Glacial Lakes and Companionship

This Saturday I returned to Dick Young Forest Preserve, only this time I was meeting up with someone. Yay! I had put a request out on Craigslist for anyone interested in hiking with me around the forest preserves, and this was the first response I received. After a few emails back and forth, we finally settled on a date and place to to meet.

After arriving at the preserve, I couldn't help but notice how low Lake Nelson was from my last visit in spring. We had had an abnormally mild winter with hardly much snowfall, followed by a rather warm spring. Now that we are in the throws of summer, the temperature has been consistently in the nineties, with several days reaching 100 degree Fahrenheit. So it is hardly surprising that the lake was low. 

Once my companion arrived, we set out on the two and half mile walk around the lake. The evening was gorgeous! The weather had dropped considerably in the past few hours, and was now comfortable enough to walk in without leaving a trail of sweat behind you. We chatted all the way around, occasionally stopping to observe plants, hatched turtle shells, and the remains of what was once a Luna moth.

In the past, it has been a habit on my walks to take photos; this time, however, I was too engaged in conversation to think about it. Yeah, shameful I know! (The photos shown are those of my previous visit)

Nelson Lake in the Spring

For those unfamiliar with the preserve, it is now the biggest forest preserve in Kane County. The main feature is the glacial lake that was formed during the previous ice age, and despite the best efforts of the early settlers to drain it, it remained intact. 

The wetlands is home to various species of endangered plants and rare birds, which gives this area the protection of being a Illinois State Nature Preserve. 

To the west of the lake is a large expanse of prairie, with several miles of trails for the hiker, cyclist and horseback rider to enjoy 

It have yet to explore the prairie, but will probably return again with my bike.

Links: 

• Forest Preserve Trail Map

Trailing around Oakhurst

I have now made two return visits to Oakhurst Forest Preserve, and so far, I am liking what I've found. On both occasions I have tried to complete the Woodland Loop trail, only to find my way  hampered by a flooded path. I suspect I'll have to wait until mid summer for the trail to be completely dried out, much the ducks distress. 

So instead I jogged over from the Woodland Loop trail to the Beaver trail, which is runs adjacent to a brook that flows into (or from) Lake Peterson. 

The Beaver trail intersected with a couple of mowed paths, but as these where open and exposed to the sun, I opted to follow the brook into a shaded woods. When this trail finally opened up into a marshland, I found myself at the north-end of the Preserve, and could hear the cars travelling along New York Street.  

I had to cross the brook over a makeshift log bridge before I could continue along the northern part of the trail, which took me back into the woods. This part of trail is next to several businesses, and is the only place where I noticed a bit of dumping. Having circumnavigated another obstacle - a fallen tree - the woods gave way to a clearing, this time with a pond.

Here dragonflies whizzed passed, but they proved too elusive for a camera. Eventually I have to add these insects to my list of things to identify. 

At this point, the trail connected up to the Meadowview trail, which would take me around the eastern and southern part of the preserve, but not before I took a quick diversion onto the Black Maple Loop Trail. It was here I stumbled across a butterfly, sitting patiently for me. I scrambled for my camera, and was fortunate to take a perfect shot.....well, perfect for me.

Red Spotted Purple

No sooner had  I started walking again than I startled a deer. It stopped, about twenty feet away from me, and I was able to get another great photo.

WhiteTail Deer

The end of the Black Maple Loop Trail proved to be flooded, forcing me to turned around and head back to the Meadowview Trail. 

Meadowview trail

I took this mowed trail all the way back to the car. There I grab my bike out of the back, a completed one quick lap of the lake, stopping to take the occasional photo.

Waterfall Glen

En route to my first meeting with the Illinois Mycological Association (IMA), I choose to kill some time by stopping off at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in DuPage County. This span of woodland completely encompasses the Argonne National Laboratory, and the nine mile circular trail attracts runners and cyclists like moths to a light.

Swampy!

My stay at preserve was brief, and since I was on foot I did not stray too far from the car. The southern part of the trail was closed due to flooding, something to bare in mind should I be foolish enough to bike the entire trail. Most likely I will make this a regular stop before heading to my mushroom meetings, exploring the area with my bike. 

During my walk, I kept a eye out for any poison ivy, not for fear of being viciously attacked, but to sharpen my skills at recognizing it. I took a couple of photo of plants that matched the three leaves rule, but on closer inspection, neither of them where poison ivy. One was most likely a box elder sapling, with its opposite arrangement of leaves, a characteristic of maple (Aceraceae) trees. 

The other suspect plant, creeping along the ground, had serrated leaves in addition to a thorny stem, most likely a species of wild blackberry (Rubus fruticosus)

Creepy fruit

There was one pretty flower I came across peeking up through the leaves. It had with five white petals and yellow stamens. 

To my surprise, on my way back to the car I actually found a group of mushroom growing out an old broken branch. Shamefully, I have no idea what it is. I could have taken it to the meeting for identification, but being a good person, I honoured the rule of not collecting anything from the preserve. The highlights my need to develop my very own fungus identification database!

 

At the parking lot, I attempted to find the frog or toad that was cheerily croaking away at the pond. I knew I had no chance in hell of finding it, but just to be sure, the frog (or toad) ceased its calling. Little bugger. 

To my right, a group of  red wing blackbirds were busy playing among the reeds. My knowledge of birds is fairly limited, and even the species I do know are those common in England - blackbird, thrush, starling,  sparrow, blue tit, wren, herring gull. Even the red breasted robin of England (Erithacus rubecula) is a completely different species than that of the American Robin (Turdus migratorius). So yes, I had to look up these birds in a book in order to identify them. Don't judge me.

Several flowering plants were adding a touch color to the area, mostly pinks and yellows. So far I have taken many photos of flowers. Plants tend to be easier to identify - in part because of their vibrant colors, various shapes and size, but mostly their inability to run away when I attempt to photograph them. 

Ivy: She with the Poisonous Tongue

Today we will spending a little time becoming acquainted with a plant called Toxicodendron radicans, or poison ivy. This is one of several species of plants in the United States that produce the poisonous chemical urushiol, others being poison oak and poison sumac.

Upon coming into contact with the skin, urushiol triggers an allergic reaction that results in severe itching, followed by inflammation and blisters. Between 15-30% of people display no symptoms to urushiol, while on the other hand, it may trigger an anaphylaxic shock is some. Not only can the chemical remain active for years, but the resin can be transferred to other objects which then cause a reaction upon handling. So should you enthusiastically  stomp on poison ivy with your boots, thinking you are safe from harm, just remember that when taking off those same boots you may get the oil on your hands.

You should never attempt to get rid of poison ivy by burning, as the inhaling the fumes can cause damage to the lining of the lungs. This is bad.

The Unholy Trinity

We all know that prevention is better than cure, and for that reason, we need to be able to identify the culprit. The first and most noticeable characteristic of poison ivy is that the leaflets are arranged in clusters of three. As the rhymes go, "Leaves of three, let them be." and "One, two three, don't touch me." Even when you can't positively identify the plant as Toxicodendron radicans, this characteristic alone should warrant caution. 

As for other characteristics, they include:

• an alternate leaf arrangement
• lack of thorns
• each cluster of leaflets growing on its own stem
• the two lateral leaflets occurring on very short petioles, while the central leaflet occurring on a much longer petiole
• the lateral leaflets often being distinctly lobed on one side of the leaflet and not on the other. 

There are several plants that can be mistaken for poison ivy, including the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefoli) and Box-elder (Acer negundo). Take the photo below, which I took recently at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. When I initially spotted it, my first thought was "oooh, poison ivy!", but on closer inspection, you will notice that the leaf arrangement is opposite, not alternative.  This may indeed be a Box Elder sapling. While you are looking, say hello to the caterpillar.

So if you do inadvertently touch some poison ivy, what should you do?

First all of, before the urushiol is completely absorbed by the skin, you can wash the area with plenty of cold water. This will dilute the oil, and hopefully limit the reaction. Notice the word cold. Hot water will open up your pores and speed up absorption of the oil. You should note that 50% of the oil will be absorbed within 10 mins, so speed is of the essence.

Usually the rash will develop anywhere between 12 and 48 hours after contact with the plant, and can last for several weeks. To relieve the itching, you can:

• for the first few days, apply a corticosteroid cream . 
• apply calamine lotion. 
• take oral antihistamines. 
• place cool, wet compresses on the affected area for 15 to 30 minutes several times a day.

If the poison ivy has brushed against your clothes, then they will need to be washed. Using a regular laundry detergent, wash the contaminated clothes at highest recommended temperature. Do not overload the machine, and to be on the safe side, do not wash with any other clothes.

If you go out into the woods tonight...

One would think that a casual stroll in the forest would be a harmless way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but you would be wrong. For the moment you set foot in the woods, you are confronted with danger. Unknown to you, the lord of the underworld has gathered an army of plants, insects, and arachnids whose primary objective is to bite, sting, and scratch, and ultimately, to bring about the destruction of all mankind.

Okay, perhaps this is a slight exaggeration, but don't be fooled into thinking there are no risks. All it takes is one infectious mosquito or tick bite pass on a blood born pathogen. While such risks may be small, taking a few extra precautions will reduce that even further. In addition, knowing what you are up against in the woods makes planning for the unexpected that much easier. 

So over the next few weeks, I'll be posting articles about the various woodland troublemakers - ticks, mites, mosquitoes, spiders, wasps, poison ivy, rogue botanists, etc - and how to identify and avoid them.

Starved Rock

This weekend marked my first mushroom foray with the Illinois Mycological Association (IMA). I have been contemplating joining the group for some time, and when I discovered they were planning a family camping trip to Starved Rock, decided to join them.

We made the hour long trip to State Park on Saturday morning, first stopping off at the visitor center. There we picked up a trail map, and acquired some new field guides on birds and trees specific to Illinois. After a quick stroll  by the river, we followed the trail to the top of Starved Rock. Legend has it that after the assassination of Chief Pontiac in 1769, the Ottawa retaliated against a tribe of Illini who then sought refuge on top of the rock. With no means of escape, the siege continued until all members of the tribe had starved to death.  Today the rock provides visitors with a spectacular view across the Illinois River. 

Plum Island

Our next stop was the campsite where we would be staying for the night. After introducing ourselves to some of the IMA members, we pitched our tent while the girls made some new friends. Like other areas of the park, the campsite is home to Toxicodendron radicans, better known as poison ivy. Having grown up in the England, I was completely ignorant as to what the plant looks like; but if I am going to be continue spending time in the woods, I will need to acquaint myself with it. 

My first foray for mushrooms took place later that evening. The girls wanted stay at camp, so I hitched a ride with a couple of the IMA members. Arriving first at the designated parking spot, we waited patiently for the other cars to arrive. When it became clear they were not coming, we started off on the trail and into woods. It was a pleasant stroll, and while we caught sight of various mushrooms, there were no morels. On our way back, we wandered slightly off the trail, and that was when I spotted something poking up through the leaves. It looked like a morel, but....not very appetizing. Our assumption was that it was a false morel, an opinion shared by others when we returned to camp.*

June already? 

Later that evening, as the sun started to set, I made a mushroom pizza in the dutch oven. Apart from the fact it stuck to the bottom, which took some effort to remove, it tasted rather good. By the time we had finished eating, the campsite was dark and quiet. As a family, we are more used to camping where the nightlife is more lively than the day, so the serenity takes a little getting used to. There were no drums, only Junebugs (Phyllophaga)

In the morning,  I took a little stroll behind the campsite, hoping to snap a photo or two of something interesting. About twenty feet away from the tent I came across a mushroom desperately trying to hide from me. He seemed quite happy chilling out with his companions: the five leaflet Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), the white flowering cleavers (Galium aparine) with its whorls of seven leaves. So I left him be.

The second fellow I came across was not so lucky. He was growing from a small twig on the ground, looking ever so lonely, so I decided to bring him back to the camp. I must admit, he was really cute.

As part of my quest to identify trees, I paid some attention to the oak behind the tent. Looking at the rounded lobes of the leaves, I knew it was a species of white oak. Given how the bark was grey and broken into rectangle blocks, my suspicion was that of Quercus alba, the State tree of Illinois.

White oak

For the second foray, the girls decided to tag along with me. I like to think it was because they suddenly realized that mushrooms were indeed fascinating, but I suspect it had more to do with presence of other children.  Along the trail, we met a rather large and scary looking spider, no doubt waiting to pray on some poor unfortunate  mycologist.

About thirty minutes into the walk, the skies turned angry, and it started to rain. We prudently turned around, and began to make our way back to the parking lot. The rain become heavier. Lightening flashed, and thunder rocked the canyon. By the time we reached the car, we were all drench to the skin. Oh goody, another wet pack out.


* Two days later at the IMA meeting, it was decided that it was actually yellow morel, Morchella esculenta. 

First Trip to Oakhurst

On our return home from Silver Springs State Park, we decided to continue our adventure by visiting Oakhurst Forest Preserve, the closest nature preserve to our home. By the time we arrived, clouds had gathered overhead and were threatening us with droplets of rain. The temperature had also dropped, so it was time to put on our coats.

The first thing that caught the kids attention was the large sled hill, which they immediately wanted to climb up. Fearing that running up and down the hill would exhausted them too soon, I suggested we first go explore. There was a trail that was leading into the expanse of trees, and I suggested we see where it lead.  On the preserve map, this is known as the woodland trail, and is a little under a mile long.

The moment we entered the trail, there was a noise in the trees and something moved. Then I spotted the dear, about 75 feet away. The deer had also spotted us, and just stood there, motionless, scrutinizing our every move. I helped the girls locate the deer, lifting Scarlett up so she could get a better view. We continued on our way, but were soon stopped in our tracks when the trail became muddy. No sure how to circumnavigate the mud without incident, we turned back. We stopped again to admire the deer, only to having another coming prancing through. 

In addition to the woods, Oakhurst forest preserve is home to the 55 acre Lake Patterson. I consulted with the girls, and we opted not to walk the trail around the lake this time; we will return on another day with our bikes and cycle around. 

So instead, we charged up the hill. Well, I walked, the girls charged. On making it to the top, you are rewarded with a picturesque view of the entire forest preserve. I took photos of the girls before they released more energy by running down to the bottom. Scarlett wanted to roll, but I nixed that idea. 

Most likely, we will be visiting the preserve a few times this year, to hike the trails, to cycle, and yes, to run up and down the hill. 

Spring Woodland Flowers

On my recent trip to Silver Springs State Park, the following spring flowers and weeds were photographed. Hopefully I haven't incorrectly identified any of the species.

Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum	Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
Spring Beauty Claytonia virginica	Common Phlox Phlox divaricatus
Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea	Prairie Trillium Trillium recurvatum

Buttercup Ranunculus hispidus

Common Blue Violet Viola sororia

Virginia Waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum

Sources: 

• http://dnr.state.il.us/education/habitatposter/wildflwr.htm
• http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/woodland_index.htm