October Featured Sites

Meredosia Hill Prairie Nature Preserve is one of the least disturbed areas within the Glaciated Section of the Middle Mississippi Natural Division. The preserve was dedicated in 1986 by the  Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)  to protect a high-quality loess hill prairie community, endangered and threatened species, and wildlife that use the site. Like many hill prairies, Meredosia is being invaded by woody vegetation. Therefore, a primary objective is to maintain the ecological diversity by utilizing prescribed burns and mechanical tree removal to maintain an open, dry prairie community that provides for a diverse community of native plants and animals.

During the Illinoian glaciation, Morgan County was completely covered by glaciers. Although the glaciers left only two small moraines west of the City of Jacksonville, they had a profound influence on the landscape of the entire county. Hills were worn down and valleys were filled, resulting in a landscape with considerably less topographic variation than that which existed prior to glaciation. As the glaciers moved into and across Morgan County, they picked up rocks and boulders that were ground up over time into a fine powder that was carried by the meltwaters. As the meltwaters receded, this material was deposited in the floodplains of rivers where it dried. The prevailing westerly winds blew it several miles where it was eventually deposited. The wind-blown material, known as loess, is the parent material for the soils of Morgan County.

In the year 1812, what is now Meredosia Lake was known as Marais d’Osier, French for “willow swamp”. According to local history sources, this was a name given to the lake about a century before by French voyagers. A settlement in 1816 later adopted the anglicized version of the name, Meredosia.

The land was first owned by the Graham family, who used it primarily for horse pasture, before it was purchased by the Webers in the 1930s. The Webers went on to use the land as pasture for cattle for most of the year until August when the water would dry up. At this time, there was very little brush and only a few trees on the property. A considerable amount of high-quality sand was removed from the eastern side of the property for the construction of blacktop roads in 1959 through 1960. In 1982, more sand of lesser quality was removed by the road commissioner for use as fill near a new bridge. After the removal of this sand, no more large quantities of sand remained on the hills. The property was later acquired by IDNR for dedication as a nature preserve.

Meredosia has a long history of observation and study. In the spring of 1931, the site was visited by A.G. Vestal of the University of Illinois. He was impressed with the persistence of the native prairie vegetation and the lack of serious erosion, despite the trampling of cattle for several years. Beginning in the fall of 1949, the site was studied by Robert A. Evers of the  Illinois Natural History Survey . He described the site in the 1955 publication, Hill Prairies of Illinois. In the 1960’s, the site was visited by Rollo T. Rexroat, an amateur botanist from Virginia in Cass County. He rediscovered the pink milkwort growing in the sandy loess of this hill prairie. In July of 1977, staff working on the  Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI)  identified 11 acres of Grade B loess hill prairie, making it the largest hill prairie in the Glaciated Section of the Middle Mississippi Natural Division, and the only Grade B hill prairie in Morgan County.

A total of 30.02 acres of Meredosia Hill Prairie was dedicated as the 143 ^rd  Nature Preserve in the  Illinois Nature Preserves System  in 1986 by the IDNR. An additional 6.2 acres were dedicated in 1995 bringing the total up to 36.22 acres.

Sideoats grama, little bluestem, and silky aster are frequent species found at Meredosia Hill Prairie. Other common associates include pale purple coneflower and prairie dropseed. Plants worthy of special mention are the State-endangered pink milkwort and State-threatened blue hearts. In the past there have been a few regal fritillaries, but breeding habitats are not present. An upland sandpiper was observed last year. There have been 93 bird sightings reported on  eBird  and over 100 species on  iNaturalist  at Meredosia!

Meredosia has received substantial management attention in the past years. In the early 2000’s this site was becoming extremely inundated with invasive and exotic woody species and the hill prairies were slowly closing in and disappearing. The pink milkwort had disappeared, and the blue hearts population was declining. Immediate action was needed to save the Hill Prairies.

Click the Arrow and Swipe to see a Hill Prairie Before (left) and After (right) Active Management.

In the spring of 2015 prescribed fire was reintroduced and provided some much-needed disturbance. Since 2015, prescribed fire has been used on alternating portions of the preserve annually. In December 2019 and January of 2020 major clearing was completed. All woody species less than 28 inches in diameter at breast height (with exception to some select oaks, hickories, and other hardwoods) were cut and mulched or piled in the valleys. The site was then treated with herbicide to control the woody regeneration in the 2020 growing season and later burned in October of 2020. That burn consumed most of the piles and mulched materials, allowing the native seed bank to respond. In the spring of 2021, before the prairie greened up for the spring, a mix of native grass seed was spread on the bare portions of the hillsides to help reduce erosion and help promote the healing process. The site continues to see fire each year alternating units annually and switching between burning in the spring and fall. The site is also treated annually for undesirable woody and herbaceous vegetation.

Click the Arrow to the Right to View Pictures of These Management Techniques.

Overall, this major restoration project has been a success. Clearing and prescribed burns allow sunlight to reach the prairie and native species to be restored. The pink milkwort and blue hearts have responded exceptionally well with hundreds of individuals present annually. The plan is to continue to treat the undesirable species with herbicide and maintain the frequent prescribed fire regime.

Click the Arrow and Swipe to View Meredosia Aerial Shots Before Cleaning in 2015 (left) and After Cleaning in 2022 (right).

The IDNR,  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  Partners Program,  The Conservation Fund ,  Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative ,  Apex Clean Energy ,  Pheasants Forever , and other organizations have formed the Illinois Hill Prairie Partnership and are working to restore rare hill prairies on private and state lands to expand and connect the rare hill prairie ecosystem in Central Illinois, across portions of Mason, Menard, Cass, Morgan and Scott counties.

To see more information visit  The Conservation Fund website !

Contributors: Heather McLean, Ray Geroff, and Angella Moorehouse

Editor: Heather McLean

Although the area surrounding the Nature Preserve was not covered by glaciers, they still strongly impacted the site's topography. The expanding and contracting of the Ohio River from the growth and melting of glaciers carved out a place against the rock of the Shawnee Hills. Massive water volume from the melting glaciers caused the Ohio River to shift its course, leaving behind the Cache River Valley. Sediments carried by the glaciers settled and blocked off the bottomlands of the Cache River, and periodic overflow from the Ohio River, erosion, and climate events eventually created a lowland of regularly flooded bottomland forests, swamps, and sloughs. The uplands of the site were created during the Mississippian period (320-360 million years ago) when warm, shallow seas led to the widespread deposition of limestone in the Mississippi Valley.

The terrain at Heron Pond - Little Black Slough Nature Preserve ranges from low, inundated swamplands to steep bluffs. The site includes a portion of the Cache River floodplain bounded by tall, limestone bluffs to the north and lower sandstone bluffs to the east and west. The floodplain along the Cache River has minimal relief. Elevations range from a minimum of 330 feet in the floodplain to a maximum of 550 feet in the hills.

The site has extensive stands of high quality upland forest and limestone glade communities representative of the Lesser Shawnee Hills Section of the Shawnee Hills Natural Division and high quality swamp and floodplain forests typical of the Bottomland Section of the Coastal Plain Natural Division. Only 10% of the original extent of the Cache River's swamps and bottomland forests remain, and an even smaller fraction still resembles its historical condition. The high diversity of rare natural communities provides critical habitats for many significant plant and animal species.

Keep Scrolling to Learn More About the Natural Communities Found on Site!

The preserve recently celebrated its 50 ^th  anniversary of permanent legal protection. When the Heron Pond – Wildcat Bluff Nature Preserve was dedicated in 1971, it was one of Illinois’ first nature preserves and also one of the first natural areas protected by law in the entire country. It pre-dated the protection of rare species by the  Illinois Endangered Species Act , the  federal Endangered Species Act , the delineation of the  Natural Divisions of Illinois , and the publication of the original  INAI . The concept of natural areas, their conservation, and their management was very much in its infancy. It is also 50 years since designation as a  National Natural Landmark (NNL)  by the Secretary of the Interior. NNLs are natural areas recognized as containing “significant examples of the nation’s biological and/or geological features”. More specifically, the official NNL brief recognizes this protected natural area as “the largest remaining cypress-tupelo swamp in Illinois” with an “outstanding example of alluvial, colluvial, and lacustrine sedimentation within an entrenched meandering valley system”.

Heron Pond - Little Black Slough Nature Preserve is located within the Cache River State Natural Area, one of the largest state-owned natural areas. The area offers a wide array of recreation opportunities, including hiking, canoeing, fishing, seasonal hunting programs, and biking on the Tunnel Hill State Trail, which runs through the site between Vienna and Karnak. Trails and a parking lot are available.

 To Learn More About Visiting Click Here! 

Still want to know more? Watch the video about Cache River State Natural Area below!

Contributors: Heather McLean and Christina Feng

Editor: Heather McLean

The Bohm Woods Nature Preserve Complex consists of four dedicated Nature Preserves near Edwardsville in Madison County. The high quality natural communities found on the preserves include Grade A mesic upland forest, Grade A and B dry-mesic upland forest, Grade C floodplain forest, permanent and ephemeral wetlands, planted prairie, and reforestation. The Bohm Woods complex is the only high-quality Grade A and B forest protected in Madison County, as well as one of only four protected high-quality or old growth upland forests in the entire Metro-east St. Louis Region. The complex also protects significant cultural resources and an impressive spring wildflower display, as well as being a location for scientific study.

The entire 113.17-acre Bohm Woods Complex consists of four Dedicated Illinois Nature Preserves. Scroll through the map tour below to learn more about each of these high-quality relict Nature Preserves!

The Bohm Woods Nature Preserve Complex is within the Glaciated Section of the Middle Mississippi Border Natural Division (#8a). The rough terrain along the Mississippi River floodplain and the lower Illinois River valleys are included in this forested Natural Division, with river bluffs, limestone cliffs, and abundant wildlife as common characteristics. Bohm Woods protects the best remaining example of Mesic Upland Forest in the Natural Division.

To learn more about the Natural Divisions in Illinois  click here .

The Bohm Woods Complex has been documented over the years to have a rich avian community. Birds breeding in the preserve complex include several species that are sensitive to forest fragmentation (birds needing 100+ acres to successfully reproduce). Species such as Acadian flycatcher, pileated woodpecker, Kentucky warbler, and others breed in these forests. Locally uncommon warblers, including golden-winged and prothonotary, have been spotted at the site. The forested wetlands on three of the preserves provide significant, unpolluted/undisturbed breeding habitat for a variety of amphibians. Since Illinois has lost over 90% of its wetlands, especially the shallow, seasonal fishless wetlands, these aquatic habitats at the Bohm complex are critically important. The Grade A mesic upland forest is comprised of species such as red oak, sugar maple, basswood, and white ash, while the dry-mesic upland forest is dominated by white oak, mockernut hickory, and slippery elm. The Bohm complex is also known for one of the best spring wildflower displays in Madison County. The complex hosts an impressive population of turtlehead in the wetland, as well as a beautiful assemblage of prairie plants such as wild indigo and rattlesnake master.

Click the Arrow to the Right to View Various Plant and Wildlife Species Found at Bohm Woods Nature Preserve Complex!

There are many dangers which are threatening the Bohm Woods Nature Preserve Complex. Read below to learn more about the threats and techniques being used to manage them.

Invasive plant species are one of the biggest threats to the Bohm complex. The invasive species threaten the future of both the tree composition and rich wildflower community present at the preserves. Ultimately this would also affect breeding bird communities and other animals. Between the four preserves, there are several persistent invasive species. Hand-pulling of wintercreeper, Japanese hops, garlic mustard, and small bush honeysuckle is used to reduce populations of these invasives. Cut-stump treatment is needed for larger bush honeysuckle and for burning bush, which forms colonies in the woods. Ongoing efforts continue through volunteers, landowners, INPC staff, and contractual work to remove these invasive plants.

Climate change-induced alterations to moisture regimes, extreme weather events brought about by climate change, decades of fire absence, and invasive species presence are contributing to subtle changes in the forest composition. Oaks currently and historically dominated the canopy of the forests, but will have less replacements if measures are not taken to create more favorable conditions for oak recruitment. Some prescribed burning is done in the woods and on the planted prairies along the border of the Bohm Woods preserve to encourage oak recruitment and clear away leaf litter for the spring ephemeral wildflowers. Subsequent management will place emphasis on implementing practices such as tree planting in field areas to maintain and recruit a future resilient forest and thinning a few shade species, such as maple, to encourage more dappled sunlight for oaks. 

Another threat to the site is from herbicide vapor drift of agricultural and lawn chemicals such as 2,4-D and dicamba. These chemicals have been detected in recent years in the Bohm preserves, and are causing symptoms across a variety of tree species. The oak family are especially vulnerable to the herbicide damage that is occurring. After multiple-year exposures large canopy trees can decline and succumb to mortality. Forest composition and structure are threatened if many large canopy trees die in a short timeframe. If the herbicide damage kills oaks in the understory, the future of the forest will be greatly compromised.

Click Below to Read a Report About Herbicide Drift and Chemical Trespass on Natural Landscapes and Habitats.

Due to the Bohm complex being in an urban setting, there is less deer hunting in the surrounding area. Deer herbivory from the large population has impacted the plant communities in the forest---especially some of the wildflowers. The IDNR implemented an archery hunting program on Bohm Woods Nature Preserve to address the problem. Archery hunting also occurs on one of the private sites. This is an important management activity for reducing the deer population.

 Click Here  for More Hunting Information!

A community of people have been involved with The Bohm Woods complex over the years. A volunteer group formed to partner with the INPC and IDNR on stewardship and outreach at the site. The group started in October 2020 during the Covid pandemic. In the last three years the group has grown and is steadily working to remove exotics species, pick up trash, assist with fire, help educate the public, and other tasks. The group is headed by Noah Dell, and welcomes new members. Please contact INPC for further information.

The Bohm Woods Nature Preserve owned by the IDNR is open to the public. A gravel parking area is located just off of New Poag Road and can accommodate several cars. The parking area also contains two kiosks with information about the preserve complex. An old dirt road traverses from the parking area along the boundaries of the Bohm Woods Nature Preserve and the three private owned sites. Hikers can see William and Emma Bohm Memorial Nature Preserve, Toadwood Scrubs Nature Preserve, and E. Dora Bohm Memorial Nature Preserve from the trail, but the sites are not open for the public to enter into them. Additionally, in the fall, archery hunting for deer removal is allowed at Bohm Woods Nature Preserve, by lottery only.

 Click for More Visiting Information! 

Contributor: Debbie Scott Newman

Editor: Heather McLean

The Des Plaines River valley was historically used during cattle drives to the Chicago stockyards. The valley was not quality pasture, the shallow soils flooded easily during wet spells and dried out rapidly during dry spells, meaning it only experienced minimal grazing. Plowing was also uncommon in the valley due to soil conditions. The widespread survival of Leafy Prairie Clover (a preferred forage species of cattle) also suggests that grazing was moderate or sporadic and no plowing occured. The I&M Sanitary and Shipping Canals interrupted water flows in many areas and encouraged the development of industry in the valley. However, the  Army Corps of Engineers  and  US Fish & Wildlife Service  have been actively involved in protecting spring and seep flows entering the site from the bluff. Additionally, the 680-acre Prairie Bluff Preserve was created and managed to help maintain the hydrology of the site. The invasive Common Buckthorn became a severe problem in dry and dry-mesic dolomite prairie prior to dedication in 1983, but has been nearly eliminated in the present day.

Lockport Prairie contains numerous state and federally listed species, including Hine's emerald dragonfly, leafy prairie clover, and lakeside daisy. Other notable dolomite loving species include slender sandwort and American brooklime. The preserve is also a significant tract of prime wildlife habitat. Numerous songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, and birds of prey use the area, as well as many mammals such as coyotes, muskrats, raccoons, cottontails, voles, and mice.

Click the Arrow to the Right to view Various Species Found on Site!

Serious concerns at Lockport Prairie include groundwater diversion, water pollution, and loss of rare species. One of the most important drivers of this site is an uninterrupted supply of groundwater; the protection and proper management of its recharge area is critical to maintaining both the groundwater supply and groundwater quality. Surface water pollution is a threat from road runoff, agricultural chemicals, and floodwater from the Des Plaines River. Lockport Prairie is burned on a two to three year fire return interval with routine brush control to manage invasive shrubs. Deer regulation has been implemented since 2010, with winter aerial deer counts typically finding 20 to 50 deer per square mile at the site. Cattail control has been used in the last few years with great success, allowing the recovery of wet prairie and sedge meadow to begin. Ongoing efforts to improve water quality of the Des Plaines River as well as seep and spring flows, combined with protection of more land and expansion of management to disturbed areas that could be restored to natural communities, are future goals of the site.

Contributor: Floyd Catchpole (Forest Preserve District of Will County)

Editor: Heather McLean

Hopewell Hill Prairies Nature Preserve is a cluster of glacial drift hill prairies that rest on the bluffs overlooking the Illinois River Valley in the Village of Hopewell. These prairies are separated by dry-mesic savanna, dry-mesic upland woods, and mesic ravine forest all nestled between developed lots within the village. The 16 acre site has exceptional examples of high-quality, high-diversity prairies containing 1.0 acre of Grade A glacial drift hill prairie and 0.5 acres of Grade B glacial drift hill prairie. With only 14.4 acres of Grade A glacial drift hill prairie recognized in the state by the  Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) , this site protects a significant portion of this unique community.

The Hopewell Hill Prairies INAI site includes at least 17 hill prairies, three of which have been protected through Nature Preserve dedication. In 2002, Hopewell Hill Prairie Nature Preserve was found to have an astounding 303 species of vascular plants - impressive numbers given the small size of the site. Characteristic plants of the remnant hill prairies include prairie phlox, prairie dropseed, silky aster, dwarf bindweed, and prairie willow.

The surrounding savannas and woodlands are of varying quality. The higher quality areas have scattered old oaks as well as young new oak and hickory recruitment in areas with sparse maples and sassafras. Purple milkweed, New Jersey tea, large yellow lady’s slipper orchid, French grass, and one-flowered broomrapeall all find themselves at home here.

The gradients from upland forest to floodplain forest in the steep ravines below the prairies support a diverse fern assemblage as well as the locally rare plant Schreber’s aster and the state-listed fibrous-root sedge. Great Indian plantain, Mockernut, black haw, silvery spleenwort, and bellwort can be found throughout the area.

While access is limited because there are no hiking trails, the views are incredible, especially in the fall overlooking the changing colors of the prairie and river valley below. It is also a wonderful birding spot with 174 species reported on  eBird .

 Click for More Visiting Information! 

Contributor: Kaleb Baker

Editor: Heather McLean