Nine Stories. Part 3: Saving a Fen - Heroine in an Office Job - Doubled Burns.

Story 7. A Fen In Need

The largest high-quality wetland in the state was then called Spring Hill Farm Fen. It included hundreds of acres of high prairie bluffs sloping down to fens, spring runs, seeps, floating fen mats, sedge meadows, and a stream.  

Success was close. The Nature Conservancy had an option to buy it, backed by an approved grant that would reimburse half the cost. But our excellent director at the time, Ralph Brown—whom I don’t criticize, as he was a totally dedicated, smart, hard-working, creative acquirer of land—made a mistake. The land had been on sale for many years, with no takers. Ralph thought we had offered too much money. His assessment was that we could acquire it at a reduced price. So, on the day the option would expire, he had a meeting with the owners and offered them cash - but at a lower price. In his career, Ralph worked a lot of magic with such negotiations, but this time the owners said “no.” He left saying, “Okay, this is how much we were able to raise so far; let me try to raise some more and come back to you soon.”

From rare gentians and milkweeds to rare butterflies, this fen was rich. But it could all be lost, soon. Above, the grass pink orchid. 

He informed the board and said he’d try to make a new deal soon. The next day, one of our board members, Arnold Sobel, president of Materials Services Corporation, bought the fen to mine it for gravel.

This was a shocker beyond belief. Some members thought Sobel should be booted off the board. Others said such confrontation was not The Nature Conservancy way, and we should negotiate with him.

But his negotiating position was essentially, “We’ll give you the land for free after we mine it, so you should be happy.” He was not willing to hear that the mining would destroy the hydrology and then the biodiversity. 

Losing a top priority conservation goal because of a last minute mistake? There was great turmoil and angst among the dedicated Illinois Conservancy board members, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and conservationists generally. Then, in contrast, I got a call from one of the national leaders of the Conservancy telling me that we’d really screwed up, that this was a major corporation with a lot of money, and we seemed to be spoiling that relationship. So our top priority, he thought, was to apologize and repair it.

Ignoring that advice, I had a plan: convince the new owner that the site was deteriorating from lack of stewardship, and they should authorize us to begin to give it good care. The fellow appointed to negotiate with me was Material Services' Vice President for Land and Facilities (or some such title). I forget his name. He reminded me that this massive company was not just gravel; they owned the Empire State Building, General Dynamics (the builder of U.S. nuclear submarines), and a great deal more.

As I had long hair and didn’t wear suits, he was inclined not to like me. The Vietnam war had recently been lost, and the Cold War with the Soviet Union was raging. He told me he’d had trouble with people like me, for example, protestors outside their nuclear sub factory… and workers within, who conducted such sabotage as driving forklifts into the nose cones of the subs, managing to do millions of dollars of damage when no one was looking, in seconds. He told me that workers on break would go out into the street by the factory where vendors walked up and down with trays of whiskey and disabled half his employees, so he had to buy every business on the street and then the street itself, so he could control it. I did not take the bait but instead gave him level-headed and reasonable responses. I might have agreed with the protestors, but I could sympathize with his perspective. In the end, he approved my plan.

The underlying strategy was to build constituency for saving the fen. A strong constituency wields power.

We kicked it off with a huge celebration under a vast tent, with displays, featured speakers, and hiking tours. Soon, a massive workforce cut brush and helped generate media weekly. On our first burn, I invited the local mayor to light the fire. She got a front-page photo and was happy.

One day, in my office at the Conservancy, I got a call from the Chicago Botanic Garden. Two high-ranking biologists from the Soviet Union were visiting. They were bored with the Japanese garden and displays of trees from the Himalayas. “We go to those places," they said. "We hoped to see nature here.” I agreed to take them to Spring Hill Farm Fen. They were so happy to get away from soirées, cocktail parties, and lectures. Defense contractor General Dynamics was apoplectic that I was bringing these Russians to their property. I said, “We need the publicity to build the volunteer force for stewardship.” The mayor gave a great welcoming speech. General Dynamics sent two guys in shiny suits and shiny shoes to monitor us. We walked those poor guys through deep wetlands that utterly thrilled the Russians. We scientists largely conversed in Latin names. Bit by bit, increasingly, Spring Hill Farm Fen became the state’s most visible conservation priority.

A bittersweet ending: many other people, dressed in suits, deserve credit for nailing down the final deal. It's now called Lake-in-the-Hills Fen Nature Preserve. No one mined the fens or the prairie bluffs above them. But much of the gravel behind the bluffs was hauled away. Will that loss of limy gravel and the resulting hydrologic disruption seriously hurt the fen? Only time will tell.

Story 8: Heroine in an Office Job

 

Mary Laria wanted more stewards at more sites. Other staff (former supporters of the moratorium, but that's too long a story for here) did not. Laria was assistant director of the Cook County Forest Preserves under Steve Bylina. She persevered, finding a grant to fund two organizers. One of the preserves chosen for the new initiative was Somme Woods. The kickoff was September 20, 2014. See our flyer, below:

Stewards had long worked on Somme's western 75 acres, but little attention had been paid to the 180 acres to the east. Josh Coles was hired by Laria’s grant, and Cecil Hynds-Riddle received a fellowship from the Woods and Prairie foundation to help out. Soon at Somme Woods East there was a thriving new community of mostly younger stewards. All were encouraged to contribute as they felt inspired to. New leaders emerged slowly, in part because of complex requirements to be officially authorized by staff in the central office. At the end of one “workday,” as we had our wrap-up talk, volunteer Ben Fisher said, “It’s too hard. Couldn’t there be something like a micro steward, to make it easier?” We thought about that and ultimately defined “zone stewards” – people who wanted to take responsibility for about 20 acres each and provide leadership there informally, with staff-authorized mentors backing them up. Soon the site benefitted from a dozen zone stewards, working and learning as they got their certifications. 

Then one day Josh met Eriko Kojima, who changed all. Wise, humble, and hard-working, she supported and assisted everyone. She gradually adopted a long-term mission. At first she had been captivated by seed-gathering and what those seeds needed for thriving futures. Then she set herself a goal – “to be a good steward.” As she mastered invasives control, brushpile burns, and so much more, she did become a very good steward of her zone, but more importantly her spirit and social skills transformed the team. 

Somme East stewards with ancient bur oak. Photo by Eriko Kojima.

Eriko built community. She helped many become zone stewards and other types of lead contributors by facilitating their journeys through the Forest Preserve District certification processes and, most important, on-the-ground skills training and ecological understanding. She became the Dot Wade, John Balaban, and Judy Pollock of Somme Woods. For volunteers on “the path to stewardship” she opened bottlenecks and facilitated learning, not as a boss, but as a friend.  

After a few months, she made a proposal to her husband and daughter; then with their blessing, she quit her paid job and started being a steward and facilitator full time. There was huge growth in on-the-ground results and numbers of authorized leaders went through the roof. Some staff people began saying, “You should be sharing leaders with other sites!” Yes, maybe. But they’re volunteers. They won’t go somewhere else because someone tells them to.  

Al Steuter, famously effective manager of bison on TNC’s 56-thousand-acre Niobrara reserve, once explained his bison management strategy: “If you’re really good, you can get the bison to do anything that they want to do.” Yes. Profound. This principle works for people too. Temple Grandin is a famous horse-whisperer who also advised Nachusa on their bison restoration. She sees things from their perspectives and figures out how to make things work better for all. Eriko Koijma is a conservation people-whisperer. Everyone can make a difference. Some people, like Mary Laria and Eriko Kojima, may end up making especially big one.

As demonstrated by the story below, Eriko and the Somme Team built the capacity that then branched out vigorously to prairie after woodland after fen and beyond, as below. 

Story 9:  Illinois Beach 

 

I’d been working on the two Illinois Beach Nature Preserves since 1978, initially as a field rep for the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC). It was a job that I wanted very much and which paid $95 per week that, by agreement, I had to raise myself. We supported the young Illinois Nature Preserves System, that was gearing up for something big. A statewide search had identified 610 areas worthy of being in the system, which at that time had only 68 preserves. 

 

Rising to this key moment, a big grant from the Joyce Foundation allowed the Nature Preserves System (see Endnote INPS) to hire half a dozen of us as Field Reps. Our job was to negotiate with owners, add new sites to the system, and see to it that all preserves got maintained in good health. Jerry Paulson was our boss and mentor. We saved scores of sites, then hundreds, and upgraded their care. 

 

Illinois Beach had been the first Illinois Nature Preserve and to this day is among the tallgrass region's most important protectors of endangered species and communities (beach, dunes, prairies, savannas, and many wetland types). But threats remained. Invasive shrubs were still expanding and blotting out parts of those communities and species. Poisonous crown vetch was spreading and killing after being planted around a new parking lot. A large area of precious Grade A prairies and wetlands in Illinois Beach north was being targeted for a giant commercial marina – proposed by the State itself. Opposing that destruction was one objective I had worked on with IEC, especially happily, as this hallowed ground was already one of my favorite places on the planet. After a lot of back and forth, the marina was finally moved north and away from the natural prime areas. 

 

As Nature Preserves staff, it was our job to head off such threats. And indeed, we made progress on many. Part of our strategy was to facilitate and empower an expanded constituency of volunteer conservationists. The one DNR conservation staff person for northern Illinois was spread across tens of thousands of acres. He appreciated the help and initiative, but cautioned me about stepping on toes, and indeed I was hauled before the DNR Director to explain myself, which was clearly intended to intimidate. But friendly and positive advocacy, under the guidance of Nature Preserves director George Fell, seemed to be what the Nature Preserves needed. Fell was quiet but intense. Once at a staff meeting, as an icebreaker, we were all to name our favorite way of spending spare time. When Fell’s turn came, he said he was disappointed not to hear people say that what they liked to do most in their spare time was more work.

 

By 1983, uncompromising Fell and all of us had stepped on too many toes. Fell and the entire Nature Preserves staff were fired. Some bureaucrats may have thought that would be the end of an independent and dynamic Nature Preserves System. But thanks to good advocacy, the State hired a fine new director (Karen Witter), and the system moved ahead.

 

From 68 preserves in 1978, the system has grown to well over 600 preserves now. During those years, many unsupportive Illinois Governors went to prison (no connection, unfortunately). For 15 years, the Nature Conservancy employed me to organize and serve the Volunteer Stewardship Network – to care for preserves. When the Conservancy changed direction, for another 15 years, some of us worked under the Audubon banner to support stewards, promote on-the-ground biodiversity initiatives, to organize field seminars and the Wild Things conference, and whatever else seemed strategic. 

 

Then Audubon too moved in different directions. And some of us launched Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves. Perhaps our decades of working through national and international agencies with their own special (and changing) goals was the best we could do then. But now, for the first time, we would have an independent force specifically focused on nature preserves. Early on, the day-to-day organizers were Somme Woods zone stewards, including Matt Evans, Eriko Kojima, Christos Economou, Katie Kucera, Emma Leavens, and Rebeccah Hartz. We built new capacity, with good help from Nature Preserve staffers Kim Roman and John Nelson. In 2023 we were invited to work with Illinois DNR staff biologist Melissa Grycan to see what could be done for the incomparable Illinois Beach – where invasives were still spreading widely. Hundreds of volunteers at increasing numbers of sites accomplished what staff alone could not. 

A rich remnant ecosystem, molded by blowing sand, fire, and time.
Now dependent on protection from and by people. 

In 2023 Melissa and Friends field rep Jo Sabath launched a new stewardship community for Illinois Beach. Rising to the occasion, Sharon Rosenzweig, Belynda Alberte, Jerome McDonnell, Ashley Wold, Regina Witherell-Poe, Ted Boggess, Zoe Raines, and a long list of other great folks took the lead and held year-round weekly “workdays” and often worked on special projects ever since. Crown vetch is on the run. 

 

Melissa regularly thanks the Friends for the great work on invasives as well as doubling her capacity to conduct needed burns. Such work is occasionally shared on this blog. 

 

Along with global climate change, biodiversity loss is one of the most important challenges facing the planet. Public education and constituency are key. At many sites, an upcoming generation of conservationists is emerging. Many experienced stewards are inspired by their new energy, dedication, and rising competence. Decades of invasives, advancing until recently, are in rout at some sites! Tallgrass region biodiversity is getting more of the love that it deserves. 

 

Endnote

 

It takes a team and a village. Conservation staff folks at public and not-for-profit agencies are crucial. But learning the bewildering alphabet soup of acronyms can seem not worth the trouble for someone who just loves nature and wants to help. In fact, don’t hesitate to ignore, but if you want, this endnote will provide a brief guide to NLI, INPS, INPC, INAI, DOC, DNR, and a few others.

 

When this story began in 1978, the Illinois Department of Conservation (DOC) was a big agency with responsibilities for state parks and historic sites, conservation regulations, conservation police, and licenses for hunting, fishing, and trapping. It was only starting to focus on “natural areas.” The words “biodiversity conservation” were unknown; the concept of “biodiversity” wouldn‘t even be defined until 1985. There was contention between the wildlife staff (the “hook and bullet boys”) and some younger, newer staff who worked on “natural areas” or what we’d now call biodiversity conservation. 

 

Change was under way, thanks to Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (1962) and the “can do” spirit of “the sixties.” After years of advocacy, the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act in 1963 established the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) to support the Illinois Nature Preserves System (INPS … although the Illinois Native Plant Society has that same acronym). The Nature Preserves System initially had little funding. So the founders, with leadership from George Fell, established the not-for-profit Natural Land Institute (NLI) to fundraise and build staff, independent of government control and limitations. 

 

The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (finished in 1978) was the first such intensive inventory on the planet. The INAI was conducted by NLI for DOC to help the INPC decide priorities for the INPS. Later the name of the DOC was changed to Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Both INPC and DNR have staff and resources, but not nearly enough.

There are many other organizations that are key to the Illinois Nature Preserves System. About half the nature preserves are owned by forest preserve districts, park districts, townships, land trusts, and private individuals. Especially where people care and constituency exists, staff and contractors of the other owners havbe expertise and resources and do important work. Yet there's typically so much more care needed, and competent volunteers may make a life-or-death difference. 

For the previous three stories: click here.

Acknowledgements

Sharon Rosensweig deserves credit for helpful proofing and edits.