A great many people over the years have made Somme Prairie Grove a well-known and respected example of good stewardship and restoration. And still, more hands could make a big difference.
Below is a list of the types of opportunities and the people who are currently involved. (To help out or to get more information, please contact us.)
| Type Of Work | Season | Description More detailed descriptions are available for seriously interested folks. |
Requirements | Who Does It Now Parentheses mean much more is needed. |
| Seed Scouts | Summer and fall | Learn to identify and map at least ten species of plants so that you can gather the seeds (or lead others in gathering them) when they’re ripe. | At least two hours per week during summer and fall. | (Paul Dolinko, Duke Riggen, and Joan Meersman) |
| Rare Plant Tender | June and July (and August, depending on the plant chosen) | Locate the vulnerable rare plants that emerge each year. Cage species that need it to protect them from deer. Pollinate those that need it. | Two or three hours each on four or five days each year. | (Lisa Culp) |
| Endangered Plant #1 (not allowed to put name on web) |
When needed. | Cage to protect from deer. | One to two hours on two to four days per year in May. | Lisa Culp |
| Endangered Plant #2 (not allowed to put name on web) |
Summer | Cut back nearby invasive brush. Monitor. | A few afternoons or mornings per year. | Open |
| Endangered Plant #3 (not allowed to put name on web) |
When needed. | Cage to protect from deer and pollinate. | One to two hours on two to four days per year in June and July. | Open |
| Endangered Plant #4 (not allowed to put name on web) |
When needed. | Cage and pollinate in cooperation with Morton Arboretum. | Probably five or six hours, if all goes well. Could use a lot more. | Open |
| Rare Plant Monitor | June through September | Learn to identify one or more rare plants and count or sample them each year. | Minimum of one two hour day each year. | Lisa Culp |
| Plant Community Monitor | June and August or September | Sample plant communities. | Good knowledge of the region’s wetland, grassland and woodland plants. | SP and Linda Masters |
| Oak Protector For Area A | When available | Cage young bur oaks in the savanna areas to protect them from the deer until they’re big enough to prosper. | A few hours every few weeks. | Will Freyman |
| Oak Protector For Area B | When available | Cage young bur oaks in the savanna areas to protect them from the deer until they’re big enough to prosper. | A few hours every few weeks. | Open |
| Shrubs protector | When available | Cage significant shrubs to protect them from deer. | Ability to recognize key shrub species. | Lisa Culp and Will Freyman |
| Hazel Protector | When available | Cage significant American hazelnut in key areas, to protect them from deer. | Ability to recognize hazel. | Lisa Culp and Will Freyman |
| Frog Monitor | March through June | Learn to identify the site’s four species of frogs by their calls. Get FPD permit. Record their presence and densities during early evening visits (after dark.) | Three evenings per year. One each in March, April, and June. | Tim Wilson |
| Bird Monitor | February (for owls.) May through June | Identify birds mostly by ear to map and record all breeding species. | Good bird identification skills for about twenty local species. | SP |
| Restoration Planner | Occasional | Propose strategies and make maps of areas for brush cutting and planting. | Plant identification and restoration study and experience. | (SP) Apprentice stewards may adopt specific areas. |
| Restoration Crew Leader | Flexible | Lead volunteer groups in special projects during weekend work events. | Varies with the work to be done. | Open |
| Herbicider | Weekends | Herbicide stumps cut by volunteers. | Illinois Herbicide License | Lisa Culp, Don Parker, Stephen Packard |
| Area Steward: North Swale Grove |
Flexible | Plan and implement restoration for this area. | Willingness to study a defined area, make draft plans, and revise and implement. | Don Parker, Rebecca Blazer and the 20s/30s group |
| Weed Scout | Whenever convenient (May – July) | Find and map populations of purple loosestrive, reed canary grass, and others. | Ability to identify target plants. | (Lisa Culp) |
| Weed Terminator | Weekends (or whenever convenient) | Herbicide weeds as mapped by weed scout. | Illinois herbicide license (and Master Steward status) | (Lisa Culp) |
| Weed puller | May through August, occasionally | Find and pull remaining white sweet clover, Japanese hedge parsley, wild parsnip, etc. | Ability to identify target plants | (SP) |
| Trails Developer | As needed | Walk the trails at least once a month, watch for problems, propose solutions, implement solutions. | A sensitive practicality | SP |
| Tours Coordinator | May through October, principally | Do, or find people to do, the following: Schedule, publicize and lead (or schedule other people to lead) tours introducing small groups to the site’s birds, butterflies, plants, restoration and other features. | Various parts require a wide variety of skills and expertise. | (Bruce Davidson) |
| Printed Educational Materials | Whenever | Edit and produce trail guides in cooperation with experts (separate guides to the sites butterflies, birds, wildflowers, grasses, restoration, etc.). | Initiative. | Open |
| Audio Materials | Whenever | How about downloadable audio trail guides for each month? How about audio for the web site? | Open | |
| Advocate and Ombudsman | Whenever | Get walk light installed at Waukegan and Dundee.
Improve the deer control program. Make presentations to Village and County officials as needed |
Experience and contacts are desirable, but any smart, committed, creative person could do it. | Open |
| Web Site: Design and Graphics | As needed | Develop and maintain website. | Web site development skills necessary. | Carol Freeman |
| Web Site: Programming & Technical | As needed | Develop and maintain website. | Web site development skills necessary. | Marilyn Schweitzer |
| Web Site: Content and Recruitment | Recruit various expertise as needed (writing, graphics, science, etc.). | Administrative and people skills needed. | Open | |
| Digital mapping | Design and maintain mapping of features, stewardship, etc. | Tech brilliance | Will Freyman | |
| Border Defense | All year | Watch for vehicle trespass, dumping, and other incursions. Report. Negotiate solutions. | Good judgment and communications skills. | (SP) |
| Group Organizer: Middle School | Every second Friday | Coordinate the “Chicago Wilderness Rangers” workdays | Communications and people skills | Open |
| Group Organizer: 20s/30s | Occasional | Coordinate 20s/30s Group (Restoration X) workdays | Stewardship planning, communications and people skills | Don Parker and Rebecca Blazer |
| Volunteer Interns | Any time (summer probably the best) | Ask for suggestion or make one yourself. Specialized seed gathering. Weed control. | Motivation. We can provide training to people who will repay the training with hard work. |
Open 1 |
| Paid Interns | Any time (summer probably the best) | Priority restoration activities. | Apply through www.habitatproject.org. | Open 2 |
| Fundraiser | Any time | Find resources for needed work. | Motivation, contacts, skills, willingness to learn, whatever. | Open 3 |
Endnotes:
Revised April 2009