Northwest Illinois
Photo Credit: Caleb DeWitt
Northwest Illinois
Photo Credit: Caleb DeWitt
About Our Chapter
Mission and Service Area
The Northwest Illinois chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts (NIPE) is committed to the protection, restoration, and management of prairies, savannas, and other fire-dependent ecosystems in the Driftless Area of Illinois. The area contains hill prairie, oak woodland, sand prairie, oak savanna, sedge meadow, oak barren, and tallgrass (black soil) prairie. NIPE primarily serves Jo Daviess, Carroll, and Stephenson counties.
Steering Committee
With the retirement over the past two years of some long-time members of the Board of Directors and a subsequent need to scale back its efforts, NIPE has spent several months deciding how best to continue NIPE’s mission and activities. NIPE has decided, at least for now, to dispense with a formal Board of Directors. Instead, a Steering Committee will guide NIPE for the foreseeable future.
Current members of the Steering Committee are Jay Rutherford, Barb Siekowski, Vicky Wagner, Jake Pulfer, Leanne Martin, and Laura Dufford. Regarding NIPE’s activities, Laura comments that “We are continuing on with seed collecting, education, and working at keeping our properties maintained.”
Volunteers
NIPE needs volunteers to help with specific endeavors. Right now, NIPE needs help with its land management crews. If you have an interest in working with and/or organizing a work crew, please email Laura Dufford.
Hanley Savanna 20th Anniversary Party
Photo by Marilyn Anderson
On July 9, NIPE celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the founding of Hanley Savanna, in rural Hanover, Illinois. Members and friends attended to learn a bit, eat a bit, and walk the prairies.
Hanley Savanna: Ongoing Walking Surveys
Throughout this summer, NIPE’s Laura Dufford and Pam Johnson have been walking the various prairies at Hanley Savanna, noting flora, fauna, and insects. Once a month, the public is invited to help with the survey. (Check NIPE’s Facebook page for details.) Here are a couple of photos from the July 24 survey:
Male Widow Skimmer Dragonfly. Photo by Carol Mantey
Giant Swallowtail on Monarda fistulosa Photo by Carol Mantey
Green Burial Presentation
Casper Creek Natural Cemetery & NIPE Invite you to attend “Is Green Burial For You?” followed by an exploration of the prairies at Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve on
Sunday, October 1 (Rain date: Sunday, October 8*)
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Casper Creek Natural Cemetery
870 S. Pilot Knob Road, Galena, IL 61036
Bring a lawn chair and water. Free to the public, no RSVP needed.
Have Questions: call Andra Olney Larson, Operations and Sales Manager of Casper Creek Natural Cemetery, at (815) 677-3411
*Check NIPE’s Facebook page on October 1 in case inclement weather requires moving the presentation to the rain date.
History:
Led by Jim Rachuy, NIPE was founded October 5, 1993, and soon had 60 members. The membership has more than doubled since then, and NIPE remains the sole Illinois chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE). Over the years, NIPE has helped restore and/or manage approximately 1,500 acres.
Some other highlights of NIPE’s history:
- NIPE has identified about 110 sites (a little less than 35,000 acres) in Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties that contain significant natural habitat or prairie remnants, of which 56 have been restored and/or are being managed by NIPE.
- The Seed Shed, where NIPE processes harvested native plant seed for overseedings in
restorations, began operating in 1993. - The Prairie Enthusiasts purchased Elmoville Prairie in 1994 and Hanley Savanna in 2003. (See Sites and Projects) and holds easements on Horseshoe Mound and Lonetree Farm.
- NIPE has partnered with the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF) since 2003 to help restore various JDCF properties, including Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve (90 acres), Eagle’s Nest (120 acres), Galena Gateway Park (180 acres), Horseshoe Mound (almost 200 acres). Oneota (161 acres) and Wapello Land & Water Reserve (75 acres).
- NIPE’s Species Conservation Project began in 2014 by identifying plants that should be growing in our area, obtaining seeds when possible, and growing them in NIPE’s two rare plant gardens. NIPE aims to establish three viable protected populations of 797of the 1572 plants that are native to Jo Daviess County. By 2021 335 species were growing in three or more protected sites, including land owned by TPE, JDCF, the Galena Territory Association, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and Illinois Department of Natural Resources. As of 2022, 189 species are field collected, 117 are under cultivation, and 55 are currently unavailable for restoration, leaving 101more species that can be cultivated in the future.
Current Focus:
NIPE continues to actively steward the prairies and other ecosystems at Lonetree Farm, Elmoville Prairie, and Hanley Savanna. The Species Conservation Project also continues. As resources permit, NIPE works with the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and private landowners, providing native seed and program assistance for restoration and stewardship activities.
Other Activities:
NIPE also does the following:
- Has cooperative work and/or seed exchange programs with organizations such as the Northwest Illinois Stewardship Co-op and the Lake Carroll Prairie Club.
- Offers education programs; and
- Pursues grants and other funding to assist with all its activities.
People
Staff: NIPE currently has a seed coordinator and some staff working on NIPE properties.
Volunteers: NIPE relies on its wonderful cadre of volunteers to keep its various efforts going. If you are interested in helping pick prairie seed, assisting in the species conservation program, getting involved in prairie restoration or stewardship, or joining a committee (current committees include Education, Land Management, and Grant Funding), please contact NIPE at northwestillinois@theprairieenthusiasts.org.
Facebook: Chapter page
photo by Susan Lipnick
photo to the right by Zoe Pearce
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