WITH AFFILIATE FRANZOSENBUSCH HERITAGE PROJECT

ANNUAL REPORT

2013

SAVE THE PRAIRIE SOCIETY

ADVISORY COUNCILGeorge Derkovitz ................................................................ EntomologistDr. Douglas Dirks .....................................................West 40 ConsultantCarol Fialkowski ............................................... Environmental EducatorConrad Fialkowski ....................................... Chicago Audubon SocietyTom Hintz ....................................................... Jubilee College State ParkEdward Lace .................................................................... FPDCC, retiredDr. Darrel Murray ..................................................... Professor EmeritusUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoDr. Ronald Panzer ..................................... Entomologist, NortheasternIllinois UniversityDr. George Rabb ........................................ Chicago Zoological SocietyLouis Schauer ............................ Trustee, Chicago Zoological SocietyLana Gits ............................................ The Prairie Arts, Graphic DesignDr. Gerould Wilhelm .................................... Director of EnvironmentalServices,Conservation Design Forum

BOARD OF DIRECTORSLarry GodsonJoseph Standing BearJames ArbuthnotDave FindleyJohn BanaszakMary CrayDr. Earl GoseRita McCabeFrank MartinoPatricia ReavesDr. Drew ReavesBarbara SchreiberShirley SlankerJeff SwanoRita DowdNate FremontJames HodappJack MonsonDr. E. J. Neafsey

Cover:“Prairie Dawn,” photo by Larry GodsonNOTE: All photographs in this publication by Larry Godson unless otherwise indicated.

.............................................................................. President........................................................Vice President

..................................... Secretary/Associate Director................................................................Treasurer/Director

.............................................................................. Director...................................................................................... Director

.................................................................................. Director

.................................................................................. Director................................................................................ Director.............................................................................. Director

........................................................................... Director.......................................................................... Director

........................................................ Associate Director................................................................... Associate Director................................................................... Associate Director

.............................................................. Associate Director............................................................ Associate Director

.............................................................. Associate Director.......................................................... Associate Director

WESTCHESTER, ILLINOIS

Save the Prairie Society (STPS) is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 50l(c)(3) organization incorporated in 1975. STPSworks in partnership with the Illinois Department of NaturalResources, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County andthe Illinois Nature Preserves Commission to preserve andrestore Wolf Road Prairie, a Dedicated Nature Preserve.

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WOLF ROAD PRAIRIEPARTNERS

Chicago Wilderness ConsortiumForest Preserve District of Cook County

Friends of the Forest PreservesGreat Lakes Aquatic Habitat Fund

Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesIllinois Environmental Protection Agency

Illinois Nature Preserves CommissionLower DesPlaines, Ecosystem Partnership

Midwest SOARRING FoundationChicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Salt Creek Greenway AssociationSave the Prairie Society

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The Society’s mission is to:acquire natural areas and wildlife habitatpreserve, protect and enhance biodiversityrestore native ecosystemsoffer field trips, prairie tours and natural,historic and cultural programs and eventsat Wolf Road Prairie and the Prairie Housepromote connections to nature through the arts

work to restore the historic Prairie House as a Nature Center and Museum.

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Dr. Virginia Turner.............................................. Associate Professor ofBiology, Harper College

Natural Areas Rescue Fund (NARF) was initiated in 1993 bySTPS as a land acquisition project to save imperiled "or-phan" natural areas and threatened and endangered speciesin Illinois.

STPS is a member of Chicago Wilderness, Earth Share ofIllinois and The Land Trust Alliance. We support local, state-wide and national conservation and environmental causes.STPS docents lead tours at Wolf Road Prairie and the PrairieHouse for student and adult groups. We offer monthly edu-cational programs and events at Wolf Road Prairie and thePrairie House as a community service, and work to promotethe site as a tourism destination that highlights conserva-tion and local history.

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facebook.com/prairiesociety twitter.com/prairiesociety

Save the Prairie SocietyWith Affiliate

The Franzosenbusch Heritage Project11225 Constitution Dr., Westchester IL 60154

(708) 562-3280www.savetheprairiesociety.orgE-mail: lawencegodson@yahoo.com

franzosenbuschheritageproject.org(708) 531-l851 or (708) 562-3280E-mail:dptreaves1@sbcglobal.net

SAVE THE PRAIRIE SOCIETYWITH AFFILIATE FRANZOSENBUSCH HERITAGE PROJECT

YOU ARE IMPORTANT!Contributions from our donors are ac-knowledged with sincere appreciation.While care has been taken to record alldonors correctly, mistakes can occur.If your name is misspelled or shouldappear and does not, please let us knowand we will correct any errors in thenext listing.

DONORS: OCTOBER 1, 2012 - SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2013

Donations up to $25Josephine AndersonJames ArbuthnotRalf & Dottie BergCeleste BrancelAlan & Kim BorkovecCarol BroukAnna Mae DaviaEdith EmmeneggerWilliam HarlanderJanice HinsdaleMargie HatterConstance HopkinsLaura HostetlerSally JansenTeena KotchkaNorman LaForceMarion LynchMary La PalioMr. & Mrs. Kenneth LarsonE.J.& Shonagh NeafseyJoyce NemecJanet HoldenMs. Elaine PesekThomas Worms & Dorothy RenisekGeorge RoseRosemarie SawoskoConstance ScanlanRobbie ShrewRenate & Karl SchulzBarbara SiebelEleanor SmithChristine SulakMr. Ted SwardMargaret A. TormayMarla TurekRandall WadeJeffery Wieser DVMGerould & Margaret WilhelmVernon Witt

Donations of $26 -$50Diane & Glen ArmstrongGeorge & Sally BarberRoy BenedekMuirl BronsteaderMr. J.H. & Mrs K.J. BullRita S. CharakPeter & Beverly ConroyDonna & Daniel DanielsonPatricia EichenoldBeth EdwardsEmilio EscobedoJim GillArlene HarrisonLawrence JakusHalina & Maria Kuczynski JurekLawrence & Joanne KaminAlexandra KotsakisRobert & Margaret LaatchNetwork For GoodCatherine ParksPleasantdale Garden ClubMr. & Mrs. Roger PonaTom RanieriGeraldine RennhackCynthia SkrukrudJoanne SchmitzJanet & Louis StesslWest Cook County Wild OnesMark P. WidrlechnerGertrude WimmerDavid & Linda Workman

Donations of $51-$100Margo AndrewsJames & Linda BieglerNancy Chadbourne-MazeElaine M. CollinaJohn A. FieldKathy & Matthew GollandLucille Hilger (brick order)James & Linda HieglerLaGrange Garden ClubJerry KolarSerek MetcalfMildred MonsenDiana & Ronald NawrockiPark District of Oak ParkJames RobinsonBob Russ (brick order)Carol SchneiderVern Goer’s Greenhouse Inc.Raymond WielgosLinda Workman

Donations of $101-$200Rose ArgoJerome & Dr. Diane Balin (brick order)Rosemary CarrollRichard ClausFidencio MarbellaMetropolitan Family ServicesDavid W. Tate, CPS, LtdAlain & Barbara Wood-Prince

Donations of $201-$250Mrs. Walter F. BrissendenRosemary CarrollRichard ClausMetropolitan Family ServicesEunice & Marilyn SchmidtShell Gas Station and Food Mart, 210E. Odgen Ave., Hinsdale, Il. (Ogdenand York Rds).

Donations of $251-$499Jack & Terryl ShoubaEric Holby Welfare FoundationUnity Temple, Unitarian UniversalistCongregationAnonymous Donations: $332

Donations of $500-$1000Gerald & Jaren A. KolschowskyFoundationMary CrayJoe Pokorny

Donations of more than $1000Proceeds from Prairie Fest: $1,012Earthshare Illinois: $1,240Willowbrook Whole Foods:201rd rd St., Willobrook, IL: $8,954

Photo of Wolf Road Prairie in Autumn by Fidencio Marbella

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Wolf Road Prairie Managementand Nature Programs: 2013

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What a busy year! In 2013 STPS volunteers put in over800 hours of restoration management work at the preserve inconjunction with the expert help of the Cook County ForestPreserve District and the State of Illinois. With your donatedfunds STPS provided close to $5,000 for contract work per-formed by professional restorationists in the northeast sec-tion of the preserve.

In our century, sweeping prairie fires that ranged over hun-dreds of miles--singeing, blackening and nurturing the soilas they blazed--have vanished. Today, native prairie needsthe assistance of man to survive. What inspires us to dedi-cate our valuable time to this effort? For most of us, it is theknowledge that we are helping to save a rare and necessaryingredient of the natural world. We are proud of our effortsto maintain and save it. Whether you choose to donate yourtime or money, we thank you for your commitment and yoursupport as we work towards our restoration and educationgoals in the new year. The following provides a list of natureprograms we sponsored in the community.

January: Aquaponics: Gardening Through The Year: presented by Shawn Neal, proprietor of Root 66 Aquaponics in Brookfield.

March: Examining Climate Change: presented by Rick Knight of Citizen 99 at the LaGrange Park Library.

April: Earth Day: STPS celebrated by cutting Buckthorn, sharing food with our volunteers Woodcock Spotting: with John Banaszak on the Deck of the Prairie House. Coyotes In

Our Midst: presented by Melina Peters, Cook County Forest Preserve Naturalist.May:

Evening Strolls on the May Prairie: with guides John Banaszak, Shonagh & E.J. NeafseyJune: Attracting the Birds: presented by Keith

Brennan, proprietor of “For the Birds” in Brookfield.

July: Insect Safari: Led by Larry Godson and Mike Rush.August: Prairie Walk: with guides John Banaszak,

Shonagh & E.J. Neafsey.

Program list continued on page 9

STPS Nature Programs in 2013

Aquaponics: Gardening Through The Year:presented by Shawn Neal, proprietor of Root66 Aquaponics in Brookfield.Examining Climate Change: presented byRick Knight of Citizen 99 at the LaGrangePark Library.Earth Day: STPS celebrated by cuttingBuckthorn and sharing food with our volun-teers Woodcock Spotting: with John Banaszakon the Deck of the Prairie House. Coyotes InOur Midst: presented by Melina Peters, CookCounty Forest Preserve Naturalist.Evening Strolls on the May Prairie: withguides John Banaszak, Shonagh & E.J.Neafsey.Attracting the Birds: presented by KeithBrennan, proprietor of “For the Birds” inBrookfield.Insect Safari: Led by Larry Godson andMike Rush.Prairie Walk: with guides John Banaszak,Shonagh & E.J. Neafsey.

STPS volunteers spent many hours tracking down the alien Reed canary grass and cutting off the seed heads, followed up with herbiciding.A search was made for Sweet clover and Garlic mustard which was pulled wherver it was found. Generous volunteers from the Hillside Carmaxalso cut brush along the northern border of the preserve. Kristin Pink’s Report for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) earlyMarch: Brush mowing by staff in blocks 407- 408. March 23: Prescribed burn by staff in north marsh blocks 401-403, 405-407. May-June:Canada thistle herbicide application by staff in blocks 409-411. June: Reed canary grass seed head removal by FPDCC staff and GreencorpsChicago, concentrating in blocks 409-413; limited RCG herbicide treatment by FPDCC staff. (Greencorps Chicago is the City of Chicago’s greenindustry job training program for individuals with barriers to employment). June-July: Teasel seed head removal and Sweet clover pulling bystaff throughout the site.

Beginning in January, professional restorationists performed contract work in the northeast section of the preserve. In the southern part ofthis area the Timberaxe machine made short work of dense stands of alien Buckthorn, followed up by careful herbiciding by Tallgrass PrairieRestoration workers. North of this area the treatment of choice was swiping herbicide on the stems without cutting. We feel that the initialcontrol percentage achieved was good. Now we will watch the regrowth and seedling production to determine follow-up treatment. Data on allcounty and state work is provided in this issue by Ecologist, Kristin Pink. Kristin Pink’s Report for January to February lists brush removal bystaff in blocks 410, 411, 412 owned by the State in the south half of the preserve.

Nazareth Academy Workday, mid-May

STPS Workday with Kristin Pink, February

Tracking down the alien Reed Canary Grass, June

Tallgrass Restoration, January

Hillside Carmax Workday Crew with Stacia Novi (far left) Wild Bergamot, Blooming in July

by co-stewards, John Banaszak and Larry Godson with Kristin Pink, Cook County Resource EcologistManagement at WRP 2013 - The Year in Photos

Burning brush piles, April

MARCH through JULY

Thimbleweed blooming in Mid-June

LATE BREAKING NEWS! Last year we provided a $40,000 loan and a $3,000 grant to the Nature Conservancy to purchasea 40-acre property downstate. Just prior to going to press we have received word that the property is now in IDNR hands. The “revolving”STPS Natural Area’s Rescue Fund will be searching for additional high quality land to protect in 2014.

Timberaxe Machine, January

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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IM:G sevn six oh seven Nov 22nd

Soldier Beetler, late Auguset

Volunteers searched for and dealt with invasive Teasel in August. Eagle scout candidate Robert Tworak and his volunteers did a high qualityreplacement of the bridge on STPS Nature Preserve Buffer property at #10 Hickory Lane, west of the main preserve. Enormous quantities ofBuckthorn were removed at the north end of the preserve by the tireless efforts of Nazareth High School students who gave up six Saturdayafternoons in October and November to lend a hand. Michael Clark at Westchester Middle School coordinated a workday for their “Make aDifference Day” in October. Kristin Pink’s Report for September: Brush removal by volunteers and staff at Salt Creek Greenway sponsoredvolunteer workday for National Public Lands Day, (NPLD is held on Sept.28th each year). November: prescribed burn by staff and FPDCCcontractor. Kristin Pink and our management volunteers are currently planning the STPS-funded contract work to be done next year.

Mad Dog Skullcap, Mid August

Kristen Pink,NOV

FPDCC back fire by Pizzo & Associates in November

Kristin Pink,Cook County ResourceEcologist - November burnSavanna Burn, NovemberWestchester Middle School “Make a Difference Day,” late October

WRP 2013 -- The Year in Photos

Sneezeweeed late August“Alien Search Mission”, early August Sneezeweed, late August

John Banazack at workday

The rare Gray Comma butterfly in earlyNovember - Photo by Fidencio Marbella

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E.J. Neafsey with Nazareth Academy workday, November

Working for many weeks this summer, Eagle Scoutvolunteers replace bridge at #10 Hickory Lane

Rita McCabe hunting Teasel behind #7Hickory Lane, August

Goldenrod Soldier Beetle on Coreopsis

AUGUST Through NOVEMBER

Above: Aerial photo by John Hill of Tiger Hill Studios, March 2013 showing managed areas of WRP: Green - swipe on stemherbicide treatment of Buckthorn without cutting, STPS funded contract. Yellow - mowed and herbicided by STPS fundedcontract. Upper right corner, mowed by Forest Preserve Dist., Cook County.

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The burned area would later become magnificent prairie with cream wild indigo, prairie gentian, bird’s foot violet and white lady’s slipper orchids.” - Floyd Swink from a 1987 interview with STPS

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Since the Fall of 2010, FHP has published 14newsletters with a new column by Lana Gitsentitled “Did You Know,” regarding littleknown historical facts of the area. We alsoraised a total of $7,572 dollars in that periodof time through memberships, the purchaseof commemorative bricks and other dona-tions. Enclosed please find our membershipform. We know you will enjoy a visit to ourextensive website:

Ken graciously used his carpentry skills toreplace some sections of wood. You mayhave noticed that the fence that used to bewhite is now also painted in the color schemeof the house. Two groups of WillowbrookWhole Foods volunteers helped us repaintthe front porch in July. Thanks to theWillowbrook Whole Foods for their gener-ous monetary donation and the help of theirwonderful volunteers.

HERITAGE PROGRAMS 2013February: Networking Connections toFamily History and Beyond --Facebook, Twitter and other internet re-sources for family research. Social Me-dia and Genealogical Research: pre-sented by Frank Martino and PatriciaReaves at the Westchester Library.May: What is the Next Step with YourFamily History?: Shirley Slanker,Westchester Library. Hands on Helpwith Genealogy: presented by PatriciaReaves and Shirley Slanker at theWestchester Library.Before We Were Suburbia: presented byP. Reaves at Plymouth Place RetirementCommunity. (continued on page 9).

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Franzosenbusch Heritage Project Report

franzosenbuschheritageproject.organd facebook.com/franzoproject

We continue to work our way throughlegal issues involving parking and firelane requirements. The Department ofNatural Resources has taken the lead

on this for approximately two years butsevere budget constraints have ulti-mately prevented them from making

significant progress. Attorney KennethMoreau has stepped in with needed probono professional legal aid. We thankhim greatly for this and cheer him on!

Larry Godson, FHP Chairperson, Building and Maintenence Committee

Drew (Sawyer) Reavespainting fence

2013

Five of theWillowbrookWhole FoodsVolunteers who helpedrepaint the front porch

A notheryear haspassed andwe reflect onour many ac-c o m p l i s h -ments withregard to thePrairie House and its gardens. We have focusedon several projects involving maintenance, pro-grams, events, and the collecting of historicalinformation. Members have been involved inmaintaining the front garden this summer, where

the tall Compass plants werespectacular on stalks over 9feet tall. (A little history: Com-pass plant leaves grow withtheir edges in a north/southdirection. The slaves used touse this plant as a “compass”when trying to find their waynorth). We weeded and keptinvasive plants at bay. A rosebush was planted in honor oflongtime volunteer, SuzanneMoreau, who passed away in

June of 2012. The herb garden was cared for byRita Dowd. The Native American green housedirectly southeast of the house has been re-moved, thuscreating a wideraccess path tothe prairie.Groups of vol-unteers helpedus scrape andpaint the entirefront porch and steps. We also replaced tongueand groove floor boards and some of the banis-ter wood around the porch. We hired profes-sional painters to work on the higher parts of thehouse. A special thanks to Ken Moreau, ofWestchester, for sharing his expertise by water-proofing some of the exposed wood sections.

DR WM HILGERFR HILGER

LOUISA DELUCA

Bricks purchased forhouse walkway in 2013.(Lettering not to scale)

Donor: Lucille Hilger

JEROME & JEROME

Donor: Bob Russ

IN MEMORYDONNA & JERRY

RUSS

Donor: Jerome &Dr. Diane Balin

P. Reaves lectures in schoolhousemuseum during Prairie Fest

Rita McCabe

Lucchese Heritage HerbGarden, east side of PrairieHouse

CYNTHIAKATHERINE

BALIN 8-31-08

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by Frank Martino, STPS Director, IT Consultant

During the last year, STPS has grown tremendously on theweb. Our home page has been updated and redesigned, allow-ing users quick access to prairie news, articles, events, andvolunteer or donation opportunities. We are on Twitter nowand have also gained a strong community of followers onFacebook (over 100 Likes!)

Please join us by subscribing to our feeds and get involved ina like-minded community of concerned nature enthusiasts. Wewant to create a hub for the community--a place to sharethoughts, feelings, and experiences about our mission of eco-logical preservation and historical restoration.

If you believe in our mission and are looking for convenience,consider the many new ways you can donate to STPS by vis-iting savetheprairiesociety.org/get-involved/donate, where youcan give online using secure methods through Paypal, Ama-zon, and Network for Good. If you are an Android user, con-sider downloading the One Today App by Google (http://www.google.com/onetoday/) and look out for our RestorationProject where you can donate $1 towards restoring Wolf RoadPrairie. Thank you for following us--and if you haven’t, pleasevisit the following sites!

Beginning in February, (left)STPS contributed pictures, draw-ings, and information to thechildren's department of theWestchester Library. The childrenand their mentor, Julie Yekel usedour contributions for ideas to cre-ate a four season mural of WolfRoad Prairie, which is now on dis-play on the library’s second floor.Don’t miss it! In July, (left) threebusloads of students from EnricoTonti Chicago Public School visitedthe Prairie. Docents John Banaszak,Mary Cray, Rita McCabe,E.J. Neafsey and Shonagh Neafseyenjoyed sharing both their love andknowledge of the prairie with an en-thusiastic and appreciative groupof elementary students.

In June, (left) 24 Eco-rangers aged6 to 8 from the Oak Park Conserva-tory toured the prairie with STPSdocents Mary Cray, Lawrence God-son, and Rita McCabe. As part ofour outreach education effort,Board director Dr. E.J. Neafsey gavehis digital presentation “Magnifi-cent Flowers, Fire, Ice, Native Ameri-cans, A Big Fight, Global Warming,and Good Prairie Plants for the Gar-den” to Bethlehem Woods Retire-ment Center, the Oak Park Chapterof Wild Ones, and a local chapterof the Daughters of the American

Revolution. In November, at the invitation of middle school teacher Lilly Buss,Director, May Cray spoke to five classes of third graders about ways in whichthe prairie benefits their community. Again this year, Elm Middle School's 8thgraders (Elmwood), under the guidance of teacher Geri Rode, raised dozens ofplants for STPS. Some were sold to purchase food & refreshments for volun-teers. Others were gifted to volunteers in appreciation for their work..

Education Outreach

www.savetheprairiesociety.org www.facebook.com/prairiesociety

Frank MartinoRita McCabe

Patricia ReavesDrew Reaves

Jim ArbuthnotJohn Banaszak

Lana GitsLarry Godson

ANNUAL REPORT COMMITTEE

Social Media Initiative

September: Save the Prairie Society’s Anual Prairie Fest: at the Franzosenbusch Prairie House Perspective on Nature: by Steve Sullivan,

Senior Curator of Urban Ecology for The Academy of Sciences.October: Flowers and How They Changed The

World: presented by the author, William Burger at LaGrange Park Library.

(continued from page 4)Nature Programs 2013 Heritage Programs (Continued from page 8)

September: Fall Harvest Fest: Passenger Lists - The Transatlantic Journey - Explore the Voyage of Your Ancestors (Posters,

info provided about U.S. ports of entry and exit ports in Europe. Much local history was shared with visitors that day).

November: Streetcars: The third in a series of programs presented by Jack Doyle at the LaGrange Park Library.December: A German Christmas: presented by Patricia Reaves at the

Westchester Library. Come join us for one of our educational programs on the great

history of our wonderful neighborhoods!

by Rita McCabe, STPS Director, Chairperson, Publicity & Events Committees

Save the Prairie Societywith Afilliate

Franzosenbush Heritage Project11225 Constitution Drive

Westchester, IL 60154Located between 31st Street and Constitution Drive,

west of Wolf Road, just 15 miles west of downtown Chicago.Free parking along 31st Street or in the Prairie House parking lot.

For information or to volunteer, call 708-562-3280 or 708-531-l851.

Top row: Jack Doyle, (STPS Events Committee) with rep from Shell Food Mart, Hinsdale; Sarah, the dulcimer player. 2nd row: Save the Prairie Society tourleader Shonagh Neafsey (second from left) about to enter the Prairie with a group, Drew Reaves giving raffle prize basket to happy recipient. 3rd row: Dulcimerplayers; artist enjoying the afternoon beauty of the Prairie House.

ANNUAL PRAIRIE FEST September 28, 2013