Conservation Projects PDF Print E-mail

 

Conservation projects at the Douglas-Hart Nature Center are running in full force. If you've walked the trails recently you may have notcied a visual transformation of habitat areas at the Douglas-Hart Nature Center. Conservation projects are never ending - it seems there will always be an ongoing battle with invasive species that try to take over an area. The projects below represent the hard working staff and volunteers working to make Douglas-Hart Nature Center a quality ecosystem representative of Illinois pre-settlement. If you are interested in helping with projects in 2013 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

2013 Projects

  1. Kid's Garden developed (In progress)
  2. Trails and public areas cleared of nusiance plants (on going)
  3. Creation of the Kids Club. This club manages the White Pine Tree Trail at the nature center. They are responsible for removing invasive species, keeping it clean, encouraging wildlife habitat, and plantings. To learn more about this project, click here.
  4. Focusing on the East Edge along Lerna Road removing invasive trees, thinning out the upper canopy so the understory can grow, and more.

 

2012 Projects

  1. Kid's Garden Fence (Completed)
  2. Kid's Garden developed (In progress)
  3. Nature Play Area (Phase 1 Complete)
  4. Phase 1 of the Fish and Wildlife Grant: Site tree survey (Completed)
  5. Phase 2 of the Fish and Wildlife Grant:Site cleared of invasive species (Complete)  
  6. Phase 3 of the Fish and Wildlife Grant: Plant new herbacious and tree species (Complete)
  7. Trails and public areas cleared of nusiance plants (on going)
  8. Partnership with Charleston High School and Illinois Department of Natural Resources to work on a Schoolyard Habitat. Also a big thank you to the Jadel Youth Fund, the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, the Illinois Conservation Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as sponsors for this Schoolyard Habitat grant opportunity. See the step by step transformation below:

The top row of pictures were taken in November 2011.  Honeysuckle is the only thing green this time of year all the other plants have gone dormant. The bottom row of pictures were taken in March 2012.  Honeysuckle is one of the first plants to leaf out in the spring.

 

 

PHASE 1:

Phase 1: Charleston High School designed and constructed Leopold benches, bat boxes and bird nesting boxes to donate to the nature center upon completion of the project. The goal of this visit is for students to work with Douglas-Hart staff to survey the project area. Students were given a defined boundary area and used resources to identify species within a set area. Students used identifying characteristic of plants such as bark and leaf shape to make sure that they were correctly identifying plants. Students identified trees, shrubs and herbacious plants in addition to any invasive species.

 

PHASE 2:

Phase 2: Students helped remove the invasvie species, honeysuckle with loppers and good old fashioned muscle pulling.  The removed honeysuckle was piled for wildlife brush piles.  Garlic mustard was also pulled and put in a bag to stop the spread of seed.

 

PHASE 3:

 The grant funds  went towards the purchase of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.  The students helped to plant them along with community member volunteers.

 

2011 Projects

  1. East woodland area cleared.
  2. West woodland area cleared of honeysuckle.
  3. Greenhouse was used to prepare plants for the first time.
  4. North prairie planted with over 2,000 species of plants.
  5. South prairie planted with over 1,000 species of plants.
  6. New bog garden installed near the wetland area.
  7. The butterfly garden project was completed, including new plant species.