Commonfields I Summer 2016

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

What’s Inside Mounds Update .......................... 2 Plant this!....................................3 Recent Activities...................... 4-5 Field to Fork Info.........................6 Field to Fork Raffle Tickets........ 7 Events....................................... BC

Directors Robert J. Hilgenbrink, Chair IL Green Economy Network

Bill Reichert, Vice Chair EWR Architects 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 Nancy Larson Harter, Larson & Dodd

Ronda Latina

Environmental Operations, Inc.

Charles Meier Illinois State Representative Cliff Schuette Schuette Seed Company

Justin Siegel

Deli Star Corporation

Dawnesha Tomlin

Illinois American Water

A Quarterly Publication of HeartLands Conservancy

June 2016

Join us!

- Judith Nelson, President & CEO

This spring and summer have seen a flurry of activity here at HeartLands Conservancy. I joined the organization just a day before our Annual Dinner and Green Leaf Achievement Awards. The work of so many to positively impact nature in our region is impressive.

Congratulations to all of our award winners, pictured below!

We have also been busy planting seeds for our seed sharing program, maintaining our native garden in front of the office, and preparing for a number of planning efforts throughout the region.

Now our focus has shifted to our annual fundraiser, Field to Fork. Field to Fork is a most unique event and the largest of its kind in this area! Billed as an “exquisite culinary experience in local cuisine,” it’s an inspiring collaboration of local farmers and chefs that culminates in a six-course meal created by six fabulous chefs from locally grown and sourced ingredients. Over a dozen farms will participate. This truly is an event that celebrates the importance of local agriculture and serves as our premier fundraiser for land conservation.

In just eight weeks since I started with HeartLands Conservancy, we have been presented with opportunities to protect approximately 650 acres of land across six counties. These opportunities are incredible, but we can’t save these natural areas without your help. It is your generosity that will enable us to raise the funds necessary to protect large tracts of land and expansive natural areas here in Southwestern Illinois.

So, I invite you to join us for our fantastic Field to Fork event on Saturday, July 23. Or perhaps you may like to help us during a work day at the Margaret M. Butz Conservation Easement on June 17 or hike with us in our Farm & Flower Trek on June 18. Please feel free to stop by the office in Mascoutah to say hello. I look forward to meeting you as you join us in our efforts to continue investing in the nature of Southwestern Illinois!

Commonfields Spring 2016

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

The Mounds: Updates and Milestones

By: Laura L. Lyon, Special Projects - Mounds Initiative

Since we concluded the The Mounds - America’s First Cities Feasibility Study, we have been implementing the recommendations in the report. Many of you have continued stay involved with the effort. We thank you for your past contributions and continued support. We could not have achieved so much, by so few, in such a short amount of time, without the support of the region’s communities and generous donors.

When the Mounds Project Team undertook this effort, all of us at HeartLands Conservancy acknoweledged that this is a world-class resource worthy of national recognition. We knew that the effort would be daunting, but achievable. The large community outreach, individual letters of support, and social media calls for an elevated National Park Service designation are necessary and very much overdue. We are very close to seeing the completion of what we set out to do over three years ago. When the entire initiative is complete, our success will ensure that the epicenter of America’s pre-Columbian Mississippian civilization will be protected. It will secure the story of our ancient heartlands—both built and unbuilt—to be shared within our community and with our global neighbors. This will be a huge win for the region, Illinois, and the story of the Mounds’ national contribution.

Our recent updates: • Senator Durbin calls for National Monument Designation for The Mounds in letter to President From all of us at HeartLands Conservancy, The Mounds Project Team, and the many supporters of this effort, special thanks goes to Senator Durbin and his staff for their guidance, support, and for his letter requesting President Obama to name Cahokia Mounds a National Monument.

• Governor Rauner also sends letter of support for national designation and partnership with National Park Service.

• William Kerr Foundation provides match funds toward the Grand Victoria Challenge Grant, adding to our resources and continued efforts in this initiative.

• Belleville News-Democrat includes The Mounds in a feature story and writes two editorials in support of the project.

• NPR St. Louis does in-depth story on the effort.

All of these items are crucial as we move forward on The Mounds initiative. These items along with IHPA’s support and the Illinois Joint House and Senate Resolution represent unwavering local and state support, along with all the incredible letters and surveys from organizations, tribes, residents, and communities.

Our primary goal is to achieve National Monument Designation prior to Jan 21. We are beginning our next outreach with social media and crowdfunding, this campaign will focus on encouraging President Obama to follow Durbin’s request. You can assist by voicing your support through a letter or at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.

For links to the stories mentioned, follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheMounds.

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Commonfields Spring 2016

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

Plant this: Milkweed!

By: Sarah Vogt, Environmental Programs Technician Why all the buzz about milkweed? By now you’ve probably heard of the new initiatives sweeping the nation to “Save the Monarchs” or to create Pollinator Gardens or Butterfly Gardens. Milkweed for Monarchs and other pollinators are a hot topic right now, and they do deserve our attention. Here are a few questions I’ve received recently about milkweed specifically as well as butterfly habitat.

I’m making a butterfly garden. Do I have to plant milkweed? There are many types of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators who would benefit from a wide variety of native, flowering plants. Adult butterflies, including monarchs, drink the nectar of many flowers. So planting natives that bloom at different times through the season is important for their nourishment. The reason milkweed is so important is because it is the only plant that the monarch caterpillars eat. So the monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed—it acts as little nurseries for the monarch babies.

Isn’t milkweed a weed? Milkweed has gotten a bad reputation. It is poisonous to livestock, especially cattle, so farmers and ranchers remove milkweed from pasture and cropland. The plant is poisonous to us, as well, if eaten raw. For some, the “milk” that oozes from the plant causes skin irritation.

Milkweed can colonize quickly by seed and from horizontal root spreading. For some gardens, certain varieties might be considered too “weedy.” However, varieties like butterfly weed and showy milkweed do not spread as easily and therefore may be better for gardens.

I tried to plant milkweed seeds, they didn’t grow. Try planting them in the fall. Milkweed seeds need to go through a cold period before they will germinate. Seeds from some distributors come ready to plant, but collected seed will need the cold to grow. If you missed the fall planting it can be simulated by wrapping the seeds in damp paper towel inside a plastic bag and putting it in the fridge for three weeks or so.

Can I plant milkweed next to my house? Yes, absolutely! All milkweeds are perennial. Here is a look at some different varieties so you can decide which is best for your landscaping.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca) • spherical clusters of pinkpurple flowers • blooms in early summer • commonly 3-4 feet tall, but can grow up to 6 ft. tall • can spread quickly

HeartLands Conservancy’s Native Garden

Thomas G. Barnes USDA-NRCS

Butterfly-Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) • brilliant orange flowers arranged in an elongated cluster • blooms June-August • typically grow 1-2 feet tall • does not have the milky sap typical of most milkweeds • can take 2-3 years to flower when grown from seed

Aqualogical Resources

Want more information on native plants?

Join us for the Farm & Flower Trek on June 18!

Focusing On Wildlife

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Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) • similar in appearance to common milkweed, with fewer leaves and darker purple flowers • grows only 2-3 feet tall Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) • narrower leaves and smaller flower cluster than common milkweed • grows only 3-4 feet tall • perfect for wet areas Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) • circular star-like flower clusters pinkish-white to purple • grows 1-3 feet tall • attracts hummingbirds in addition to butterflies • can be more manageable in a garden; less spreading

Commonfields Spring 2016

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

Highlights of Recent Events and Activities HeartLands Conservancy Receives Environmental Excellence Award HeartLands Conservancy was honored for our efforts involved with the Margaret M. Butz Conservation Easement by the St. Clair County Health Department. The certificate of recognition for promoting a green and sustainable environment was presented in April in honor of Earth Day 2016.

Pictured here in front are Jennifer Meyer, Director of Environmental Programs for St. Clair County Health Department; Mary Vandevord, Sarah Vogt, Angela Grossman-Roewe, St. Clair County Board Member; and Judith Nelson, in back are Fred Boch, Lonnie Mosely, and Ed Cockrell, all St. Clair County Board Members.

Annual Dinner Celebrates ALL who invest in the nature of Southwestern Illinois; Announces Six Winners in the 2nd Annual Green Leaf Achievement Awards Lagers & Leaves served as the theme for our 2016 Annual Dinner and Green Leaf Achievement Awards held on April 19. We sampled organic beer brewed by Old Bakery Beer Company and heard from one of the owners, James Rogalsky, shown below, in the bottom right photo. We recognized the efforts of nine finalists and six winners in the 2nd Annual Green Leaf Achievement Awards and were excited to celebrate the efforts of so many with our members, including Norm Etling of Shiloh, below, in the top photo on the right, our board of directors, below, in the top photo on the left, and our new leader, Judith Nelson.

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Commonfields Spring 2016

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org Mill Creek in the Spring Sarah Vogt tackled some invasive species removal and general maintenance at the Mill Creek property in May. She also found an abundance of lush green plant growth, wildflowers, and enjoyable little creatures!

Pulling together to pull invasives at Centennial Park in Swansea, IL A great group of volunteers gathered at Centennial Park in mid-May to pull invasive species in the park.

Seed Sharing at the Leu Civic Center Community Garden HeartLands Conservancy recently won a seed-sharing grant from Seed Savers Exchange and is partnering with the Leu Civic Center in Mascoutah to expand their community garden into a seed-sharing garden. You can volunteer to help with the garden from now through September. We planted basil, thyme, peppers, tomatoes, ground cherries, big blue stem, black-eyed susan, and prickly catterpillar plants in May.

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Do you have a natural area in your neighborhood that needs attention, too? HeartLands Conservancy can help you form a group and provide direction and resources.

RiverWatch in East Fork Silver Creek Volunteers gathered in late May to help collect water quality data in East Fork Silver Creek in Madison County, IL.

Commonfields Spring 2016

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

RAISE YOUR FORKS FOR LAND CONSERVATION!

SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2016

Bellecourt Manor - Belleville, IL 5:00 pm - Doors Open • Amuse-Bouche • Cocktails 6:15 pm - Seated Courses Begin

Members: $70 or $500 per table of 8; Non-Member: $90 or $650 per table of 8.

Purchase tickets at HeartLandsConservancy.org/field-to-fork or by calling 618-566-4451 x10.

FEATURED CHEFS

Josh Charles • Element Restaurant and Lounge Jenny Cleveland • Cleveland-Heath Tim Faltus • Bellecourt Manor Jesse Mendica • Olive + Oak Ben Rudis • Pastaria David Sandusky • Beast Craft BBQ Co.

PRESENTATION / LIVE & SILENT AUCTIONS / LIVE MUSIC Special Guest Speaker - Josh Galliano • Companion Auctioneer - Duane Ripperda • Buy a Farm Live Entertainment - The Trophy Mules

CHINKAPIN OAK:

SPONSORS:

RED OAK: Ameren Illinois • Phillips 66 - Wood River Refinery • Sauce Magazine PIN OAK: Bellecourt Banquet Center • Clinton County Farm Bureau Environmental Operations, Inc. • Geotechnology • Gori, Julian & Associates, P. C. Grimm & Gorly • J.F. Electric, Inc. • St. Louis Composting • Wetlands Forever, Inc. SAPLING: Casino Queen • Farm Credit Illinois • Jody White State Farm Scott Credit Union • Illinois American Water • The Maschoff’s Madison County Farm Bureau

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org

Commonfields Spring 2016

Farm & Flower Trek June 18, 9:00 am henry White Experimental farm

SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2016

America’s Central Port

Treks sponsored by:

Bellecourt Manor - Belleville, IL HeartLandsConservancy.org/field-to-fork events@HeartLands Conservancy.org 618-566-4451 x 10

www.HeartLandsConservancy.org 406 East Main Street Mascoutah, IL 62258 (618) 566-4451

Address service requested:

PRSRT STD NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID ZIP CODE 62258 PERMIT NO 7