Where: Sterne's Woods & Fen outdoor pavilion, 5617 Hillside Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60012
When: Sunday, 9/22/24, 9:00am - 11:00am
What: Cut and stack brush. Bring water bottle and pair of work gloves. Crystal Lake Park District will supply loppers and bow saws.
About Sterne's Woods & Fen: It became an Illinois State Nature Preserve in 1994 to preserve and protect its unique ecology. A fen is a rare type of wetland in which cold groundwater that is high in calcium and magnesium seeps to the surface. The unique water chemistry supports plants that grow nowhere else. Sterne's Fen is home to at least 10 rare or endangered plant species. The surrounding parkland acts as a buffer to the fen and includes prairie, oak savanna, and flatwood ecosystems.
We will be helping with the ecological restoration of this exceedingly rare type of habitat. Invasives like honeysuckle and buckthorn crowd out the native fen species. The brush also prevents the use of controlled burns on the fen.
Information provided by Brice Alt, Volunteer Site Steward