Who are the Peregrines?

They do good as they wander the wilderness - winter, summer, and in between. As they describe themselves:

“Depends who you ask: we're musicians, lawyers, parents, birders, students, nurses, tech workers, and a great deal more. But we're all brought together by a passion for caring for biodiversity and the healthy natural ecosystems that nurture it.”

“Illinois' newest eco-restoration volunteer community: the Peregrines. We're a group of 20 and 30 somethings that work to save the planet through conserving biodiversity in nature preserves across NE Illinois.”

Do you know anyone who might like to be a part of this? Please spread the word.

All the photos and most of the language of this post came from the Peregrines’ website and Facebook page.

Whatever the season, we have great snacks.

In winter, we go to especially worthy preserves and cut - and burn. 

In spring we sometimes plant rare plants from local seed in spaces the brush cutting has opened up. 

In summer, we erase weeds, large and small, including this nasty, invasive silver poplar.

Does this make sense? Yes, it does. See video, below:

Even when we don't have the best tools for the challenges we find, we make it work. 

For more on this somewhat bizarre video, see Endnote 1. 

The Joy of Seeds
We gather in summer and fall. We broadcast into needy ecosystems before the snows. 

Did we mention snacks?
Good treats, good work, and good socializing nourish our spirits. 

Saving the planet needs multitudes. As the Peregrines, we learn as much as is needed for the work that day, mentored by the stewards of the Nature Preserves where we help out. Some of us are learning all we can, so that we too can lead where most needed. One pleasure we most appreciate is meeting each other; people who care about the planet turn out to be great to know. We invite questions or suggestions at peregrines@friendsilnature.org.

 

Our schedule is here.

Our website is here.

Our Facebook page is here. 

Endnote 1

To girdle a tree is a way to kill it without the need for herbicide, which we want to minimize. 

But why kill a tree in the first place? As people increasingly understand, invasive weeds, including invasive trees, are a major threat to biodiversity. In this case, a large Eurasian white poplar has killed off hundreds of species of rare prairie plants and animals. To allow them to re-colonize from the tiny remnant (which trees like this had been eating away at) we girdle the tree. In this case, the tree has fallen over and sprouted a number of new trunks, all of which will be controlled by this awkward-to-make but very effective girdle. To do it, you cut off the phloem and leave the xylem. Really? Do you need a Phd for this? No. You just have to know that the part of the trunk that feeds the roots (the phloem) will break off at the cambium, if you cut it right, and give it a good whack. That's normally done with an axe or hammer. But in this case, a cut European buckthorn log will do. Does this make only vague sense? Come and help, and we'll teach you more!