Burn, Baby, Burn! Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Quick GRC near an impressive prairie.
Had to put one at Bartel Grassland for old time's sake. Used to do field work here for my high school's Eco Club. Bartel started restoration in the 70's, and before it became what it is today, it was a big ol' Illinois farm field. "Spread across a low, flat plain, this land once attracted scores of species of breeding grassland and wetland birds. Decades of agricultural use, however, including the planting of Osage orange trees to create hedgerows and the draining of wet areas, divided the site and reduced its usefulness as a breeding site. (Grassland birds need large, treeless expanses to nest.) Restoration work has encouraged many species to return, however, and it is now recognized by Audubon as an Important Bird Area for bobolink. Bartel once again serves as breeding habitat for grassland birds, many of which migrate here from South and Central America every summer. Birders may see bobolink, eastern meadowlark, grasshopper sparrow, Henslow's sparrow, savannah sparrow, sedge wren, and dickcissel. Look for short-eared owl and northern harriers in the winter" (fpdcc.com/bartel-grassland). Part of the restoration process is periodical prairie burns to rid the land of any invasive species. This allows the native plants to thrive off the necessary nutrients provided by the fire. I'm proud to have been a part of restoring this place. May it prosper for decades to come! Good hunting, ~Tina
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Qvfpb Vasreab!