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2008 Wildflower WalkaboutCo-Sponsored by: Severson Dells Nature Center and Natural Land InstituteSDNC: 815/335-2915 NLI: 815/964-6666 Explore North
Central Illinois This year, the Wildflower Walkabout will help celebrate the Natural Land Institute’s 50th Anniversary as a private conservation organization dedicated to protecting natural land. We will enjoy guided tours of some of the rare, special places that the Natural Land Institute played a role in preserving. All walks begin at 6:00 p.m.
April 16, Wednesday- Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area. Join Boone County Conservation District Board member Brian Hale as we hunt for early spring wildflowers in the hardwood forest at Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area. Most of the hike will take place in the 102-acre Illinois Nature Preserve that is located within the park. After the hike, enjoy refreshments and social time with fellow wildflower enthusiasts.
April 24, Thursday – Rockton Bog Nature
Preserve. Brian Russart will lead us through this area’s sedge
meadow, prairie and open sand forest. The sedge meadow contains sedges,
blue-joint grass, sensitive fern and rushes. Various shrubs such as bridal
wreath, prairie willow, dwarf birch and black chokecherry are scattered
throughout the preserve. From Rockton Road, take Prairie Avenue north two
miles. The preserve is on the west side of the road. Easy hiking, but the area
may be wet. April 30, Wednesday – Burr Oak Valley. The Natural Land Institute owns this 63-acre oak woodland with three small dolomite hill prairies. NLI staff member Andy Bacon will lead this moderate hike through the woodlands, near an intermittent stream, and up the hills to the prairie openings. We can expect to see blue-eyed grass, columbine, maidenhair fern, and rare kittentails. May 8, Thursday – Beach Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve. Natural Land Institute Executive Director, Jerry Paulson, will be our guide of this 4-acre dry hill prairie on Big Mound Road in Ogle County. We will see one of the best displays of shooting stars in northern Illinois. Ray Schulenberg and Bob Betz recorded the state endangered prairie dandelion here in 1971. NLI has owned this area since 1972. Easy hiking. May 14, Wednesday - Colored Sands Forest Preserve. Join Sand Bluff Bird Observatory's naturalists Lee and Lynda Johnson for a tour of the beautiful sand country at Colored Sands Bluff Nature Preserve. The vegetation is unique to dry sand prairies, which once dominated the area but now are very rare. This easy level walk will be a great hike for beginners as well as the experienced. Bring a wildflower book, binoculars, and bug spray. May 22, Thursday - Howard D. Colman Dells Nature Preserve. Don Miller of Severson Dells Nature Center will lead this hike of moderate difficulty. Owned and managed by the Natural Land Institute, this 55-acre nature preserve is located along Hall Creek, southwest of Rockford. One of the attractive features of this preserve is a series of cliffs known as the dells. Many unique plants restricted to limestone and dolomite outcrops are found here, as well as some northern relict plants. The floral display in the upland woods is one of the best in Winnebago County. Aldo Leopold and Paul Riis conducted some early deer studies in this preserve in the mid 1930’s. May 28, Wednesday – Searls Prairie Nature Preserve. Jack Armstrong, Rockford Park District board member, will take us on this hike to Searls Prairie, owned by the Rockford Park District. It is dominated by mesic and wet-mesic prairie where prairie dropseed, Indian grass, big bluestem and little bluestem grow. The site is one of the highest quality wet prairies in the state. Easy hiking, but the area may be wet.
June 11, Wednesday – Pecatonica Ridge Prairie. NLI board member Keith Blackmore will lead our tour to this beautiful upland prairie. The Natural Land Institute acquired this 80-acre tract, located east of Winnebago and one mile north of U.S. Route 20 at the end of Conger Road, in 2005. Prairie smoke, leadplant, birdsfoot violet and New Jersey tea all grow at this native prairie. Moderate hiking. |
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Come
experience the north central Illinois landscape. 
June
5, Thursday – Stone Bridge Nature Trail. Fran Lowman and Mary
Anne Mathwich from the Wild Ones will lead this hike. The Stone Bridge Nature
Trail is a stretch of abandoned Chicago Northwestern Railroad containing pockets
of prairie remnants and a historic stone arch bridge over the south branch of
Kinnikinnick Creek. We can expect to see big and little bluestem, Indian grass,
compass plant and many other dry gravel prairie plants. Easy walking.