Commonfields I Fall 2015

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

What’s Inside Project Updates ......................... 2 Tips...........................................3-4

A Quarterly Publication of HeartLands Conservancy

Fall 2015

Fall is a great time to treat many invasive plants Now that the summer heat is gone, cooler fall temps have us yearning to spend some time outdoors. Autumn is the perfect time to battle those pesky invasive species in our forests, fields, and lawns. See reasons why and great tips inside on page three!

Recent Events ......................... 4-5 NAVNet Opportunities................6 Membership................................ 7 #investinginnature .................. BC

Directors Robert J. Hilgenbrink, Chair IL Green Economy Network

Frank O. Miles, Vice Chair Madison County Community Development

Bill Armstrong, Treasurer Retired, International Banking

Robert Nelson, Secretary Nelson & Nelson Attorneys at Law

William Boardman Firehouse Contracting, LLC

Brenda Chandler Buy A Farm Land & Auction Co. Ronald J. Foster, Jr. Schoen, Walton, Telken & Foster

Dennis (Denny) Kirkham Land Owner

Robert Knobeloch St. Louis Prompters LLC

Ronda Latina Environmental Operations, Inc.

Charles Meier Illinois State Representative Bill Reichert EWR Architects

Cliff Schuette Schuette Seed Company

Justin Siegel Deli Star Corporation

Dawnesha Tomlin Illinois American Water

Volunteer Focus: Mr. Kerry Brethauer Meet Kerry Brethauer, chemist, native of St. Clair County, and HeartLands Conservancy volunteer! An avid scout volunteer and expert camper, he enjoys being outside. Thus, Kerry has spent weeks volunteering at the Lebanon Avenue property, assisting with a variety of things, most notably the removal of invasive plant species. Kerry notes that the Lebanon Avenue property was very much a working farm and homestead in the past. Once the remnants of the farm were removed, the house razed, and major portions of the forestry work were completed by professionals, Kerry has fine-tuned the management of invasive plant species on the property.

Such efforts will promote a more natural forest recovery on the eight acres of land that will be included in a permanent conservation easement. Below is one of Kerry’s forest favorites: a large walnut. Trees are not the only things thriving on the property, one day Kerry was surprised by a small family of deer in the woods, too!

Why does Kerry volunteer for HeartLands Conservancy? He likes the goal to buy back natural areas that would otherwise be swallowed up in urban and suburban expansion, and especially likes the Lebanon Avenue property. “It’s nice to have a patch of woods… hopefully the community can continue to enjoy and appreciate it.” With his time and talent, Mr. Brethauer truly is helping HeartLands Conservancy to invest in the nature of Southwestern Illinois!

Commonfields Fall 2015

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

Upper Silver Creek Watershed Plan...UPDATES! The Upper Silver Creek Watershed Plan is almost finished! After public outreach meetings this summer, the document is nearly ready.

Remind me, where is the Upper Silver Creek watershed? It is an area about 8 miles wide in eastern Madison County where water flows into Silver Creek. It runs north to south, approximately east of I-55, and ends at the Madison-St. Clair county line.

What is in the Plan? Several Best Management Practices (BMPs) were recommended for improving water quality, flooding, development strategies, fish and wildlife habitat, and education. The BMPs include grassed waterways on agricultural land, wetland restoration, streambank stabilization, and stormwater infrastructure that helps prevent flood damage in urban areas. There are also sections on funding, outreach, and measuring success.

I have an erosion/flood issue on my land. How can the Plan help me with that? Now that erosion and flooding issues (among others) have been identified in the Watershed Plan, projects addressing those issues are far more competitive to receive state and federal funding. You can fill out the Landowner/Farmer Survey to let us know what issues you have and what projects you would be interested in implementing: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/silvercreeklandownersurvey.

What’s next? A draft has been submitted to Illinois EPA and our project partners. Comments will be addressed in the final version of the Plan, to be submitted November 1st. Madison County will then take some more time for its own review process, and will subsequently update the plan.

Where can I find out more? See http://www.heartlandsconservancy.org/uppersilvercreek/. The Plan will be uploaded in November. Contact Janet Buchanan with any questions: janet.buchanan@ heartlandsconservancy.org.

Clinton County Water Quality Project...COMPLETE! HeartLands Conservancy and the Clinton County Soil & Water Conservation District are pleased to report that the third phase of work to improve water quality in Clinton County is now complete. Western Clinton County contains one of the densest livestock populations and largest population of dairy farms within the State of Illinois. This area also contains over 66 miles of streams which are listed as impaired with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Livestock operations are one contributing factor to the excessive nutrients which are entering these waterways.

In total, this partnership has assisted 26 livestock producers over the past decade in making improvements to their manure management systems. Funding for the collective projects, $2,868,525, was provided in part by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, and in part by matching funds provided by local producers. These projects will collectively reduce nitrogen input into area streams by 82,378 pounds per year and phosphorous input by 14,303 pounds per year.

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www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

Commonfields Fall 2015

Plant This...Not that.

Nurseries and garden centers around the region sell plants considered invasive species. Invasive plant species are a threat to natural areas because they displace native plants, eliminate food and cover for wildlife, and threaten rare plant and animal species. Natural resource professionals have difficulty determining which species are the worst threats to natural areas. Therefore, species that are considered a grave threat by some professionals are still recommended by others and sold by nurseries.

To date, about 5,000 types of alien plants are found in the US ecosystems. Alien weeds invade over 1.7 million acres of wildlife habitat per year in the US. As a result, invasive species cost the US over $138 billion a year and approximately 42% of threatened or endangered species are classified “at risk” due directly to non-native invasive species.

Working to remove these plants from your property and volunteering to help clear invasive species from public lands can help. See pages one and four for more information about invasive species removal and NAVnet. As we begin to plan our spring landscaping projects, let us keep Mother Nature in mind. Here are just a few invasive species commonly sold in nurseries and native alternatives.

THIS!

Not This...

Prairie Flame Shining Sumac

Burning Bush or Winged Euonymus

(Rhus copallinavar. latifolia ‘Morton’)

(Euonymus alatus)

Ginger (Asarum spp.)

Winter Creeper

Hellebore

(Euonymus fortunei)

(Helleborus spp.)

Blazing Stars (Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’, Liatris pychnostachya)

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum saicaria)

Prairie Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)

Variegated Prairie Cord Grass

Ribbon Grass or Reed Canary Grass

(Spartina pectinata ‘Aureomarginata’ )

(Phalaris arundinacea)

For a more extensive list of invasive species visit: www.invasive.org/illinois/SpeciesofConcern.html Learn more about planting natives in your garden at: www.grownative.org A few reasons why Fall is a great time to treat many invasive plants!

• Cooler temperatures and less active insect pests can make the task a little less taxing.

• Herbicide applications work best in late fall and early winter. As plants prepare for winter dormancy they send nutrients from their leaves to the roots, so added herbicide will be taken to the roots, too.

• Native plants are dormant and less likely to be affected by herbicides, especially in late fall after the first hard frost.

• It is easy to identify invasive species, such as bush honeysuckle in November – they are often the only green plant left.

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Commonfields Fall 2015

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

Highlights of Recent Events and Activities

From rusted tractors to wild grapevine, poison oak to fallen fence posts...

On a recent visit with a landowner in Southern Illinois, Dave Eustis captured this bald eagle along the Mississippi River.

Illinois now has more year-round bald eagles than it did 70 years ago.

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www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

Commonfields Fall 2015

Highlights of Recent Events and Activities Janet and Mary put together a lovely parklet for all to enjoy during the Mississippi Earthtones Festival in Alton in September.

What is a parklet? A parklet is a small public sidewalk extension. It usually extends two parking space lengths and uses non-permanent materials. It combines elements such as seating, trees, flowers, shrubs, umbrellas, bike parking, or lighting. Parklets can be uniquely customized for the needs of each location.

Thanks to all who came out for the Piasa Creek Paddle Trek on September 26th! It was a gorgeous morning with perfect weather for paddling. The seven boats glided up the main creek and, on the way back down, explored a smaller tributary with fallen trees to squeeze around and underneath. Thanks to the Great Rivers Land Trust for lending the canoes, and to the Sierra Club for event support.

... the Lebanon Avenue property has come a long way and will soon have its official recognition as the Margaret M. Butz Conservation Easement!

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Commonfields Fall 2015

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org Do the woods in your favorite park look like this?

Dense and overgrown...

Marketing & Communications Coordinator NavNET

Meet Megan Connelly,

Born and raised in rural Richland County in Southeastern Illinois, Megan Connelly came to the Metro East for college. After completing both Speech Communication and Marketing degrees at McKendree, she continued on to the University of Missouri-St. Louis and obtained a Master of Arts in Communication.

She spent 10 years in corporate sales and account management for an industrial supply company but yearned for work that was more inspiring to her.

Megan learned about HeartLands Conservancy after noticing a Field to Fork posting on Facebook.

Intrigued, she looked further into the organization and was pleasantly surprised to discover the need for help in Marketing and Communications.

Would you like it to look more like this instead?

Clear, with space for trees to thrive.

A farmer’s daughter, Megan was active in 4-H and FFA growing up and spent her share of summers on the farm baling hay, raising cattle, and keeping up with the ever-changing odd jobs that go along with a grain and beef production operation.

Responsible stewardship of our environment and conservation are important to Weiler Farms and, as a result, also come naturally to Megan.

“Coordinating communications and marketing for HeartLands Conservancy will allow me to work in the fields I most enjoy while promoting conservation of green spaces, farmland, and nature in general—things all near and dear to my heart! I look forward to learning more about all of the great things HeartLands Conservancy does in Southwestern Illinois and hope to help grow our community awareness and local impact.”

Tell us all about it! NavNET, the Natural Areas Volunteer Network can help! Let us know if your favorite park needs a little help. We can work with your town to organize volunteer events and demonstrate how to clear woods of overgrowth and invasive species. With some neighborhood power we can help get that park looking great again!

Call Sarah, 618.566.4451 ext. 23 or send an email (sarah.vogt@heartlandsconservancy.org).

Work controlling invasive bush honeysuckle at Swansea’s Centennial Park has been successful, and now we want to work with more communities to help improve parks for everyone.

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Commonfields Fall 2015

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

HELP HEARTLANDS CONSERVANCY PROTECT THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT MATTER TO YOU!

Did you know that HeartLands Conservancy welcomes gifts of real estate?

Receiving gifts of land and real estate from generous supporters just like you ensures our vision of communities with healthy and sustainable air, land, and water resources for generations to come.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

Join us as we invest in the nature of Southwestern Illinois: For more information, contact David C. Eustis, President and CEO of HeartLands Conservancy.

618-566-4451 ex. 26 or info@heartlandsconservancy.org.

HeartLandsConservancy.org/get-involved/memberships

Remember HeartLands Conservancy on December 1, 2015 #GivingTuesday 7

406 East Main Street Mascoutah, IL 62258 (618) 566-4451

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