Marty Piping by Carol Freeman
Marty Maneck—our Plaid Piper—leads the procession of more than 200 people to the solstice bonfire. Every year, a great pile of invasive brush blazes to help us celebrate the return of longer days. Thanks to many for great food and high spirits.
Bonfire Starts by Carol Freeman
This big pile is just a small token of all the brush we volunteers cut in 2011. But there's more to the photo that initially meets the eye.
Thanks to Carol Freeman for more great photos.
They tug at our hearts, at the end of the year. Spiral orchids, asters and especially gentians, with their colors so deep that we dread facing the dun colored winter with this richness lost behind us. All visible from Somme Prairie Grove's trails. But not for long…
Fringed gentian, wondering if it's sunny and warm enough to unfold its four petals.
Photograph by Lisa Culp
The spiral orchid, found especially along trails.
Photograph by Lisa Culp
Three gentian flowers in process. The top one is waiting for warm sunlight, to open. The first one below is thinking about being ready to open tomorrow. The bottom bud probably thinks of opening in a few days.
Photograph by Lisa Culp
Another gentian, posing as a Georgia O'Keeffe painting.
Photograph by Lisa Culp
The bee (down in the flower) and the swallowtail are both after the same nectar. They never seem to fight. Somehow there's room for all.
Tiger swallowtail and bee on pasture thistle - by Lisa Culp
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The Village has had trouble with this “service road” area being used for overnight truck parking, garbage dumping, etc. Although serving as temporary access to the preserve, it has also been a source of vehicle trespass, dumping, plant and seed poaching, and other misuse.
Also—in time the plan is for this entire area to be closed off and vehicle access needs satisfied by a new turnoff from the expressway (with a traffic signal and the ability to turn both north and south on Waukegan). The entrance and egress for the businesses down this service road will be tied in with that, so this southern part of the service road will be closed.
Parking for Somme Woods Prairie, Somme Prairie Grove, and Vestal Grove will be at Somme Woods—one block south and one block east on Dundee Road. A trail with signage will connect that parking lot to this area with a “Walk Light” crossing at Dundee and Waukegan.
Actually the law requires all dogs to be on leash in all forest preserves at all times. This rule will get extra attention by Forest Preserve District police at this preserve because (1) this fine ecosystem is so often visited by school and museum groups, (2) some loose dogs wreak havoc on rare ground-nesting birds, (3) the many rare and endangered plants at this precious site are under enough stress and trampling already without dog traffic that could as well use a less fragile preserve, and (4) there have been complaints of dogs being aggressive with preserve visitors.
Since the signs went up in spring 2006, there has been a dramatic increase in the nesting birds of open areas. The field sparrow, a ground-nesting bird on the watch list of declining species, has visited this preserve every spring but has not nested during the recent years of heavy use by loose dogs. This year at least one pair are busily bringing up their nestlings. The black-billed cuckoo—a steeply declining bird that builds a loose stick nest two to four feet off the ground in shrubs—is nesting for the first time in decades. Three pair of eastern bluebirds are nesting; there have never been more that one pair in recent years. There are many places where dogs can be walked, but this is probably the only site in the North Branch forest preserves where these birds are nesting.
Enjoy your visit to Somme Prairie Grove. Let us know if you have thoughts or questions.