NEWS & EVENTS
Events
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Monitoring - September 3 and 4
News
POC presentation at the Ecological Society of America’s annual meeting 2008 Workshop Pictures
March Newsletter
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Monitoring
Where: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Wilmington, IL
When:
August 12, Malvastrum hispidum (False Mallow)
August 13, Malvastrum hispidum (False Mallow)
August 19, Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii (Showy Coneflower)
August 20, Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii (Showy Coneflower)
September 3, Tomanthera auriculata (Eared False Foxglove)
September 4, Tomanthera auriculata (Eared False Foxglove)
What: We will be continuing our rare plant monitoring of prairie species found at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Here we find some plants that are very specific to the area, especially on Drummond Prairie, where dolomite bedrock rises to ground level, creating an entirely different habitat. Volunteers will be monitoring in areas that are not yet open to the general public, amidst a mix of wildlife and historical ammunition bunkers that were part of the Joliet Arsenal (areas now being restored by Midewin).
We need volunteers who are willing to work in small groups to help count and collect data on the plants.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!
(Posted on 7/28/2008)
POC presentation at the Ecological Society of America’s annual meeting
POC was one of several programs featured at the Ecological Society of America’s annual meeting held in Milwaukee, August 3-5. At the symposium “ Citizen Science in Ecology: The Intersection of Research and Education”, POC coordinator Susanne Masi presented our program. This presentation was co-authored by last year’s research assistant, Ann Kelly. Susanne discussed the Volunteer Data Validation Survey POC did in 2004-5 and the results of the Focus Group held this spring. It is a program all volunteers of POC can be proud of! Take a look at the powerpoint by clicking on the link: Please do not use any of the material or photos from this presentation without checking first with Susanne (smasi@chicagobotanic.org).
"Citizen Science in Ecology: The Intersection of Research and Education” PDF
(Posted on 8/20/2008)
2008 Workshop Pictures
RA Ann Kelly discusses threat assessment at Volo Bog
Ann Kelly demonstrates GPS unit usage at CBG
Volunteers measure population length at CBG with Susanne Masi
RA Rachel Goad explains population measurement at CBG
Susanne Masi helps volunteers to determine population size at CBG
RA Dani Drekich explains pacing exercise at CBG
March Newsletter
Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote, "In the Spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."
Does a POC plant monitor’s fancy also turn to thoughts of early bloomers? Considering the amount of snow we’ve shoveled and how many times we heard about the wind-chill factor, we would say “Yes”!
The POC Staff has been busy meeting with the land managers, restoration ecologists and volunteer coordinators of our beloved six county area of northeastern Illinois to insure a great year of monitoring at Plants of Concern. We just had our last meeting and will now work to process and use all the information we received. Work will begin to input the monitoring assignments for 2008, and we’ll let you all know when this is completed. We’re happy to report that we’ll be monitoring several new sites and species. This is exciting news for us and hope that you all “keep your eyes peeled when out in the field” (a new POC motto?) for newly occurring species.
With all this information we are now updating our monitored species list. We’ll be notifying you of bloom times, and of course will start out with our early bloomers. If we were in southern Illinois, we’d be looking for Hepatica nobilis var obtusa as early as March 13! After this winter, that may be enough to make some of us want to move to the warmer climes of southern Illinois!
Lastly, we burst a few buttons when we received the spring issue of “Brush Piles” with an article about POC written by our very own Eileen Sutter – first page publicity! Thanks, Eileen!
Keep “monitoring” the website for further updates and information as we move closer to the monitoring season!
(Posted on 3/3/2008)
