift. Just like the Hennen Conservation Area will be a precious gift for area residents forever!

Does your water taste salty?

In McHenry County, virtually all of the water people use in our day to day lives comes from the ground - groundwater.

An important thing to remember about groundwater is that once pollutants make their way into the water that is underground, it is very difficult and expensive to remove.

A "contaminant" of growing concern in local groundwater supplies is chloride - an element that is being introduced to the groundwater through septic systems that are connected to homes with water softeners and also road salt.

The salt that is commonly used in water softeners to remove hardness from household water is Sodium Chloride (NaCl). The water "softening" process results in the release of high levels of sodium and chloride ions into the septic system where they quickly pass into the drain field and down into the groundwater.

The standard for chloride in drinking water is 250 milligrams per liter (mg/L). This is the level at which the water will taste salty to most people. Less chloride than that and people tend not to notice it.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), standards for chloride in drinking water are merely guidelines since chloride does not pose a health risk - at least not at levels low enough that we cannot taste it.

We've all heard advice to limit salt intake to help stay healthy, right? It's linked to high blood pressure and thereby an increased risk of heart disease. For humans, the primary source of salt (sodium chloride: NaCl) is the diet.

But, there are members of our community who "taste" chloride at a level of less than 100 mg/L, and whose well-being is profoundly affected in even these small amounts. The level of sodium found in McHenry County groundwater (in the Boone Creek watershed) is already 80 mg/L AND RISING!

A study documenting the dramatic increases in chloride levels in even rural areas of the northeastern US provides a lot of good information about the ecological impact of increasing salinity. The impacts include:

- altered natural community composition (many plants and animals cannot tolerate the higher chloride levels, so are replaced by those that can)

- changes in plant and animal reproduction and mortality (some plants and animals stop reproducing, and others die)

- changes in the structure of microbial communities.

This last one may seem trivial, but those microbes are critical to the soil food web that so much of life depends upon. Consider that oak growing in your yard - if the water table becomes salty, the beneficial fungi and microbes that the trees roots depend upon to feed the tree can die, and then the tree won't be far behind.