Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Chicago, IL (2026)

09/17/2026

Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund – Monthly Update September 2026
https://mailchi.mp/69c4dd23d115/2026-september

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

We are delighted to share with you wonderful sights from the Fall Prairie. The glorious lavender swamp thistle attracts many including the "hummingbird" moth and the regal Crab Spider. All of the sights (see images) provided by Nathan resulted from clearing invasives in the last two years; Bottle Gentian where trees and cattails were last year; rose hips galore and Boneset replaced buckthorn. Sawtooth Sunflowers eight to ten feet tall flourish across the Prairie thanks to more frequent burns. Monarchs are massing and dining for their long journey south. Please see it for yourself!

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Last 2026 Native Prairie Plant Walk

Master Naturalist Dru Snavely will lead Chiwaukee Prairie Walks once a month through October. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. Over the months you will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses, and some sedges. There will likely be a plant list available each time as well as occasional other handouts.
Mark your calendars for all the dates. Walks are on the first Saturdays from 10 AM to Noon

October 3, 2026

Meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue (https://maps.app.goo.gl/CZLtVcwFz63EAn2u5). Park on 2nd Avenue. Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sunscreen, insect repellent for possible ticks, and a hat are wise. We go in light rain but not if there is lightning.

Dru Snavely, Master Naturalist
262.344.3130
[email protected]

============================

Workday

Saturday, September 19, we hope to be seed collecting. The prediction is for showers and thunderstorms with the potential for heavy rainfall (we will not go in the field if there is lightning nor if the rainfall is actually heavy). Please watch the weather prior to attending.

Examples of what we may collect this month:
https://www.chiwaukee.org/seed-collection/

High near 70 degrees and the winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Wear old clothes, sturdy shoes or boots, hats and work gloves. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie.

The workday is 9 AM to 12 noon. Come for part or all of it.

PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in

We will meet on 2nd Avenue at 122nd Street near the orange gate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8G18M6KHW6D2N17x9

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday when possible. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, email or call 262.694.7351

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc

08/12/2026

Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund – Monthly Update August 2026
https://mailchi.mp/1d1621e3fbe3/2026-august

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

We are delighted to share with you more of the wonderful photos by Dave Regenfuss, a longtime Workday Volunteer who brings along his camera and an eye for the unusual and delightful.
Enjoy!

============================

Native Prairie Plant Walks

Master Naturalist Dru Snavely will lead Chiwaukee Prairie Walks once a month through October. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. Over the months you will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses, and some sedges. There will likely be a plant list available each time as well as occasional other handouts.

Mark your calendars for all the dates. Walks are on the first Saturdays from 10 AM to Noon

September 5, October 3

Meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Park on 2nd Avenue. Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sunscreen, insect repellent for possible ticks, and a hat are wise. We go in light rain but not if there is lightning.

Dru Snavely, Master Naturalist
262-344-3130
[email protected]

============================

Workday

Saturday, August 15, we will be hunting the remains of Mullein, Queen Anne’s Lace and White Sweet Clover in the savannas north and south of the Jim Olson Trail. The prediction is for rain showers in the morning with a high of 76 degrees and the wind to be SE at 10 to 20 mph. Wear old clothes, sturdy shoes or boots, hats and work gloves. Ticks are less active but still consider spray repellant or tucking pants in socks. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie.

The workday is 9 AM to 12 noon. Come for part or all of it.

PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in

We will meet on 2nd Avenue at 122nd Street near the orange gate.

If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call/text Nathan at 262.694.7351.
https://www.chiwaukee.org/event/2026-08-15/

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc

07/15/2026

CPPF's Monthly Update - July 2026
https://mailchi.mp/fcdea300e5b0/2026-july

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

It is that time of year when a walk in the Prairie can delight with a show of the most amazing floral inhabitants. Lily, phlox, orchid, milkweeds, meadow rue, leadplant, and on and on and on and on. Such a wonderful reward for the long months of cold weather stewardship!

============================

Native Prairie Plant Walks

Master Naturalist Dru Snavely will lead Chiwaukee Prairie Walks once a month through October. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. Over the months you will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses, and some sedges. There will likely be a plant list available each time as well as occasional other handouts. Mark your calendars for all the dates. Walks are on the first Saturdays from 10 AM to Noon

August 1, September 5, October 3

Meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Park on 2nd Avenue. Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sunscreen, insect repellent for possible ticks, and a hat are wise. We go in light rain but not if there is lightning.

Dru Snavely, Master Naturalist
262-344-3130
[email protected]

============================

Introduction to Chiwaukee Prairie

As the Bonus Garden for this year's Four Seasons Garden Club Secret Garden Walk on July 11, CPPF volunteers had the opportunity to introduce hundreds of participants to the location, history and importance of this ecological jewel. The Four Seasons Garden Club was founded about the time volunteers started to raise funds to acquire the Prairie, in the mid 1960’s. The Prairie has benefited greatly from this association of conservation volunteers and garden club members for over 60 years. It continues!

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Workday
Last month this handsome group of volunteers split into three groups for different invasive targets: Black Swallow-Wort, Mullein/ Queen Anne's Lace, and Deptford Pink.

Saturday, July 18, we will be removing a forest of Common Mullein. It goes by a variety of common names including Cowboy Toilet Paper because of its lage velvety leaves. Orginally from Greece, it was brought to this country around 1750 and by 1876 it had reached the west coast. Each plant can grow to over six feet and contain 180,000 very tiny seeds viable for over 100 years. Easy to understand the need to remove it before it goes to seed from an area we recently cleared of invasive brush.

The prediction is for partly cloudy in the morning with a high of 87°F and the wind to be W at 10 to 15 mph. Wear old clothes, sturdy shoes or boots, hats and work gloves. Ticks are active so consider spray repellant or tucking pants in socks. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie.

The workday is 9 AM to 12 noon. Come for part or all of it.

PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in

We will meet on 100th Street west of Lakeshore Drive
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6aakh9V5FER3RxC6A

If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call/text Nathan at 262.694.7351.
https://www.chiwaukee.org/event/2026-07-18/

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc

06/17/2026

CPPF's Monthly Update - June 2026
https://mailchi.mp/8344d688fe2a/2026-june

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

It is the season of the next generation. For Momma Opossum, it is literally a long haul. After less than two weeks gestation, one to 14 “living embryos” the size of navy beans climb up to mom’s pouch where they attach to a ni**le for two months. Thereafter, they ride her back and shift to solid food. Two, sometimes three litters are born each year! At that rate it makes sense that Opossums are omnivores eating everything from carrion and small animals to insects and berries.

In a recently cleared wetland area, Nathan Robertson had the great good fortune to video a pair of Sandhill Cranes keeping close watch over their next generation, two recently hatched Colts. Imagine how fast they must grow to fly south in just a few months.

Finally, something has the attention of a Doe and her Fawn in the very early morning. They will stay together most of the year.

============================

Native Prairie Plant Walks

Master Naturalist Dru Snavely will lead Chiwaukee Prairie Walks once a month through October. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. Over the months you will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses, and some sedges. There will likely be a plant list available each time as well as occasional other handouts.
Mark your calendars for all the dates. Walks are on the first Saturdays from 10 AM to Noon

July 4, August 1, September 5, October 3

Meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Park on 2nd Avenue. Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sunscreen, insect repellent for possible ticks, and a hat are wise. We go in light rain but not if there is lightning.

Dru Snavely, Master Naturalist
262.344.3130
[email protected]

============================

Introduction to Chiwaukee Prairie

As the Bonus Garden for this year’s Four Seasons Garden Club Secret Garden Walk, CPPF volunteers will have the opportunity to introduce a few hundred folks to the location, history and importance of this ecological jewel. The Four Seasons Garden Club was founded about the time volunteers started to raise funds to acquire the Prairie, the mid 1960’s. Many of the same women were involved in both activities. Marion Pacetti, the club’s first president, was a fierce supporter of the Prairie until her death in 2018. Gen Crema, the third president, became a native plant guru and has a trail named after her. Gen was also a charter member of the CPPF board in 1985. The Prairie has benefited greatly from this association of conservation volunteers and garden club members. It continues!
Saturday, July 11 | 9 AM to 3 PM

204 102nd Street, Carol Beach
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mbHN3yTtaoYwo3Mv7
Open to the public – No ticket required
Maps, brochures, volunteer opportunities, native gardening information, more

============================

Workday
Last month volunteers pulled Garlic Mustard, Yellow Rocket, and Dames Rocket along 4th Avenue north of 116th Street and in the Savannah south of 116th Street. Each year there is less and less.

Saturday, June 20, we will be hunting a variety of invasive plants in different locations. The prediction is for sunshine and clouds mixed. High of 76 degrees. Winds are expected to be WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Wear old clothes in layers, sturdy shoes or boots, hats and gloves. Ticks are active so consider spray repellant or tucking pants in socks. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie.

The workday is 9 AM to 12 noon. Come for part or all of it.

PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in

We will meet on 2nd Avenue at 122nd Street near the gate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9UZoHeXdok7QRWCh7

If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call/text Nathan at 262.694.7351.
https://www.chiwaukee.org/event/2026-06-20/

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.

05/13/2026

CPPF's Monthly Update - May 2026
https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=d2b4f448ba8784fc31683bc6a&id=2f38c5891a

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

Sometimes we show you amazing individual plants in bloom. The photo above attempts to show the breadth of the May bloom. Over a dozen species reach for the sun, Shooting Stars and Hoary Puccoon in large areas, while Wood Betony, Bird's Foot Violet, Wild Strawberry and others appear sporadically. This profusion of blooms was helped greatly by a winter burn which cleared the way and left the soil blackened to absorb the heat of the sun.

There is much more going on than blooming: The chorus of bird species claiming territory and luring mates; Turtles on the move to find the perfect place to lay eggs; Queen bumble bees gliding over the ground to find and fill their larders; Cranes exploring newly cleared creekside acres; Bluebirds using our hospitality; And so much more. Come help yourself to a dose of Spring!

============================

Native Prairie Plant Walks

Master Naturalist Dru Snavely will lead Chiwaukee Prairie Walks once a month through October. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. Over the months you will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses, and some sedges. There will likely be a plant list available each time as well as occasional other handouts.
Mark your calendars for all the dates. Walks are on the first Saturdays from 10 AM to Noon

June 6, July 4, August 1, September 5, October 3

Meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/jD2WpzBK79dPqiLH6 ). Park on 2nd Avenue. Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sunscreen, insect repellent for possible ticks, and a hat are wise. We go in light rain but not if there is lightning.

Dru Snavely, Master Naturalist
[email protected]

============================

Workday
Last month volunteers removed and stacked brush from areas near Barnes Creek for later chipping. They were careful to protect an American Woodcock and her eggs, which later hatched and the family moved away. This month is Invasive Species Awareness Month. It is amazing and rewarding to see native forbs appear where bad guys have been removed. We are winning with your support!

Saturday, May 16, we will be pulling Garlic Mustard, and Dame’s Rocket, and Yellow Rocket along 4th Avenue north of 116th Street and in the Savanna south of 116th Street. The prediction is for sunshine and clouds mixed with slight chance of rain and a high of 78 degrees. Winds are expected to be SW at 5 to 10 mph. Wear old clothes in layers, sturdy shoes or boots, hats and gloves. Ticks are active so consider spray repellant or tucking pants in socks. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie. For examples of these three species, visit https://www.chiwaukee.org/invasiveplants/

The workday is 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Come for part or all of it.

Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in
PLEASE NOTE:
We will meet along 4th Avenue north of 116th Street.
Please park on the east side of 4th Avenue.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5bE2ue7eTgPt9GYYA

Please refer to the map in this post for additional details or visit https://www.chiwaukee.org/event/2026-05-16/

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.

04/15/2026

CPPF's Monthly Update - April 2026
https://mailchi.mp/9d668ddf7f02/2026-april

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

It is that wonderful time of the year when every day brings new natural wonders; the sights and sounds and smells and feels of Spring! Sandhill Cranes flying overhead. The cacophony of amorous *Boreal Chorus Frogs and American Toads. The smell of damp earth after recent fire. And the incredibly soft feel of a P***y Willow bloom "which any queen bumble bee that might be out would enjoy". She, of course, would be looking for food to store for her coming brood. Our senses barely touch the incredibly complex awakening of nature on the Prairie. That we are able to help it continue to exist is an incredible honor.

*Click the link below to hear Boreal Chorus Frogs and American Toads, recorded by Nathan Robertson on the evening of April 13:
https://www.chiwaukee.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026_0413_Boreal_Chorus_Frogs_and_Toads_115th_St.m4a

================================

Now on the Prairie

The Cursed Crowfoot (Buttercup) is an early bloomer in muddy habitats where competition is limited by intermittent inundation.
The Marsh Marigold is a characteristic plant of springy calcareous fens.
The Chicago area subspecies of the Garter Snake basks in the sun.
(See images in this post.)

================================

Native Prairie Plant Walks

Master Naturalist Dru Snavely will lead Chiwaukee Prairie Walks once a month through October. Information includes a little history, a little geology and lots of plant names and facts. Over the months you will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses, and some sedges. There will likely be a plant list available each time as well as occasional other handouts.
Mark your calendars for all the dates Walks are on the first Saturdays from 10AM to Noon

May 2, June 6, July 4, August 1, September 5, October 3

Meet at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Park on 2nd Avenue.
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jD2WpzBK79dPqiLH6
Wear good walking shoes or boots and long pants. Sunscreen, insect repellent for possible ticks, and a hat are wise. We go in light rain but not if there is lightning.

Dru Snavely, Master Naturalist
262.344.3130
[email protected]

================================

Workday discovery

Last workday, two teenage volunteers observed a garter snake with live birth young ones. Unusual timing as most mate in Spring and give birth in Fall. This was the result of a Fall mating. The girls who observed the snakelet were thrilled to see it.

================================

Workday

Last month the workday had two different locations and two different activities. In the far southwest corner near the state line, volunteers basal barked Aspen shoots after walking nearly a mile to get there. Along Lakeshore Drive south of 100th Street, a group of teenagers did a great job of hauling and stacking previously cut small trees and brush for later chipping. We are very grateful to all the volunteers for the very helpful multitasking workday. (See images in this post.)

Join us this Saturday, April 18, for our early Earth Day Workday including your last chance before Fall to cut and haul brush. We will be removing the cut trees and brush from the south side of 100th Street, west of Lakeshore Drive. The prediction is for variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous in the morning. Chance of rain 50%. Winds West at 16-27 mph and a high of 46 degrees. Wear old clothes, long pants, work gloves, and sturdy shoes or boots. It is tick season, so consider bug spray. We supply tools, instruction, water and answers to all your questions about the Prairie.

Please park along 3rd Avenue, north of 100th Street, to ensure we have enough room for dragging brush off of 100th St. Click here for parking directions:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/V7nVWUk8UJhUtoep8

The Saturday workday is from 9 AM to 12 PM.
PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in.

If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call/text Nathan at 262.694.7351.

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.

https://www.chiwaukee.org/event/2026-04-18

03/18/2026

CPPF's Monthly Update - March 2026
https://mailchi.mp/e67e49401699/2026-march

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

On Monday, March 9th, the weather was perfect for the best management tool there is, prescribed burns. The five areas burned totaled 38 acres. After the burns, American Robins were observed searching for exposed food. Hopefully they ate well before the snow. Later this Spring, the blackened land will draw in the sun's heat before bursting with life.

============================

Native Plant Sale
Inspired to plant natives in your own garden? Check out the Root River Wild Ones online native plant sale on now until April 1. Information at https://rootrivernativeplantsale.org/

============================

Workday
This Saturday, March 21, we will be using Makutu applicators to basal bark aspen resprouts in the far southwest corner of Chiwaukee Prairie. Please note that this activity is intended for individuals aged 18 and older. In addition to wearing old clothing and gloves, it is advisable to wear sturdy boots, preferably water-resistant, as the area may become muddy with the melting snow. The worksite is a 0.85-mile walk away. Due to the warm spring weather, ticks may be active, so you may want to consider using repellent or tucking your pants into your socks.

The prediction is for mostly cloudy skies with a high of 55 degrees. Winds are expected to be SW at 10 to 15 mph. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie.

The workday is 9 AM to Noon. Come for part or all of it.
PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in
We will meet on 2nd Avenue at 122nd Street near the gate.
Meeting location at: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9UZoHeXdok7QRWCh7
Please refer to the map in this post for additional details or visit https://www.chiwaukee.org/event/2026-03-21/

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.

02/18/2026

CPPF's Monthly Update - February 2026
https://mailchi.mp/e78807b090c6/2026-february

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

It's that time of year, somewhere between winter and spring when a bit of warm weather melts the snow and leaves the Prairie looking uniformly tan as the dry stems of last years' grasses and flora wave in the wind. If you would like a great reminder of the Prairie in the growing season, check out Dana Garrigan’s presentation on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak5tamhnZg4). It may inspire you to plan joining the First Saturday Prairie Nature Walks starting in May. Better yet, it may inspire you to plant natives in your own garden. If you are so inspired, check out the Root River Wild Ones online native plant sale on now until April 1 (https://rootrivernativeplantsale.org/)

If you just can’t wait to get out into the Prairie, join our volunteers this Saturday as they take on invasive aspen.

============================

January Workday

Please refer to the images on this post for details.

============================

Workday

This Saturday, February 21, we will be using Makutus to basal bark aspen resprouts south of the west end of Jim Olson Trail (122nd Street). The prediction is for mostly cloudy with a high of 37 degrees. Winds are expected to be NW at 10 to 15 mph. Wear old clothes, sturdy shoes or boots, and gloves you don't treasure. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie. Interested in attending Extra Workdays? See below.

The workday is 9 AM to Noon. Come for part or all of it.
PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in

We will meet on 2nd Avenue at 122nd Street near the gate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9UZoHeXdok7QRWCh7

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.

01/14/2026

CPPF's Monthly Update - January 2026
https://mailchi.mp/825efc7f7949/2026-january

Greetings, Friends of the Prairie,

Those who know him, know there is no limit to Nathan’s curiosity about nature. In December it led him to take a shovel full of soil from a snow-covered ditch, drop it in a bucket of water, put a light on it, see plants come to life, and, later, the tiny native fairy shrimp. The source area has not had open water in some time. Turns out their eggs can remain viable for years, even in a dry state. Several of Nathan’s tiny shrimp now have eggs (mid body pinkish circles).These fairy shrimps are symbolic of the multitude of native life forms we seldom see or hear about though they help form the richest native ecosystem in Wisconsin.
Click here to view Nathan's video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/vLhTL2XBwGg

===================================

Not all critters are Friends

The Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) has been labeled the “Silent Invader of North America”. Originally it was brought here around 1896 to assist with agricultural pest control. It is a generalist predator and consumes a wide variety of species including native bees, caterpillars, butterflies, and, reportedly, hummingbirds. Its impact on native pollinators can be devastating.

Since the last workday, we have been able to collect 220 egg sacks (oothecae). With each averaging 200 eggs, that could be 44,000 eggs removed from the Prairie and enormous damage avoided.

The Chinese Mantis is quite striking with its green stripe down the side of its abdomen. While they can strike prey with ferocious speed, they are relatively easy to catch. If you do catch one, do native nature a favor and dispatch it.

===================================

Workday
In December, volunteers cut, stacked, and burned brush off 3rd Avenue north of 96th Street.

This Saturday, January 17, we will be cutting and stacking brush, and possibly burning brush piles if conditions permit.

****Updated Meeting Location****
Due to recent snowfall that has changed our plans, we will instead be meeting at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Park along the west side of 2nd Avenue. We will then walk north along the Al Krampert Trail to access the work site location that is just beyond the north end of the Al Krampert Trail (west of the Phil Sander Trail).
Click here for the map of the meeting location.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/jD2WpzBK79dPqiLH6

See the map in this post. Park at the meeting location (“P”); we will then walk to the work site location where indicated south of 116th St. Do not park along 116th St but as indicated on the map ("P").

The prediction is for cloudy skies with a high of 18 degrees. Winds are expected to be W at 15 to 20 mph. Wear old clothes, sturdy shoes or boots, hats and gloves. We supply tools, water, instructions, and answers to all your questions about the Prairie. Interested in attending Extra Workdays? See below.

The workday is 9 AM to Noon. Come for part or all of it.
PLEASE: Arrive 10 minutes early to sign-in

If you would like to be notified about extra workday opportunities, plant scouting opportunities or plant identification walks, please email [email protected] to be added to our email list.

Workday cancellations will be posted on our website and Facebook by 8 AM on the workday. If you are unsure whether a workday will take place, please use good judgement when deciding whether or not to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call 262.694.7351.

Thank you for your support,
Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc.

Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund

09/17/2026

08/12/2026

07/15/2026

06/17/2026

05/13/2026

04/15/2026

03/18/2026

02/18/2026

01/14/2026

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