April 2024 Prairie Photos
April 2024 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
April 2024 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
March 2024 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
December 2023 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
December 2023 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
November 2023 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
October 2023 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
September 2023 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
Jun 2023 photos of the Florida Orchard Prairie have been added to the box folder.
July 2023 photos of the Florida Orchard Prarie have been added to the box folder.
From: Alice Berkson
To: John Marlin; James Ellis; White, Morgan
Recipients: jcmarlin@sbcglobal.net; james.ellis72@gmail.com; mbwhite at illinois.edu
Hello -- Now that the Florida/Orchard Prairie Zone has had a spring haircut, would traversing the area to pick up trash be a
good idea
irrelevant
harmful to plants
Just let me know, I can get to it possibly before the weekend, definitely early next week.
Also at least one of the Prairie Zone signs (on a single metal pole) are listing to one side. I straightened out the one adjoining the driveway so I think they are not set in concrete? Should I drop a few stones next to it in an effort to keep it straight? -- Alice
--
Alice Berkson
904 Mayfair Rd.
Champaign, IL 61821-4437
voice 217.356.4829
SpectroClick, Inc:
www.SpectroClick.com
https://www.facebook.com/spectroclick/
Public Service Archaeology & Architecture Program, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
https://psaap.anthro.illinois.edu/
Illinois Assn. for Advancement of Archaeology:
www.museum.state.il.us/iaaa
East Central IL Master Naturalist Program:
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/champaign/mn/index.html
On Mar 9, 2022, at 5:35 PM, Ellis, James Lee <jellis at illinois.edu> wrote:
Kevin,
Is the Florida and Orchard prairie planting now under your purview at the arboretum?
No, however we help out as needed - brush pick up, shrub cutting. John Marlin is the best source for info about management etc….
Nathan Hudson and I have mowed the prairie in early spring the past few years. I’m willing to do that again in lieu of prescribed fire if desired.
Great, probably due for a prescribed fire.
Let us know if we can assist?
Best,
Jamie
JAMES L. ELLIS
Natural Areas Coordinator
Illinois Natural History Survey
Prairie Research Institute | University of Illinois
1816 S. Oak St. | M/C 652
Champaign, IL 61820
217.244.5695 | 217.649.7230 | jellis at illinois.edu
research.illinois.edu/cna
The following email from John Marlin describes how to remove goldenrod at the Florida & Orchard Prairie and some motivation for doing so.
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From: John Marlin
Date: Sun, Jul 25, 2021 at 1:51 PM
Subject: Perfect time to remove goldenrod at Florida Orchard
To: Illinois Master Naturalists
The big rain Saturday evening has left the soil in perfect condition for easily pulling tall goldenrod (see photo) at the Florida-Orchard prairie next to the UI president's house. This is a great time for some independent action to get some hours. Grasp the stem rather low (or several stems if you wish) and slowly pull straight up. You may get lucky and also get 3 feet of rhizome. Pulling the plants now just before they bloom weakens them greatly and prevents seed development. You will often notice several stems in a circular pattern, get them all. If you cannot carry plants away, toss them into the prairie individually. If you cannot pull or bend over, just clip the stem 2 or 3 feet above ground level to weaken the plant and spur competitors.
During he past several years we have pulled many plants along the South and east edges and the first third of the center path, Concentrate on these areas and the first third of the central path. (WE also worked on the North side -- including putting a drop of herbicide on cut stems). This has paid off as the species diversity has improved in these areas. We concentrate on pulling the tall goldenrod near more desirable species like Butterfly milkweed, Bee balm, Culver's root and others. If you walk down the central path, notice how goldenrod dominates about a third of the way down.
There is parking in the UI lots at the Archives (Hort lab) off Orchard at the top of the Hill and at various times on Orchard street North of Florida.
This site along with others including Meadow Brook, Pollinatarium, Arboretum, Lincoln Ave. Residence, Red Oak rain garden, AND homeowner plantings allow bee and other pollinator populations a chance to expand and exchange genetic material. Attached are a recent photo of the south side and an historical poster of FLOR in 2013.
MN's can get credit for this as part of the campus native plant projects.
I sent this BCC to some people who helped in the past and may have some current interest.
John C. Marlin
A 24" by 36" blank sign was installed at the corner of Florida Avenue and Orchard Street, by the Florida-Orchard prairie, near Orchard Downs and the Presidents’ House. The information planned to be featured in the sign will originate from the new Bee Campus brochure. This text will highlight the Bee Campus student organization, information about pollinators, as well as university and campus initiatives to be more pollinator-friendly. Thanks to funding by SSC, the signage will be ready for public display by the end of 2021!
See the attached files to view the installation of the blank sign!
Photos were taken by Alice Berkson from January 2021 - May 2021 of the Florida-Orchard prairie on campus. These photos are taken each month at the same locations and are of a high enough resolution such that small sections can be enlarged to identify plants and other features. Each month, there are 4 photos taken from the view of NW diagonally looking SE, NE diagonally looking SW, or vice versa. Additional shots from other perspectives are taken as well!
The attached file shows the planned location for the large Bee Campus sign to be installed at the Florida and Orchard Prairie.
Beginning in 2011 Alice Berkson began taking photos at the Florida – Orchard prairie on campus next to the President’s House. The photos were taken each month from the same locations beginning in 2013. The two years prior to that all 12 months are not represented. A few photos are missing including all of October 2015. A few extra shots are occasionally included of unusual situations or plants.
See https://uofi.box.com/s/cfmmscpv2335f57g7nzngx4g8nf4cqgj to view or download the images.
The photos are in yearly folders. Individual photos are labeled with the date first YYYY-MM-DD so that they will sort in order.
Photos were taken at the four corners. At the North corners along Florida Avenue shots were taken east to west and west to east as well as diagonally from NE looking SW, and from NW looking SE. At the southern corners, only the diagonal photos were taken.
The resolution on the photos is high so that small sections can be enlarged to identify plants and other features.
As of this writing the series is complete from 2011 through 2020.
John C. Marlin January, 2021
https://youtu.be/dcetof6KSXs is a link to a video interview a student did as a class project. It features the planting project and mentions SSC, SECS, Red Bison, and CIMN among others.
John Marlin (from Illinois Sustainable Technology Center) reported that the planting projects using SSC and ISEE grants are progressing well.
The majority of the large honeysuckle was removed from the South Arboretum Woods, mostly by the fecon machine at a cost of $20,000. Student workers (mainly NRES and ESE) are taking out the remainder with hand tools and chainsaws and finishing the resprouts and seedlings with limited applications of herbicide. The woods was actually a former research plot where many species of trees were planted in blocks very close together. A number of trees will have to be removed in order to allow for the others to grow well and to let light penetrate to the ground.
They also spent some time planting and weeding at plots at the Natural Resources Building, Burrill Hall, the Florida Orchard prairie and Lincoln Ave Residence (LAR) Hall. LAR contributed some funds toward planting.
A Boy Scout Eagle Project was conducted at the woods. They worked on three occasions removing garlic mustard and honeysuckle. The Master Naturalists have also put in quite a few hours.
Sandy Mason interviewed myself and Jessica Mondello this morning at the Florida—Orchard prairie. I think it went well. As usual there was an awkward moment or two as we groped for words. It should air on the farm segments at 5:40 am tomorrow Aug 7, and another version next Tuesday. It will likely also show up on Illinois Home page .net
All the paths now have a thin layer of wood chips to prevent erosion.
~John Marlin