Seed – the backbone of any restoration… the what, when, where and how?

If you have been involved in any kind of ecological restoration, the question of seed has probably passed your mind, at least briefly.  It was also the subject of a forum and (I would dare to say) heated discussion at the 24^th North American Prairie Conference.  Many issues were addressed but a couple kept surfacing up. Here are the issues I remember, please add those I might have omitted to the comments.

Blue flag iris seed 

seed mix prepared for a restoration project

  

 1.       How do we obtain seed – meaning where do nurseries collect the “started” seed from? It was a

a.        geographical matter  - is it Carbondale or Dekalb, IL

b.      Ecological matter – how local should the ecotype be? how far is too far to travel outside of the project? Should seed planted in a sand prairie come from a source that was collected on a black soil prairie

c.       a political matter (is the seed available on municipal, county, state, federal,  or private land?) how long do we have to wait for permits and how to mainstream the process? Is there a way?

d.      Knowledge matter – where EXACTLY are those remnant, tiny places where we can collect seed? Is anyone willing to share their “spots”? (I know I would be hesitant to share it). Tragedy of the commons, anyone?

e.      Ideological matter – do we collect started seed from remnants only or do we go to restorations as well?

2.       How do we get enough seed for projects, while we often don’t know about them years in advance?

a.       How can nurseries be informed of needs in a fair market driven way and in advance? (I am no economist here)

3.       How do we get the diversity of the seed we need?

a.       Here diversity was the simple alpha diversity (i.e. number of species)

b.      Functional and seasonal diversity

c.        As well as genetic diversity

                                                              i.      We open the whole Pandora’s box here – do we collect from few sites and mix seed and call it species x region y seed? Do we cultivate seed collected at each

4.       How do we preserve the diversity?

a.       If genetic purity is important then how do you make sure a grower who is growing a couple local genotypes preserves those as “pure” because pollinators do cross large distances

b.      At which point will we have an inbreeding bottleneck and the plants at the restoration sites will have a very decreased fitness?

c.       Or outbreeding depression ?

5.       How do we grow plants to preserve their genetic integrity?

a.       Is the seed we buy for restoration projects domesticated?

b.      Many nursery practices concentrate on the seed collected at most popular times (both within and among species). When we lose the early and late seed of the species (2 standard deviations or more removed, or the “tails” of the Bell curve) how much original genetic material do we lose? Could those be important alleles?

c.       And what would be an economically sound way to collect that seed while paying people a livable wage ? (Ok, that was not discussed, I added that)

6.       Should we source from a bit more south to prepare the projects for the effects of climate change (the 800 pound gorilla that no one wants to touch with a 10 ft pole)

7.       Who should worry about all these issues and head the effort?

a.       How do you involve various levels of government, nurseries, non-profits, seed lovers etc for common good? How would you define that common good?  

b.      What is the goal?

                                                              i.      If the goal is state funding how do we go about obtaining it?

                                                            ii.      Do we propose a plan (and who is we)?

                                                          iii.       Do individual citizens carry out guerilla like meetings with their state representatives to ask for funding? OR maybe there should be a bill and then we do a massive PR campaign and push to get it passed (again, who is WE – because it begins to feel like the royal WE and no one wants to take charge)

I think some of the questions can be answered by looking at the goals of the project, but not many…

Sometimes I just want to go back to grad school, and do a whole lot of research to answer these very necessary practical questions people have…. SIGH

Stay tuned, I will try to have my pondering about this

#ILovePrairieBecause

  #ILOVEPRAIRIEBECAUSE

The prairie stole my heart some 6 years ago, but the process was not sudden, or at least I did not realize how much the prairie meant to me until few month passed. See, I got introduced to the prairie by my passion for wetlands. As people might now, you cannot work with wetlands in Illinois and ignore the prairie. The health of one depends on another, as there are no clear boundaries and just a slow gradient of moisture and soil conditions that determines (and feeds back) into the difference between prairie and wetland. But I digress…

A while ago TNC Illinois asked on twitter why do you (meaning we, you and I) love the prairie and it got me thinking…. And then there was the hashtag created #ILovePrairieBecause and I just had to put my thoughts on paper because there are so many reasons. Almost every day I can think of something else, here are some reasons why I do, indeed, enjoy the prairie so much

-          #ILovePrairieBacause it calms me. I cannot explain it - there is just something in the prairie, the green, the blue and vastness (in places where it is vast) that appeals to my prehistoric sense of beauty. If you think about this – as our species evolved and migrated through Africa we went through a lot of plains, grasslands, etc.  I actually shared this thought with one awesome volunteer once and she texted me afterwards saying there is research supporting that thought (so I probably just heard it on the radio and did not think of it myself). Supposedly children up to a certain age prefer the grassland and/or savanna  landscape and then it shifts when we are older and had time for more cultural “imprints”

-          #ILovePrairieBacause  it is a constant challenge! Can you say so many species so little time?! And I am not only talking about the plants, but birds, insects, fungi you name it! There is always one more plant to learn, one more scientific name to remember (I am SO hopeless at these), one more variation to identify. It challenges my sense of beauty, paying attention to the detail, vocabulary (yes – try to identify a sedge and find yourself using a botanical dictionary), stamina… you name it

-          #ILovePrairieBacause  of the sky (probably connected to the first point). I have seen lightning strike the prairie! It is the mightiest thing ever. More impressive and grand than the same look in the mountains. When I saw lightning hit the Rocky Mountains it was powerful, loud, grand. But somehow, deep inside I felt like the mountains are tough and “can take it”, almost like daring the lightning to strike it. But the prairie has none of that arrogance. It just exists, just takes it while the atmospheric discharge pounds on it. It is not “moved” by it. Quite opposite the prairie says ”bring it on, water my plants, bring a fire and good disturbance to me, let me use you to shape myself.”  But it is not just the might of the thunder and lightning, it is the clouds that are high, or hang low on other days. It is the numerous shades of blue, gray and purple, it is how the sky meets the prairie. There is just something unexplainable about it

-          #ILovePrairieBacause it is resilient. It uses the disturbance to open up possibilities for new plants to come in (yes, those adopted to disturbance). Like a phoenix it grows from the ashes and gets stronger. It can deal with one of the biggest mammals gnawing on it and actually “turn” this situation to its advantage. It has withstand the biggest destruction caused to it by people. It is adopting to climate change as we speak (but is it fast enough?)

-          #ILovePrairieBacause it is unexpected… in so many different ways. We often refer to it as the upside down rainforest, as most of its biomass is underground. It is unexpected in other ways, the diversity in a meter square quadrant, for example… I think the most I ever encountered were just over 40 species but there are accounts of more… As the moisture gradient changes so does its plant community, as the weeks progress so does its color. The prairie is hardly ever the same any one week. And the more we learn about it the more we find out… carbon storage? Sure more efficient than some forests! Denitirification of excess nutrients? Just let those wetlands do their part. Water storage after a big storm? Saving taxpayers millions of dollars every year. The list goes on

-          #ILovePrairieBacause it rejoices and reenergizes my soul and mind. Makes me believe in something bigger. Gives me strength and purpose and makes me believe that indeed, I can leave this world just a little bt better than I found it.

MarshMaiden reserves the right to add more examples to this list but it is getting late and she is also tired (and apparently refers to herself in 3^rd person) 

Dressing the part - the everyday struggle of a female ecologist...

You know how you are always told to dress the part? Or to dress for the job you’d like to have? Or that it is always better to overdress than underdress? I guess exceptions make the rule and the field of ecology is that exception. I feel like the ladies here have a special conundrum. Please do indulge me and hear me out!

Our dress is our external business card, and we get judged on it (oh boy, are we REALLY judged based on what and how we wear it) I don’t even mean if we are tidy and clean (that is mostly a given). The way a particular person dresses says (or may say) a lot about their manner, music or lifestyle preference, and then there are the stereotypes.

* Oh you are wearing make-up in the field? You just don’t know any better! Whom are you trying to impress? You must be one of those airheads!

Oh you are not wearing any make-up? What? Are you trying to be a man? You should embrace your gender! (because wearing make-up is clearly the only way I can unify with other ladies)

This shirt is too tight, why is it pink? These pants are too loose! You look too official, I bet you know nothing about field work! Why would you wear a necklace?

You look dirty and sweaty – translation : you probably are not too bright and definitively don’t know how to run a project or analyze any data bc if you did you would not be doing this dirty work *

I sometimes feel like I have heard most of it, with certain things said straight out, others implied. And I have to admit, it is hard to dress to be a professional (female) in the field. You want to be comfortable but exude confidence and knowledge, you should be a bit formal, but not too much as it might undermine the exact confidence and knowledge you want to portray. I will not even mention the real struggle of knowing how to dress for an interview (pant suits are not really endorsed in our society but skirts might suggest you don’t like being outdoors much) Is anyone out there also struggling with this?

I don’t often rip on the men in the field (ok, I sometimes do) but they have it easy! Khakis and a polo – an answer to any and all in field and office wardrobe needs. It says “look I am sporty and casual in the field, while oddly formal for an office meeting as I DO HAVE A COLLAR!” For ladies, though, it is way different.

First of all most of our shirts are fitted, we might have problems of having an unusual waist to bust ratio leading to the shirts being too tight in one spot or too loose in another (or both).  Tucking the shirt in makes many of us feel subconscious about our figures, leaving them out often looks sloppy. Many of the women’s button up shirts are 50% more expensive than men’s .Pants are hard to get too, especially if you are tall and/or have an affinity for packets and enjoy cargo pants that happen to not be too tight, or super low rise.

And there is the question of jewelry. Do you wear rings? Do you wear your engagement ring? Earrings? Necklace? How about any make-up other than chapstick? Is being girly even allowed when you have a field position? Or when you deal with a bunch of contractors your father’s age who refer to you as “honey” (I once mustered enough courage to call someone Billy Bob, after they called me sweetness and honey a couple of times – of course I was considered to be rude all they did was express affection).

So ladies, I don’t think there is a right or wrong although I understand I probably felt some prejudice towards other women based on their clothing choices and I was judged on mine as well.  Some things to consider

- wear pants that are not too low

- or if you are tall and your shirt will ride up wear long tank tops

- try some man's clothing a size smaller, you just might like it 

- if you feel you cannot afford nice field clothing (let's face it as ecologist we mostly don't make enough to dress at AnnTaylor everyday) try thrift stores, seriously. Try going to the ones in more affluent neighborhoods. Or try consignment sales. If you pay $7 for a nice-er button up shirt you wont feel as bad wearing it into the field.

- never forget about being comfortable - especially when you are outdoors for the whole day

- speaking of that - a good hat. Not all of us can rock baseball hats or bucket hats. I  wear something that resemble a safari hat with a cloth expending over my neck. Definitively NOT stylish, but also gives me a good cover and protects my neck.

- if you want to rock it - get a nicer pair of sun glasses (and then one of those glasses strings so you don't loose them - you just lost any fashion edge)

- if you like make up do it! as you sweat it might run, but will also protect your skin from UV rays. I personally don't do it but I do like flavored chapstick that occasionally has some colorant (and I've been called out)

- bring a change of clothing if you have a meeting, maybe?

 I admire those of you who can look feminine while talking in your muddy boots and sporting make up or really well done hair. Those of us who are on the lower end of the maintenance spectrum - that is ok, but also remember that when you want to clean up and rock that pair of 4 inch heels that does not take away from your ability to be a kick ass scientist. I know I am mostly preaching to myself now but my painted fingernails do not take points away from my IQ or any field cred that I deserve. The fact is that the more I feel comfortable and start being myself in the field the bigger “butterfly effect” I will have and some other women might feel it is ok to do that too. But the struggle is real (also a first world problem).

P.S. Please don't mention to my family that I had a sad attempt at fashion- they would burst out laughing 

P.P.S Would love to hear about your solutions

Sisyrinchium or the blue eyed grasses

S. campestre as seen in my native plant garden

Blue eyed grass – Sisyrinchium spp. – are some of my favorite flowers. It is probably really unfair to make that statement because I like a lot of native flowers, and “my favorites” change as the year progresses…

Anyways, I know two species (the common –or white – blue eyed grass, and the prairie blue eyed grass), and I was vaguely aware of the third – the mountain blue eyed grass. I thought I would check the Bible (in this context a reference to the Plant Bible and more specifically Swink and Wilhelms Plants of the Chicagoland Region) to see how to differentiate among them when not in flower and I was quickly taken down a botany rabbit hole. I will indulge you momentarily, but now back to the 3 species.

The blue eyed grasses are beautiful. Short (1 foot or less) and with slender leaves and a delicate flower that grows on top of the stem - they just really stand out. They also form clumps, which gives them an attractive “tufty” look. In addition, right before they bloom the flowers are protected by a lobster claw like bract. According to Doug Ladd’s Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers, the 6 petals are actually 3 petals and 3 sepals that look alike (identical if you ask me).

Sisyrinchium albidum at Brookfield Prairie

The difference between white or common blue eyed grass and the remaining two blue blue eyed grasses (S. campestre and S. montanuum) is that the first one had 3-4 bracts (or 2-3 as described by Swink and Wilhelm), while the pair has those two bracts that cover the flower and remind me of lobster claws. The difference between the bluer of two species –  prairie blue eyed grass (S. campastre) and the mountain blue eyed grass (S. montanuum)  is that mountain blue eyed grass has larger capsules (>4.5 mm long) and the outermost bract is united for 2 mm or more. In the case of the prairie blue eyed grass the capsules are less than 4 mm.

Some easier distinctions: the prairie species is found in dry prairies (yes I know, genius) while the mountain one in prairies AND dune flats in calcareous soils, so in fact it is very rare. I almost want to say that if you are looking for S. montanum you probably know the difference between these two better that I can explain. Prairie blue eyed grass also blooms beginning of May while the mountain blue eyed grass end of May. The white blue eyed grass can bloom from May through June and is more commonly found. Also the more alkaline the soil, the whiter that species will get, which is an interesting fact.

So now that I went through this exhausting explanation I should mention that there actually are 5 Sisyrinchium species  in the region, two I was completely unaware of. And this is how I entered the rabbit hole, or more precisely fell into it…

When you open the key to the genus you are met in the options “Plants appearing to have cauline leaves “ or “plants appearing scapose” . It’s been a while since I looked up a plant so it began, but more about that later… in another post at another time.. stay tuned

Wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis)- not a woodland plant at all

Wood betony scattered through a wet mesic to mesic prairie in
early spring. North Branch of the Chicago River, Spring 2016

This early spring prairie and savanna native dots the landscape in areas mostly dry later in the season but ones that can be inundated with spring rains this time of the year.

closer look at the plant with the upper
and lower parts of the flower visible 

The plant is quite unusual, with light yellow flowers that have a top hood with 2 downward pointed teeth and a three bottom lips fused together to look like one. The bottom part of the flower acts as a landing pad for insects while the hood protects the pollen. Wood betony's leaves are deeply lobed and fuzzy (with fine little hairs - which is can be called pubescent in botanic language or at times even canescent - when short and fine hair produce a whitish appearance ). Some people think it reminds them of ferns, however the leaves have a different texture and obviously no spores underneath.

Wood betony is mostly semi-parasitic, meaning that it taps into the nutrients of other plants, preferably grasses, for some of its nutrients. Some believe that is the reason for the plant's cream-yellow color. As a result the grasses around wood betony are slightly stunted. People have found that under some conditions the plant can sustain itself without finding a hoast. For this reason when growing this plant from seed make sure you seed it into containers which already have a lot of 2nd or 3rd season grass growing (little bluestem is a good choice).

Ranting about retaining people in the conservation world, part two

In the previous post I said something to the extent of  “I don’t have any suggestions,” which, as you might expect, is a bit of a lie. I don’t have a silver bullet but here are some ideas I think would help people stay in the field we (all) love

- Please pay us a livable wage, where we can live in dignity while paying our own rent and school loans. We established already - we are not in the conservation field for the money, but we also would like to feel appreciated. You expect someone with a higher degree and decent experience but are willing to pay us $12/h? Or someone with 7 years of management experience with professional certifications and designations and are willing to pay $40K/year? Really? (and yes those were actual jobs I either saw ads for or interviewed for, or talked to someone in the company about)

- We (as in Royal We - the professionals, academics, managers etc) have to start working with funding agencies and foundations all together. They should see value in retaining and paying for someone’s expertise when they found a project. "The sponsors" should also insist that all employees paid for with a given grant actually make a decent wage

- There should be no unpaid internships in a consulting business, or internships at a consulting, for-profit company that has interns paid by an external foundation. Those students could have been place in a non-profit.  Internships are a vital source of experience but only a limited amount of population can afford a non-paid experience. Although I don't like it, I understand that non-profits with limited budgets might have to defer to this option at times. If so, please do teach the intern the inner workings  of your professions, introduce them to people, take them to meetings and be a good reference afterwards; don't just use them as a work horse.

- We should really press for diversity, in age, gender and race. If you do not see someone who looks like you doing something it is waaay harder for you to imagine yourself doing it. 

- Please do not shut down someone bc they are a non-traditional student, come from the inner city, are changing careers or sound different than what you are used to.

-Managers/Supervisors/Crew Leaders really listen to people’s concerns while working, especially in the first two weeks. Your new employee might have not been exposed to the elements before, or maybe you’re so used to what you do, you are explaining it using jargon. Many of us use assumptions. I remember one person starting a sentence explaining how to use equipment with   “now, I don’t want to insult your intelligence but if you really don’t know this is how this works….” Yeah, not many questions after that.

-Please be flexible if the schedule allows it. If someone is working in the office do they really have to be there 8-5? Maybe earlier time is more convenient to them. Granted, ofcourse, thereare no meetings etc.

- Do invest in employee’s education. And I don’t only mean conferences, although those are great, but do take the time to explain how things work, why a certain person is admired in the community, show them a successful and a failed projects and explain why, etc.

- If you have a valuable employee who is unable to work full time (childcare, parents, disability) do invest the time and effort to allow them to work part time. Believe me, they will be so thankful for the opportunity that will work more hours than you pay them for. Loyalty and appreciation are great things in an employee

-  Do mentor people. It does not have to be something structured, official. Soon you will learn from the other person as they might have different points of view, pick up on something quicker or have other experiences. The lack of experience they have allows them to ask questions which can be very useful and game changing but which you - through all your experience - would not have thought of.

  It is understood business is business but all in all try to be a humane person to your employees. If not because it is the right thing to do, they are your colleagues and one day might be in a position to hire/fire you. 

*The rant is over, a least for now*

Not sure what it says - but now I know where it hides: Foxes in suburban environment

Recently, while on the way to FFF event ( Forced Family Fun) my hubby spotted a fox. I did not believe him because how common are foxes in a large urban areas? I have seen them in woodlands and in prairies, but in a suburb about 3/4 of a mile away from a Forest Preserve? Really? We drove around to double check, while I was frantically changing a lens on my camera.

Yes really! I believe it was a red fox. One thing that gives it away (well duh) is its reddish/orange fur. Another is its habits. Red foxes do much better in open areas, clearings (read: back yards), prairies than their close relatives - the gray fox. What made the spotting even more exceptional is that the clever canine was accompanied by two little kits! How fun!

A suburban red fox encountered near Milwaukee and Lake 

Foxes usually mate some time in January and then have their litter (of anywhere from 2 to 15, depending on species, location and diet) in late March, early April. For the first few weeks they rarely leave their den or other hiding place and the father supplies the food. As they mature they stay with their parents and learn survival to then go their separate ways at the end of summer.

Foxes are canines, although they are the most cat-like ones of their type. They have beautiful long and puffy tails used for balance and to keep warm. Long ago they were valued for their pelts to decorate coat collars - my grandma had a couple that I fascinated and creeped me out at the same time. 

A (presumed) mother fox playing tag with her two kits

Foxes are great adapters - as mostly omnivores their diet ranges from small rodents to frogs, insects and berries. In an urban habitat they are known to occasionally rummage through garbage. Although most perceive foxes to be nocturnal, and they are active during dawn and dusk, especially in urban settings they can be active during the day.

Anyways, it was a wonderful encounter and I am happy I was able to grab a couple of pictures

Attracting talent to conservation world and beyond

*The following are just some observations I have made in the last couple of years hiring, training and working with youth and volunteers. There is also a fair amount if ranting. My observations are, by no means, profound discoveries but they have been stuck in my head a LOT recently, so why not put them on paper (sort of)*

I would venture to say most people in the conservation world are not there for the  money. We (mostly) love our jobs and get real satisfaction out of the fact that at the end of the day we leave this planet (country, state, ecosystem, city, neighborhood) a better place. And that is an important part of our jobs that provides us with purpose, pride, mental health. All these benefits are great but at the end of the day we still have bills to pay and food to put on the table. And retaining talent in our field is hard, especially if working for non-profit organizations.

When we hired people for the summer - mostly college and grad school students and recent grads - we started them off at about $10/h and then I tried to bump them to $12 as soon as possible. This seems not too bad when you work the summer, live locally and just want to earn some money and get experience. I tried to reward good working with trips to remnant sites or good quality restorations. The non-profit I worked for did not offer overtime. Sometimes we did not work due to weather and the crew members did not get paid for those days. The work was also in a sort if remote location - when most seasonals had to commute for at least 45 minutes ( by car of course bc no public transportation was in sight).

My average seasonal, with a couple exceptions, was a fairly well off student, at least middle class, who relied on parents for some financial help. The parental help had many different faces: paying for a car, clothing for most, maybe rent, cell phone, a credit card for gas.

And the thing is the place where I worked actually paid industry standard or slightly above. If you did a similar job for a consulting firm you would work more hours (with overtime), but also might be out of work due to weather etc. You would make a similar hourly wage and maybe not get a chance for as much educational experiences.

Now, take a student who has little to no external financial help, has to work hard during the summer to be able to buy books, pay rent etc during school year where a chance for a full time job not as possible. Will s/he be attracted to a $10-12/h internship or maybe a construction gig? Who will get a better job out if collage? The student who had experience during summers doing something for little pay or someone who had to work other jobs? And with the move for fast food workers to make increased wages (which they should), how will the conservation world attract talent that does not come from a place of at least some privilege and/or mentorship?

Few things got me thinking about that. I remember my job straight out if grad school, where I had some good professional experiences, paying so little that had I not been in a double income household, I would not have afforded to work there (school loans, gas that was $4/gal, long distances, rent, etc).
As I am thinking of rejoining the workforce full time after spending 2 years at home with kids, some interesting jobs seem almost insulting. 35-42K a year for someone with 5-7 years of experience and a professional license? (This is what the job ad states). Really? I mean, i don't expect to make a fortune but if you want a qualified candidate with a graduate degree, 5 yrs of experience are  you really willing to pay them less than an internship for a marketing student just beginning to gain experience?! I realize some organizations are non for profits but do people who work there also have to be? This comes from someone who is middle class, has a spouse with a well paid job, and mostly does not have to worry about covering bills. What about other individuals? Why do we wonder why so many bright people leave this conservation field and use their skills in other fields (and most of us are good with numbers, project management etc).

I offer no solutions, but next time you ask why the conservation field is full of people who look similar and have similar experiences growing up, or does not retain individuals who are passionate, just think about this example i witnessed a couple years ago.

I had a good team of seasonals, most excellent crew members . We were sitting in a shade of the only tree on the prairie eating lunch when two of them started complaining how broke they were. They were both wearing brand name clothing, driving practically new cars their parents paid for and one had a pair of sunglasses that i probably could not have paid for with a week of my earnings. So they sat there complaining how 'broke' they are. Next to them set a very good, thoughtful seasonal, a vet, father soon to be of 3 kids for whom this job was a dream. I knew from some limited stories he shared that money was tight, sometimes his cell phone did not work bc he did not have the money to reload it. He just looked at them, said nothing. Few years have passed since then. Those two seasonals who complained about their cash flow have very good jobs that pay well forking for consulting companies. By all means they deserve them, they are smart and hard working individuals. The veteran though, he switched fields after getting out of college. It was either that or accepting another deployment to sustain his family... All this because working hard in the conservation field he would not be able to sustain a modest living.

This is a lot if ranting but as natural areas play an ever increasing importance in our world we have to think of good ways of sustaining it, and people who are involved in it...

Your native garden a business card - an ambassador - to the neighbor

If you stumbled onto this post chances are I don't have to convince you on the value of native plants in your garden/yard/any greenspace.  You most likely already know how valuable that island of native vegetation is to pollinators and other wildlife. What you may not know, or may not acknowledge, is that your neighbors might consider your native plant patch obnoxious if not ugly or a nuisance. Believe me, I'll be the first one to tell anyone that I find unkempt joe pye weed, cord grass or sneezweed spilling out of "its designated place" beautiful. I also know that to convince some neighbors to start using natives, you have to manicure your garden (at least at first). It seems to be particularly important  if you live in the city and have small areas to plant natives, live in an association type setting or have neighbors who are just a pain. Remember - the goal is to provide habitat, enjoy a beautiful show of flowers AND convince your neighbors to follow suit. Here are few practical tips:

1. Start with a plan - no seriously, think it through before you go to your native plant sale. It is so easy to get over enthusiastic and wanting to buy every species. 

   a. Take some time, draw it, picture it and remember prairie plants grow larger in a garden setting

   b. Speaking of prairie plants - perhaps your yard is shaded and you would do better with a woodland plants or at least savannah species. Also, see where you plant. If placing plants by a fence see if it is north or south of it. If the plants are to the south of the fence ( fence is to the north of the flowers) the plants will be exposed to more sun. 

   c. Consider moisture. Is the soil well drained (plant mesic) or perhaps you have nice muddy puddles forming after a small rainfall (wet prairie plants - maybe some sedge meadow). 

2. Resist the urge to get tall plants - don't get me wrong, I love me some silphiums. I have them growing against a fence but in all reality they do not look too good unless you have a large area to work with (which I do not). They need context, in a natural type of way. If you have your heart set on them put them in a corner or against a fence. Both prairie dock and compass plants (and to some extent cup plants) have leaves that provide great textures for winter gardens. I'll try to follow with a list of short and medium height plants soon.

3. Get something easy and showy to convince the neighbors. It is hard to find someone who would not appreciate blazing stars or spiderworts. They are beautiful and can be a good conversation starter. They (especially spiderworts) produce so much seed - a nice neighborly gesture to the interested (or guerrilla native plant seeding )

4. Get a couple plants of each species. This has multiple advantages - more plants increase the chance that this particular species will survive in your garden. It will look more pleasing to have a larger clump of species of choice. Also when seeds are produced greater genetic diversity will be present. More of the same might also give more opportunities for pollinators that like that particular plant to come back and "spread the word." 

5. Don't expect it to be completely hassle free. Yes,  native plants need less grooming and less water. But... there is a but... at first they might need almost as much care. Especially if you want them to 'behave' in a given way. It is ok to tie plants to the fence, have rocks, mulch or other things outlining the area where they are growing.

As much as you might want a wild prairie in the backyard remember we are ambassadors for natives plants and sometimes playing nice can get more results, you know you can attract more flies (or bees) with honey  than with vinegar 

I promise to do more on this later....

Dragonflies- nature's helicopters

Common baskettail (???) resting on a scouring rush (prehistoric reunion)

Recently, I took an Odonata (dragonfly and damselfly) monitoring class, and we of course were introduced to dragonfly id… The class inspired me to go back through my pictures and try to identify at least a couple. I just spent the last 2 hours on this pursuit, and I cannot say I am 100% positive about my i.d. with the exception of one common green darner, which I knew before the class (one of maybe three I was familiar with).

clubtail of sorts

common green darner

ruby faced meadowhawk (???)

someone having a"Snow White effect" i.e. attracting different organisms

Anyways, these insects are so spectacular in their look and flying abilities that I think this summer I will be paying a lot more attention to them.  Quickly I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of these flying machines. The earliest ones should be coming to Chicagoland within a month – be on a lookout!

Sprig is definitively here - and it is stinking cute

Skunk cabbage at one of the Forest Preserves of Cook County

Yesterday was the spring equinox- first day of spring – even though we did not have much of a winter this year spring is definitively here. One of the sentinels of this long awaited season is skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), a cool, almost alien-looking plant that is among one of the first that emerges.

I have been “hunting” for this plant for a while. It’s quite rare because it needs a good quality woodland or forest and preferably a seep – type of a wetland fed by groundwater. Needless to say habitat destruction has played a major part in its demise. Also, skunk cabbage is not too easy to notice, so looking for it on your own in an unknown terrain that might be a good habitat is a bit tricky.

skunk cabbage spathe surrounding the spadix (reproductive part of the plant)

Anyways, the plant is neat! It is one of the first ones to bloom in the spring, partially because it has an ability to warm the soil around it (!). The leaves come up later in the season but what you can see (often among snow or some ice on the ground) above the ground is its flowering parts (spadix) surrounded by a smooth, leathery, maroon colored spathe (you can think of it as a petal- but the plant actually lacks true petals and spathe is actually a bract – if I am not mistaken). To me it looks like the spathe surrounds the reproductive parts as if a flame of a (maroon) fire hugging and protecting the rest of the plant: very surreal, elegant and beautiful.

The names comes from the smell – the plant releases odors similar to those of a rotting meat to attract flies. Pretty nifty. 

Greening up a kid's closet

*This will not be a post about not dressing your daughters in pink - although probably many of us feel there is too much of it in their closet - it is about buying smart and green.*

Today there are many options to buy better, greener projects for our little ones. From organic cottons to 'conscious' clothing lines (not sure what that makes the standard clothes in that same store) but I want to refer us to the good old hand me downs, thrift stores and consignment stores/sales.

I feel like baby and toddler fashion is out of control. Really, your toddler needs to wear skinny jeans? One, they are uncomfortable and two such a pain to put on and potty train in. And you will pay a lot of money for them so they can put them on a total of 5-8 times. Waste of money.

And now more importantly the carbon footprint of those jeans is huuuge. The cotton might be grown in the USA with huge water waste supported by subsidies. Then the material might be woven in Nepal or Vietnam and the final product sown in China or Bangladesh. Then it needs to be shipped, once again, to US and distributed locally. It makes my heart skip a beat when i think about it. (Planet Money Team did a bunch of reporting when they designed a t-shirt and followed its creation - I recommend the podcast)/

I will not even touch upon the psychological effects of our kids thinking they always need to wear the newest trend.

I try to buy at least some of my clothes second hand and I try to do the same for my kids. I understand that a trip to a thrift store with a kid, when you are unsure you'll buy that Easter dress you are looking for, might be hard to arrange. There are kids' second hand shops (i.e. once upon a child and many local stores) that might be actually pretty pricey for what you are getting but will have a larger selection.

There are also consignment sales, that is a sale where a lot of moms turn in their used clothes for sale and pay a percent to the organizer (or a non-profit). I personally like those as the bigger ones have a large selection. Chicagoland has many of those, but wherever you are, just search the area.

Of course there are also the good old garage sales during the summer - they are not only an opportunity to reuse and reduce but to build a great community.

March 8th – International Women’s Day

March 8^th is one of those silly, yet profound holidays. We are celebrating women! Yay for me, but really, just one day a year? Or maybe, on this day we highlight all the accomplishment of women throughout time and space. If so, why do we need to highlight it on a special day, they should be acknowledged every day without spoken/written acknowledgement in some colorful parade – just by normal thank you.

I don’t mean to turn this into an angry post about how women are underappreciated (we are), and underpaid (ditto) and how much harder it is for us in most workplaces (it is). But it got me thinking about my situation, my choices and where I am as a (relatively) young and educated woman in my life at this point.

I currently have two young children (3 and 1.5 years old) and after my second one – M – was born I stayed at home. I mostly say I stayed at home as a financial decision; after paying for daycare for two kids I would be left with about ~$200/week. I also make it sound like I would love to be back at work after the twelve unpaid weeks allowed for maternity leave. It is not completely true. A part of me rejoiced in the fact that I “had no choice” and that I “had to” stay at home (yes, I do acknowledge how privileged I am that I actually did not have to go back to make that additional $200/week – I realize many mothers do not have that comfort), another part was scared, longed for the feeling of accomplishment, and the intellectual stimulation that comes with a demanding working environment.

 When I left H (my older daughter) with a loving caregiver after 12 weeks I was happy to be at work but also devastated. I would miss her, think of her and mostly by Wednesday I did not want to get up for work. I was also physically exhausted. But I liked the unrealistic idea of having it all. I practically bragged how I work, commute 75 miles one way, make organic food for my baby while working in a field that still (surprisingly) has mostly men as managers and supervisors.  And there was a lot to be proud of there, but I also missed many crucial “firsts.”

 After staying at home I found a new routine, new fulfillment, I learned to “take in” the little things, but after 8 months I started to really miss work, and I still do. I will grant you I am A LOT more rested than working mothers with little kids, and I have different kinds of stress, but I miss work which I loved and identified with, which challenged me mentally, emotionally and often physically. I miss my coworkers, fresh air, open spaces.

I feel bad when I talk to working mothers who want to stay home but feel like they cannot or really cannot. I do feel like a spoiled brat who gets to have what they want and not appreciate it. I feel bad talking to many stay at home moms who rejoice in this vocation as I feel like I am suggesting to them that their life is inadequate.

Anyways, on this March 8^th, when we celebrate women, I would like to be able to be less critical of myself and celebrate me- the me that changes diapers and the me that does data crunching.  The me that still gets angry that I cannot have it all and the me that will now go pick up my crying baby. 

Encouraging winter walks

I have to admit - I like winter. I enjoy taking a brisk walk in the cold, I love hearing the crunch of a slightly frozen snow under my boots.
This winter in Chicago has not been ideal and we have been going a bit stir crazy at home. Sure, the kids have their classes and I make other opportunities for them to run around but I really missed a walk in the park (or a Forest Preserve) as pulling them on a sled has mostly been unrealistic this year.
We finally got out, and to encourage my two girls to walk around and stay mostly on a path I had a push toy for one (a frog on 2 wheels on a stick) and a pull toy for another (a row of ducks).
This little walk accomplished a couple of things
1) burn some energy, breath fresh(er) air and avoid cabin fever
2) show budding trees (even if it was willows and grrrr buckthorn) to the girls and explain spring is coming
3) we walked over a bridge over north branch of the Chicago River so by throwing sticks on one side of the bridge and looking for them on the other we tried to introduce the concept of water flow (and it was fun)
4) we saw ducks - mallards to be more exact and one brave teal - which both H and M liked. We did not feed the ducks. Please do not feed wildlife in Forest Preserves.

Anyways it was fun and it is getting us ready for the spring -at least mentally