T.S. Eliot may have said that April is the cruelest month, but if you were a bird, you would surely say that February ranked first on that list.

February is "Bird Feeding Month," promoted by the National Bird-Feeding Society (birdfeeding.org). February was selected because it is the hardest month for most wild birds, particularly in northern climates like ours. The weather is typically harsh, and food is scarce.

Project FeederWatch has nearly 16,000 participants across North America monitoring the activity at their backyard bird feeders. The data collected by these “citizen scientists” is used by ornithologists (bird specialists) and wildlife ecologists to monitor trends in bird populations. For instance, their data helps scientists spot when a species might be in trouble.

About 250 Illinois residents participate in Project FeederWatch, and the data they have collected over the past two decades revealed some interesting trends.

For example, the number of crows seen at feeders dropped dramatically between 2002 and 2003, and numbers have remained near 2003 levels since that time. The drop coincides with the arrival of West Nile virus in the region. Crows are particularly susceptible to this infection which is spread by mosquito bites (yep, birds are bitten by those pests too).

Another trend has been a steady increase in sightings of Cooper’s hawks at birdfeeders. As residential development expanded into previously rural areas throughout the 1990s and the 2000’s, the hawks found themselves having to adapt to suburban surroundings. The backyard birdfeeders proved a very attractive addition to the landscape for these hunters even though they do not eat the seed. Rather, the hawks eat small seed-eating birds that are found in large numbers at bird feeders. (Think: hawk buffet table.)

Anyone who feeds the birds can participate in Project FeederWatch which is run through the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University in New York. For more information on the program, and to find out how to sign-up, please visit: www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/. Participants are sent a kit with instructions on how to collect and submit data. New participants are accepted through the month of February.

Join TLC on February 6th at Hennen Conservation area at 1pm to learn how to make your own pinecone birdfeeder. There is no charge for the event, and materials will be provided. Please call the TLC office at 815-337-9502 to register.

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!

Land of Oz article link

Did you see the article in the Monday, January 11th NW Herald about TLC's purchase of a 60 acres we are calling the Land of Oz?

This is only the third time TLC has purchased land -- we only buy land when it is on the county natural areas inventory, and either too small or isolated to be purchased by the Conservation District. Otherwise, we leave the land-buying to them, and focus on work with private landowners.

Let's face it, land is expensive, the District has the money, and they are really good at acquisition. On the other hand, because of Linda Balek, TLC excels at working with private landowners to help them leave their legacies of land for future generations.

But, that brings us back to the Land of Oz. We purchased 60 acres of (mostly) wetland for $270,000, and will undertake restoration in the coming years. There is a lot of reed canary grass growing out there, BUT, there are also these amazing pockets of natural sedge meadow that have no reed canary. The pockets are dominated by blue joint grass, sedges, wetland forbs, and all the things one would expect to find in a natural sedge meadow.

The goal of TLC's restoration will be to connect the dots -- to expand the extent of the high quality pockets to the point where they dominate the site.

We decided to name the site the Land of Oz after the long-time owner, Nat Ozmon. But, the name fits for other reasons as well. Like Baum's Land of Oz, this place would only be found by accident, as when the Wizard's balloon blew off course and in to the Emerald City. It is otherwise inaccessible, and hidden from view due to topography. The Land of Oz lies at the bottom of a basin, and does not have direct frontage on any road.

Our local Land of Oz is also a place of wonder - a place where surprises lie around each bend.

We haven't seen any munchkins yet! Or cowardly lions. But I bet there are plenty of frogs & salamanders! We'll find out in the Spring - I hope you'll join us.

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.

Giving Thanks

As the month of November comes to a close, and before the ever-busy month of December begins, I wanted to take a moment to express my thanks for 2009.

Thanks to the Board Members of TLC for being such excellent stewards of the vision that started this organization twenty years ago! In 1989, the idea of a local land trust working with private landowner to preserve those precious places in McHenry County that would otherwise fall through the cracks was just that - an idea! Over the last twenty years, the board of directors has ensured the vision and mission are clear, and the work moves forward! Thank you!!

Thanks to the awesome women I work with every day: Linda Balek, Cheryl Perrone and Jackie Eberle (shown here on a vernal pool outing with easement donor Susan Tauck). They are so much more than "employees"! Each one of them finds ways to go above and beyond her job description every day to make The Land Conservancy more than the "sum of their parts," and to do what each can to build an organization that embodies the mission and vision. THANK YOU!

Thanks to the growing number of conservation easement donors for choosing to preserve their land - forever - by permanently restricting future development. These individuals want to make sure that generations yet unborn will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and bounty that the land provides! Ninety percent of the land TLC has preserved was protected by these private conservation agreements! Their choices will have a lasting impact on the landscape of McHenry County. We are grateful to each of them for choosing to work with TLC to preserve their land!

Thanks to the many volunteers who work to help restore the land, complete mailings, file documents, and run events. TLC is a small organization in some ways, but the combined effort of our volunteers makes us mighty indeed! The scope and scale of work that volunteers make possible cannot be understated! TLC's volunteers ROCK!

Thanks to TLC's members and supporters. In these times of economic uncertainty, we are so fortunate to have steady supporters who make this work possible. Their (your!) support means that nearly 1,800 acres of McHenry County land have been permanently preserved forever. Remember, TLC does not collect tax dollars to pay our bills or to buy land! We work closely with private landowners to help them preserve their land - forever. And member support makes that possible.

There are many more thanks to give, for there are many individuals and organizations who do what they can to make this work succeed! Thank you all.

Driving (me) Insane

Did you ever think about the amount of space in our communities that is devoted to parking? A lot. Next time you go to the store, note the size of the parking lot. Guaranteed, it is huge.

Americans are obsessed with our cars. We drive to work. Drive to the store for a gallon of milk. Drive to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Drive to the pizza place to pick up a pie for dinner. Drive, Drive, Drive.

In McHenry County, the average person has a commute of greater than half an hour each way, each day, and the vast majority of those people drive. They drive alone in their cars to and from their jobs five days a week.

My husband and I are very average in that way. His commute is about 35 minutes each way, and mine is about 25. I manage to carpool once in a while with a co-worker, but not nearly as often as I should.

All this driving has consequences to the environment, generating carbon dioxide and other exhaust chemicals that contribute to air pollution. The reliance on the car has impacts on our health too. We don't walk as much as we should -- when was the last time you walked to the store? the library? to visit a friend? Are you carrying a few extra pounds? Do you drive to the gym for a work out?

But the rest of the world is very different.

My friend Kathy Bergan Schmidt sent me this article from the Milwaukee newspaper. The author lives in Spain, where he and his family DO NOT OWN A CAR. Get this, they walk. Walk to the store. Walk to the movies. Walk to visit friends. Their property taxes are also a fraction of what ours are.

I bring this up because the McHenry County board is reviewing a new land use plan for the county, and the draft that was given them by their planning commission proposes that tens of thousands of new residents move to areas that are currently farmland, and are far removed from jobs, schools and shopping. This type of development is commonly known as sprawl.

Studies by American Farmland Trust and others have shown that sprawl is expensive for communities. It is more expensive to provide services like school buses, fire protection, road maintenance, etc. to all those scattered homes. So, taxes increase to cover the costs -- taxes increase for everyone, not just the folks who live in sprawlville.

And the crazy thing is that there are rumors that some board members think that even more sprawl should be permitted.

Let's think about this:

more sprawl = more cars on the road

more sprawl = less walking, more driving

more sprawl = higher property taxes

Any questions?

Seed Shraring Success!

Halloween 2009 included a trick or treat of sorts for adults this year - seed sharing in Alden Township!

The table full of bags is an adult version of candy bowls - each bag containing seed from a different plant species, and all organized by habitat type. Instead of choosing between Snickers, Kit Kats, or Starburst, the seed sharers were grabbing handfuls of Monarda fistulosa, Zizia aurea and Rudbeckia triloba. I wish I had a good photo of one of the adults with a look of glee on her face while finding that species that she had been looking to add to her restoration!

Thanks to Orrin & Patricia Bangert for opening their garage to the seed sharers as a base of operations, and thanks to the Bangerts, Randy & Karen Stowe, Rich & Renee Dankert, Colleen & Lou Moeller and Kay & Dick Pfundt for opening their properties to the thirty or so seed sharers who came out Halloween morning to collect native seed from these mature restorations to either enhance or expand their own restoration projects.

This is the third year that TLC and the WPPC have teamed up with the Alden Township seed group to share their natural abundance with restorationists across McHenry County. Seed Sharing was initially the idea of George Johnson, former Alden Township resident who had a big influence on the spread of prairie and wetland restoration in the township.

The photo at right shows George (on the left) talking with Lou Moeller (on the right with a cup of coffee). Lou & his wife Colleen purchased the Johnson's house when George and his wife Marilyn moved to Madison Wisconsin a couple of years ago.

One of the most exciting things about Seed Sharing is seeing the restoration bug pass not just to new landowners each year, but to a new generation of landowners!