Conservation Log: Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Project Update
Dear supporters of HeartLands Conservancy,
I wanted to provide you with an update on the Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Project. Our team has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming restoration work, and I wanted to share some of our progress with you.
To start, we have been getting to know our neighbors around Poag Sand Prairie. Through neighborhood conversations, we found out that our neighbor across the street, on Street Car Road, has a compact tractor and brush hog attachment that he was willing to use to rough mow HLC’s property for a great price. We’re grateful for his support, and we’re working with him to ensure that we don’t disturb the Illinois chorus frog, a species that lives in the area. We checked with researchers from SIUE to confirm that we can mow the property without impacting the frogs, and our friendly neighbor is willing to mow only when HLC approves the weather conditions. We also marked the wetland, a big hole, and old fencing with wooden stakes and flagging tape to help our neighbor avoid the frogs and prevent any damage to his equipment.
During our walk-through of the property, I was pleasantly surprised to find little bluestem, a native grass that was not seeded on the property, growing scattered throughout the prairie. This is a great sign, as it indicates that other native sand prairie species may be lying dormant in the seed bank. Our work at Poag Sand Prairie will give these patient green friends a chance to grow again.
To document the restoration process, I took 12 strategic photos throughout the property before the brush hogging began. I will retake the photos once the work is completed, and we’re excited to share these images with you. We’re also thrilled to report that our team has completed the wetland delineation, which will inform our plans for the restoration work.
Overall, we’re making great progress on the Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Project, and we’re grateful for your support. We’ll continue to keep you updated on our progress, and we can’t wait to share the restored prairie with you.
Science,
Eric Wright
Land Conservation Manager, HeartLands Conservancy
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The Poag Sand Prairie Restoration Project was paid for in part by the Edwardsville Community Foundation Grant. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to preserving our natural spaces!