Cache Your Way 2018: History
Welcome to Pleasant Valley
N42 14.532 W088 27.078
Welcome to Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley expands 2,080 acres and is a mosaic of natural areas. Within its borders exist a high-quality oak savanna, a grade ‘A’ stream, a never before plowed wetland and an impressive prairie ecosystem. This special combination of habitats creates one of the most
biologically diverse, stunningly beautiful, and locally accessible sites in the county.
Because of its unique history, the lands that make up Pleasant Valley had been relatively protected from any prior urban development. The Conservation District’s restoration efforts focused on reversing agricultural practices. Fields were re-seeded with prairie plants and fence lines were torn down. Invasive exotic species and brush were removed through mowing, spot-spraying of herbicide, and controlled prescription burns.
Restoration work also included returning the natural hydrology to a 150-acre wetland complex which involved removing a drainage ditch, farm tiles and a berm. The water now flows more naturally over the ground. As a result, the shallow marsh, sedge meadow and wet-prairie complex created a wetland rookery that attracts numerous visiting herons, cranes, terns, rails and blue-winged teals. Restoration of the functional, structural and compositional components of the landscape complements the habitat requirements for native animal species.
Oak History
One hundred and seventy years ago, as widespread Euro/American settlement began to engulf the rolling swell and swale topography of McHenry County, nearly one third of the county’s landscape supported oak dominated ecosystems. Oak natural community types were varied and ranged from open savanna to denser forest determined by topographic location and the return interval of natural and Native American set wildfires. But these ancient groves had already experienced intense ecological forces by the time the first eastern settlers viewed them in 1837 including glacial ice, prolonged drought and landscape scale fires.
As the twentieth century progressed, oak dominated communities continued to decline. Expansion of towns and transportation infrastructure development joined already established reasons for oak loss. By 1939, when the first aerial photography of the county was flown this loss had continued unabated. Overall 82% loss of tree cover in the county from 1837 with a 62% loss in the years between 1872 and 1839. Of the original 143,000 acres of oaks documented in 1837, a scant 26,350 acres remained by 1939.
If we simply project future oak loss based on what has transpired over the past 172 years, the county could stand to lose the majority of the remaining 18,000 acres of mature oaks over the next three decades.
Cache Your Way Question
In 1837, how many acres of McHenry County contained an oak dominated community?
About the Hide
Straightforward hide. The bugs are THE WORST then anywhere else.
Geocachers
Please join us in playing! All are welcome who observe and obey the rules. Please do not move or vandalize the container. Please do not remove the informational card from the container, this is an essential game piece for cachers completing the Cache Your Way program. For more information on the program, visit our website or follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CacheYourWayAcrossMcHenryCounty/
District Geocaching Rules
For a complete list of rules, visit our website
McHenry County Conservation District Information
Visit our website at www.mccdistrict.org or call 815-338-6223 for camping/shelters, 815-479-5779 for educational programs or 815-678-4532 for the Lost Valley Visitor Center