Friends of the SLSB Activity Report
for Thursday 26 May 2011

In attendance: Bob Barker, Ruth Gallantino, Mike Waltz, Henry Whitesel, Cindy Whitesel

Accomplishments: The good weather is holding out. With temperatures around 85F, sunshine, and a slight breeze, we had a good workday. It was a good day to be in the woods. Location: north side of Goat Hill, in grasslands marked i and j: Map. The sawyers cleared Eastern Red Cedar and Pitch Pine, while the draggers moved the wood off the grasslands into the woods. Bob Barker cut greenbrier and opened paths to the grassy areas. We saw plenty of little blue stem, but also noted areas where the grasses were trying to make a comeback. With more sunshine, this should happen. We may mark this area for some seed dispersal next year.

Issues: Plenty of wildflowers abundant in the Serpentine Barrens. We did spot several Wild Indigo and spotted some smilax carrion. I'm including a link here so you can see what this unusual plant looks like. And the flowers do smell like dead mice!

Perhaps Ruth or Bob can verify that the link I have here does, indeed, show the plants we identified at the site.

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/sm_carrion.htm

Reporter: Cindy Whitesel