The Lost Adventure (Part 3 of 3)

10/23/11

      Pretty abruptly the habitat and terrain changed yet again. Now the trail became hilly, being former dunes. This area became more oak (Quercus sp.) dominated and it also where I came across this odd ball…

This hash-brown of a plant actually stumped me from my discovering it until about a week from my writing this post. It is a non-photosynthetic parasite called Squaw or Cancer Root (Conopholis Americana). After finding the first one, I got a big head and thought I had found some rare late succession dune plant. I continued feeling high for about 50 yards when I saw this…

…maybe not so rare. But it was still really cool and new to me so I still felt high. It was also in this area, which is near the end of the trail, that I came across a raging stream. Even though it was just a creek, it was rushing very fast and the sound carried for some distance. Let me put this in perspective though. The day after this trip occurred it rained hard again. I returned to the area briefly during summer and discovered that the sturdy wood bridge which the trail crossed the creek with had been washed away. At this time it was nearly 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep, fast running, and impossible to see through. When I made my summer check back, it was a whopping one foot wide, two inches deep and the entire creek bed was visible.
Besides spending way too much time marveling at the water (I’ve got a thing for running water) the whole pocket created created by winding dunes, dense old growth trees, and the creek was absolutely serene. It was this location that inspired what was to be the original title, “A Slice of Paradise.”
      Honestly of all the trips I took this felt like the longest. But soon I made my way back to the train, classes, and society. I really had no idea this would be my last trip to the IN dunes to date but I think it was quite satisfactory, even fitting, as a finale to the first chapter of my adventures on the shores of Lake Michigan and this blog. While I will be returning (as frequently as I can) I intend to shift the focus of this blog northward. Illinois dunes in the northernmost suburbs of Chicago are very different in character from those to the south of Chi town in Indiana but no less interesting, exciting, and (for most of us) new. I hope you enjoyed reading and I look forward to bringing you the next wave of adventures.

See you in the field!

The Lost Adventure (Part 2 of 3)

10/23/11

      Early on I came to some curious clearings. For no clear reason, there was a sudden open sandy area with a single tree growing in the center with the outer rim host to a variety of ferns. What’s more, there were multiple! Even with my skill for making really good guesses at interpreting natural phenomena, I was stumped here. There is no readily apparent reason for these erratics within the forest. Certain areas throughout the trail were denser than others and as a result the trails and surrounding soil had a different character.

In one of the darker areas but with a healthy undergrowth I got a treat. I spotted two wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) skulking along. By the time I had spotted them, they spotted me and were already high tailing it away. I wasn’t able to act fast enough to pull out my camera. It may seem silly to get excited about seeing Turkeys but actual wild Turkeys are very different from domesticated ones. Most of the time you see them in flocks or on pastures. The true turkey though is solitary or with a partner roaming the forest floor. When you see them in this natural state of being, it truly is magical.

      Gradually the going got tougher as several sections of trail were either water logged and muddy or covered by running water forcing reroutes and log hopping. There were also some of the more spectacular areas with the interplay of dimmed light, mosaic canopies, and damp undergrowth of the last spring hold overs. Before long I reached areas where trails, being the low area, had become drainage canals for the hyper saturated soil which literally bled water. You can see that in action in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i9eln9YrdA

To Be Continued

The Lost Adventure (Part 1 of 3)

10/23/11
      This blog post is the tale of the last Indiana Dunes adventure I took before the 2010/2011 academic year ended and the summer of 2011 commenced. Due to a combination of looming finals, piled up school work, and year-end/summer preparations this trip’s account was never written, I hadn’t even taken the time to weed through the photos I took!

Taking place on May 26th, 2011, the original title was to be “A Slice of Paradise.” I’m not completely sure what possessed me now, several months later, to revisit this untold adventure. Like ancient texts which are usually found in fragments that tell partial stories, there isn’t much that I can use to reconstruct the things that I saw that day other than fond memories and a mess of pictures but the point of this blog is to share the beauties I’ve seen. So even if it’s fragmentary and incomplete, it’s still worth sharing.

      It is important to preface the whole thing with the information that it had been raining the past two days and the night of my arrival was the heaviest downpour. I don’t have any pictures or memories of my arrival the night before so it must have been pretty un-noteworthy as is often the case. So the day of exploration begins at the Dunewood campground which is the national park’s camp. At the end of the campground is a trail head that leads to the Lycokiwee trail which is what I would be traversing all the way to the Dune Park train station. The trail itself winds along the back edge of the Indiana dunes farthest from the lake. So while there’s still a sand foundation, the area is completely dominated by late succession woodlands. It also skirts the main high way through the national park but you very rarely see or hear its presence. The morning arrived without much event. The sound of birds was lacking mostly due to the great amount of moisture still filling the atmosphere. Even though sunrise was well past and it was effectively no

longer raining, the cloud cover still shrouded the woods in a perpetual, gentle darkness. Nearly every area was saturated or flooded to some degree. Low areas were constantly draining into lower areas in a gradual progression to near by creeks or marshes. The first segment of trail was fairly solid with multiple underpasses for water so hiking was easy.


To Be Continued

Different Directions (Part 4 of 4)

7/2/11

       Before long, you approach the final dune which is built on a foundation of willows creating a fence along the ridge of the dune forcing you to walk around. But once they are crossed, you emerge on the beach, home of Sea Rocket (Cakile edentula) and Pig Weed (Amaranthus sp.) our own native tumble weed! In the fall you can see this pink plant break off at the base and bounce along the tops of the dune vegetation.

This is also the place where any shorebird that's possible to see in the Chicago region, can be seen whether it’s the increasingly rare Red Knot (Calidris canutus), a striking American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana), the rebounding Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), or a Willet (Tringa semipalmata). You will always have a guaranteed Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) or Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularia) on any day. I also neglect to mention that just beyond the beach are phalaropes, huge rafts of ducks during winter such as both Mergus mergansers and all Athya ducks that when viewed through a telescope literally blacken the already dark and treacherous looking lake. Occasional Bald Eagles (Haliaetus leucocephalus) and Osprey (Pandion halietus), plus a wide range of gulls/terns and rails also grace our shores in cameo sightings (excepting herring and ring-billed gulls which are always present).

       So half of this was bits of the adventure I did take on the above date and the other half is shameless promotion of a site I’ve come to love deeply. Whether you’re a nature person of any kind it doesn’t really matter; it’d be a shame for this treasure to be unknown to you and not be visited at least once.

There has been one thing running consistent through this blog, beauty, and Montrose Point has it. It may not be the same as some of these larger and natural state places I’ve been to thus far but for the distance and for a place that was birthed by a few committed bird watchers and stewards, Montrose is a miracle…“A Forgotten Treasure.”

Thanks for reading. See you in the field!

Edward Warden

Different Directions (Part 3 of 4)

7/2/11

       Passing beyond the aforementioned oak grove, a path and wall of large limestone blocks separates the hedge from the dunes. After indulging your natural urge to hop from stone to stone, which are so big you’d think they came from the pyramids, a sand prairie opens.

Bordered by a break-wall on the south end and a fence splitting the area from a public beach to the north, the fairly large prairie is dominated by the dark pink little blue stem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and switch grass (Panicum virgatum). The resulting short and sparse grassland is also dotted by young native black oaks which are a recent introduction here. At this point you can hear the lake breaking on the beach but still cannot see it due to the first, and largest, dune covered by towering Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides). The break wall to the south creates a unique situation where water splashing over on high wind days creates a calm wetland and frequently is the favorite location of shorebirds who scavenge what has been tossed there by the waves.

       Once you crest the cottonwood dune the habitat changes into one dominated by marram grass (Ammophila arenaria). The small ridges throughout are dense with vegetation in contrast to the just exited prairie though also short in nature. The low area that ensues frequently becomes flooded and in some areas is swamped by horse tail (Equisetum arvense) and various small rushes (Juncus sp.) as indicators along with different species of goldenrod (Solidago sp.), silverweed (Argentina anserina), and a plethora of other plants making it a veritable botanic paradise. Within some of these ridges also resides some more unique wildlife ranging from Seaside Sparrows (Ammodramus ), Sedge Wrens (Cistothorus platensis), Pipits (Anthus rubescens), Meadowlarks (Sturnella sp.), transient owls such as Short-eared (Asio flammeus) and Snowy (Nyctea scandiaca), a slew of different insects, and a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) pair that one year successfully raised 4 pups. In this last case, I distinctly remember my first time seeing them and it was the first time I’d see any Fox at all. It was sunset and I was about to abandon my attempts to find them when a fox ran out to the peak ridge of a dune and began to sit and watch out across the public beach. While I stood awe struck by the beautiful creature who’s coat was only accentuated by the red hued sky, 3 grey pups emerged and began playing under the protection of their parent. It was a shot out of Nature or a wilderness documentary but right there in front of me, in Chicago of all places! I didn’t have a camera that day but the memory will never fade; I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.

To Be Continued

Different Directions (Part 2 of 4)

7/2/11

       There are basically two entrances to the magic hedge: one from just beyond the back of the beach house, and the other further on down the road toward the harbor pier. Either one will lead you straight through a tall, dense fence of berry trees to a larger than expected savannah. When you emerge, the first impression you get is probably one of the African savannah with a large field of golden grass and flowers with huge solitary trees scattered throughout.

The entire expanse is surrounded by thickets of naturally small trees preventing you from either hearing or seeing the lake which you know is close by. Some edges are dominated by sumac (Rhus sp.) and their scarlet drapes of fruit which in most cases are not actually poisonous.

There are also large stands of dogwoods (Cornus sp.) and young ash’s (Fraxinus sp.) which create a low, dark and intimate canopy above short undergrowth making the perfect home for thrushes. Venture into this later area and you are able to find one of the most breathtaking natural views; a bird speckled, golden prairie fading into the rolling black Chicago skyline. Just before the beach another stand of trees but of the larger variety (primarily Oaks) dominates and creates a minor woods area that is also home to huge silk nests of tent caterpillars in the spring.

       This entire area is what’s called the magic hedge. As habitat of this type, mostly prairie and savannah, it’s not exactly exemplary. There is a good number of weeds/invasives, diversity is not exceptional and as a result doesn’t have a lot in the way of permanent, resident wildlife. But due to its location abnormally jutting out into the lake and sheltering landscape, it is a stopover magnet for migrating birds. As a result, it (along with the dune area) is doubtless the premier bird watching spot in Chicago hosting nearly every bird that has ever graced the city and frequently having first (and sometimes only) time records for the city. http://theorniphile.info/montrose.html

To Be Continued

Different Directions (Part 1 of 4)

7/2/11

       I should start off by saying that perhaps doing a blog post about this location is a little unfair. Montrose Beach bird sanctuary (also called the magic hedge) and dunes. Unlike every other site I’ve gone to and subsequently written about, I have already been here many times. I have thoroughly explored both the flora, the fauna, and the habitat in general. I’ve actually seen the dunes shift due to the frequency of my visits. Not only that, but I have a pretty deep personal attachment already in place since a great deal of my first time and life sightings of both animals and plants has occurred here. And on top or all this, it also one of the most well documented natural areas within the Chicago Park District system and most of the info is readily available.

So why write about this place?

       Well, just like the other dune restoration projects I reviewed on the south side of the city, it does deserve some time in the light of this blog. But on top of that, I can also safely say this is one of the most gorgeous, amazing, biologically diverse, and easily accessible sites you can visit right in the heart of this metropolis. It is also the first such attempt at turning a public municipal beach into a sanctuary of this sort and its success is the model for all other dune projects undertaken within the city. It deserves to be brought to your attention.

To Be Continued

Plants and Planets (Part 3 of 3)

5/12/11

After thoroughly exploring the beach, it came time to move south. By now the sun, which had been gradually scattering the mist, had fully illuminated the now clear sky. Heading into the woods it wasn’t long before I came up to my first wetland; a rather large pond. While I surveyed the site I didn’t notice the beaver quietly swimming along.

It just so happened that I was standing at the edge of a bottle neck that connected two ponds. The beaver’s lodge was in the next pond, so naturally he noticed me at the pass and slapped the water in alarm completely surprizing me. I moved away to explore further and let the beaver get home. It is probably worth noting that I probably would be seeing literally tones of birds if I wasn’t spending so much time looking down instead of up. That said I think I’ll try to balance the up and down a little more in my next trip. Anyway, in this area I came across both a Green Heron (Butorides virescens) and great blue heron (Ardea herodius). I also found throughout the area a plethora of the critical and beautiful purple Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) another first for me, an at the time of this post still unknown yellow plant (though I suspect it’s a type of hyssop), and a few plants of ruby/yellow Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). I say critical in reference to Lupine, not because it is necessarily in trouble, but because it is the sole food source for the larva of the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa).

Traveling along the ridges, I found it to be quite an adventure trying to find my way forward in the maze of wetlands that at any given point could be connected and subsequently bar a path forcing me to retrace steps or turn down a new ridge. The wetlands were also nestled within already established dunes as every slope into a wetland was steep. Some of the ways forward were also thick with shrubs and young trees. Why there were masses of saplings that were mostly the same age is beyond me. Soon enough I entered Miller woods and ended the day on a board walk above a marsh where I spotted yet another beaver.

This was an awesome adventure; the first really proper spring trip with boundless flowers, birds, colorful budding trees, and beavers. It was a day of new sightings for birds, flowers, and habitats. In addition, rarely have I witnessed natural areas that show so little sign of disturbance or human presence; pristine. The only way I know of to get the splendor that I witnessed across is what I’ve written in this blog. I was so captured while traveling that I hadn’t considered at all parasites. Luckily I seem to have come away with only one mosquito bite. I can’t encourage you to go out enough. Either ideal or foul the weather, it is so worth it to get out there. The trees are flooding with leaves. Spring is quickly going to give way to summer!

See you all in the field!

Edward Warden

Plants and Planets (Part 2 of 3)

5/12/11

Since I was in the dunes I figured I’d explore them before I headed inland to the higher succession woods. While being nowhere near as dramatic in scale as some of the other dunes I’ve been to, it was vastly superior in habitat diversity. While passing along some early succession dunes I found in low areas between dunes sudden rich pockets of wet woods and temporally flooded grassland.


As I approached the wooded pocket I couldn’t help but think about how trees really aren’t just colorful in the fall. Here I found wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) and False Soloman’s Seal (Smilacina stellata) in bloom.


This area was small and before long I found myself in a shallowly flooded area. Despite the low water level the vegetation had a very distinct character apart from that of the surrounding dunes. Clearly this area gets inundated fairly frequently for a whole different community to develop. Unfortunately, as much as I pride myself on my plant knowledge, it was a community that I am unfamiliar with and hence could not identify most the biota present. Again I lack the knowledge, but I’m taking the educated guess that I was looking at what is called panne habitat, a rare type of inter-dunal shallow wetland.

Regardless of my having basically no knowledge about what I was looking at, it still didn’t stop me from marveling at the subdued beauty of it. I can’t really describe how this quiet, short, red-hued habitat nestled between dunes gave a…well…secure and peaceful feeling. I also managed to accidentally scare up a Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) which actually was a first time sighting for me, or life bird.

To Be Continued

Plants and Planets (Part 1 of 3)

5/12/11

Instead of doing my usual where I go out, crash, wake up and then explore I decided I would get on one of the late trains and stay up all night. The reason? Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter were going to be in a cluster just above the horizon at around 4:30am. I didn’t want to miss that and since I was only going to get about 3 hours of sleep I figured forget it. So after exiting the train I just made a bee line to the beach. This involved walking through I guess what was a small corner of Gary. I must say, when I am walking in the dark forest barely able to see, I feel a lot less fear (if any) than I do when walking through a run-down neighborhood at night. It is rather odd, even when you encounter habitat though, if it is hyper degraded and weedy it still gives that same ominous sense. It’s only when you enter clearly healthy habitat that you feel safe. At point the steel plant’s glow was visible just to the west as well as the flames coming from the oil refinery.

Well after making my way through the seedy areas I arrived at the beach. I set out my pad for intermittent naps or just lounging and began either to practice Jo kata with my staff, sing songs to myself out loud, or beat the heck out of some makeshift claves I brought. Soon enough the line above the lake began to glow indicating that the time had come. But what happens next?

Winds which had been gradually picking up all night suddenly began sweeping in a heavy mist and dark clouds. I was genuinely concerned at the peak that I was going to be in the middle of a squall. Alas, my morning did not grant me even that flavorful adventure. No, the mist just came in and obscured the horizon the entire time the planets were above the horizon. Soon the light of the sun began to reclaim control of the atmosphere and my morning activities commenced.

To Be Continued

A Not So South Shore (Part 3 of 3)

5/4/11

            This was a very illuminating trip. I hope I was able to demonstrate how despite the limitations that prevent Chicago beaches from reaching the heights that Indiana dunes do (both height wise and ecology wise) we still can nurture potential gems on our municipal beaches. That said it is also perfectly possible to spoil gifts also evidenced in this trip. Chicago in the last decade or so has been touting itself as a green city. In proportion to the number of public beaches there are very few dunes habitats and even with those few we can’t take care of them all. As a city we need to begin looking at how we use what resources are still present such as our lake shore. Too much of it still looks like this.

Next time you are at a public beach or exercising on the lake shore trail don’t forget the beautiful natural history of the land you are on and how people are working to bring some semblance of that back. Heck, why not get out and volunteer at one these places some time?It’s always fun. Soon I will go to explore the icon, model, and inspiration of dunes restoration on Chicago beaches; Montrose point.

Thanks for reading!

Edward Warden

A Not So South Shore (Part 2 of 3)

5/4/11


          Traveling north from Rainbow Beach, It wasn’t long before I arrived at the palace that is the South Shore Cultural Center. No joke, this place is lavish in its architecture and grounds keeping. But anyway, behind the building on the lake shore is another dunes restoration project. Occupying an artificial outcrop over the lake, there is a dune area, a couple round stone benches and a small wetland. The area is pleasant, cool and secluded.

As a restoration project though, it’s a joke. The small area that is even an attempt at a proper dune is nothing but Marram grass (Ammophila breviligulata). It doesn’t even touch the water, it’s a mound of sand leading to a beach but it lacks any beach of its own. It’s as if the land manager decided to use “INSTANT Dune!” and POOF the Chicago park district can claim yet another dunes project. In the connected habitat, the situation is no better. A few token native trees and forbs are planted in an area over run with non-natives, lawn grass, and unkempt shrubs.

This terrible description of mine is only relevant though from an ecological stand point. As a garden it is quite a nice place but ecological is all I’m concerned about here. With all that criticism it is also completely salvageable and in a short time. The necessary conditions, plants, and habitat are in place. All it would take for this area to become a municipal gem is for a dedicated crew of volunteers to frequently and gradually work their magic.

          Moving north again, I approached my last destination for the day; 63rd st. beach. I had been here a few times during the winter before anything was growing. I had also heard some pretty rave reviews about it especially concerning birds over the years so I was anticipating something promising. I have little in the way of complements. When I dismounted my bike and walked down the beach to the designated area, I was a bit taken aback. Instead of asking “what life is present here?” I was asking “what the hell happened?”

There are areas on both ends of the public beach. The area to the west was home to large barren areas. There was more trash than plants. A rather large depression filled with water probably was an attempt at an inter-dunal pond or panne habitat. What was present though was a bowl of water with shores lined by garbage surrounded by a fence. The east side didn’t look so much like a disaster zone but it was not very praise worthy either. Lacking in any cottonwoods it was suffering from the same lack of dune creation that is occurring at rainbow beach.

But at least at rainbow beach, biodiversity was increasing and the entire area was exploding with life. Here, the biota was simply Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata) and Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and the growth was spotty. This place needs regular care and, due to the ambitious size of the project, a strong and numerous group of volunteers too. This habitat needs help.

To Be Continued

A Not So South Shore (Part 1 of 3)

5/4/11


   Dunes on the great lakes are not unique to Indiana. Dunes more or less encircled the great lakes to some extent. Chicago for sure was home to dunes just as grand and extensive as those that we only see in designated parks like in Indiana. The entirety of Chicago’s dunes though, were bulldozed for development at some point or another. Nearly all, if not all, of the beaches currently lining the lake shore of Chicago are reconstructed, not natural. Under Daniel Burnham’s plan, the entire Chicago lake front should be parkland and that plan for the most part became reality. I suppose it was only a matter of time before this designation would extend to the restoration of former inhabitants. All across the city many parks now have areas set aside for restoration projects and some parks are solely devoted to that. The municipal beaches are no less subject to this trend. In this blog post I’ll describe my one day trip to three dune habitats on the south side of Chicago: Rainbow Beach, South Shore Cultural Center, and 63^rd st. beach.
            My first reaction when I dismounted my bike and walked onto Rainbow beach was, “I think I’ve been here before.” Well regardless of whether I have or not it was a welcome sight. The area set aside for the restoration project was covered in Marram grass (Ammophila breviligulata). At first most of what I saw was Marram but as I proceeded farther from the civilian beach eventually the Marram started to give way to other species such as goldenrod (Solidago sp.), prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa), a couple young trees and, shown below, Sand Cress (Arabis lyrata).

This leads me to believe the area granted for restoration purposes has gradually expanded further down the beach since the biota closer to the civilian beach were very early succession verses the still early but slightly later succession biota I encountered near the end of the beach. Bird life was sparse though this understandable as there wasn’t enough in the way of later succession shrubs to host them. I did see though a few Swamp Sparrows (Melospiza georgiana) and Rough-winged Swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis). On the beach I was able to spot a Solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) snooping around some rocks along with the standard Ring-billed Gulls on any city beach. I also spotted several Caspian Terns (Sterna caspia) and managed to pick out a Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)!

The only point of criticism I noticed is that throughout the beach there were stumps of cottonwoods (Populus americana). While it is a tree that needs to be checked every now and then due to its weedy nature, their complete eradication from this area meant that no dunes could form and the whole project will remain a flat beach until they return and are given time to work their dune creating magic. All things told I think this beach has excellent potential and with some consistent stewardship it is capable of attaining the highest level of ecological diversity possible a municipal beach.

To Be Continued