Hahnaman Sand Prairie Site Tour

Monday, June 22 – 10:00 a.m.

Location: Hahnaman Sand Prairie in Deer Grove, IL

Join the Northwest Illinois Chapter as we visit the Hahnaman Sand Prairie owned by a foundation that was created by member Greg Wahl.

Hahnaman Sand Prairie is a mixture of habitats, with most of it being sand prairie.  There are several remnants on the property and many acres of planted prairie.  Greg has identified 386 species on his property.    We are hoping to see a large display of blooming pale purple coneflowers, but Mother Nature will decide that.  There are always blooms out on the prairie, so we’re sure to find something flowering.  We also hope to see some prairie critters, including butterflies, birds and possibly some reptiles.

We will meet at Greg’s shed, a newly remodeled building with running water (drinking water), restroom facilities, and maybe air conditioning!!  We’ll start the tour with Greg giving us a quick overview of the prairie and then we’ll venture out into the prairie. 

The prairie is accessible by 4WD (and AWD – if necessary) vehicles; Greg is able to accommodate a good number of people with his truck and UTV, but we may need additional vehicles if we have a large turnout.  We’ll stop at several of Greg’s favorite spots for prairie viewing and then head back to the shed for more discussion about the foundations plans for the property.  Our hope is to be out in the prairie while it’s still relatively cool.  

Please bring a lunch with you to eat while we’re back at the shed.  After we have finished our lunch and discussion we’ll head out.  For those that are interested in additional touring, we’ll make a quick stop at Foley Sand Prairie, a dedicated Nature Preserve just down the road from Hahnaman Sand Prairie.

WHAT TO BRING:
Please bring your lunch, water/beverage, insect repellent, and dress to be out in the prairie.

CONTACT:
We would like to know how many people will be joining us on this tour, so please contact Laura Dufford (lauradufford@gmail.com) with your name, phone number, and how many people will be joining you.  We will cancel if weather looks extreme.  You’ll be contacted as early as possible if that’s the case. Hahnaman Sand Prairie is quite a distance from Jo Daviess County, so we may wish to carpool. Please let Laura know if you’d like to be included in carpool arrangements. 

LOCATION:
Hahnaman Prairie is located at: 30922 Jersey Rd, Deer Grove, IL. We will meet at Greg’s shed at 10:00 a.m. MAP HERE