Putting the Prairie Back in the Prairie State: Ailing Ecosystems and the North Branch Restoration Project
Gathering in a local woodland, volunteers cut down buckthorn and throw the debris into a burn pile. Work like this, in addition to collecting seeds from native vegetation, makes up the bulk of the restorationists’ agenda. Photo by Vlad Nevirkovets
Centuries ago, before the modern era of automobiles, aircraft and the internet, much of Illinois was covered by a rich mosaic of foliage. Diverse assemblages of grasses and wildflowers, interspersed by the occasional tree, formed vast prairies and savannas. The local vegetation, in turn, supported thriving communities of insects, birds and iconic grazers like bison.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case today. The arrival of European settlers centuries ago fundamentally changed the landscape. The natural fires that kept the ecosystem in balance were suppressed, and a host of harmful invasive plant species were introduced over the coming centuries. The face of the prairie had changed, now resembling in many places a veritable monoculture of non-native vegetation.
One such invasive species is the common buckthorn, a woody shrub that can wreak havoc on ecosystems if left unchecked. Introduced in the 1800s as an ornamental shrub, it has since displaced many native plant communities.
“At this point, buckthorn is the most common tree in Cook County,” said Derek Ziomber, a field organizer for the nonprofit organization Friends of the Forest Preserve. “Not only does it grow so densely as to shade out anything beneath, but it’s also believed to produce chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants around it.”
A thicket of invasive buckthorn, which is now one of the most common plants in Cook County. Photo by Vlad Nevirkovets.
Left to its own devices, buckthorn quickly overwhelms its competition, resulting in a community with much less biodiversity. This in turn puts ecosystems at risk, since habitats with low biodiversity are significantly less biologically productive and stable. Animal populations suffer too, resulting in woodlands and prairies that feel drab and lifeless in comparison to their former selves.
Fortunately, there are local efforts to combat the problem of encroaching buckthorn and waning native ecosystems, including the North Branch Restoration Project. Founded in the 1970s, the organization enlists regional volunteers to help remove invasive species and replant endemic ones. As the name suggests, their mission is to restore Illinois to its original state, which would resemble the rich landscape of long ago.
“When we first started, there wasn’t as much known about our local ecosystems, but it was apparent that some of our native plants weren’t doing very well,” said Eileen Sutter, a site steward for the Restoration Project. “Gradually, people began to understand that the invasive species were a big threat to ongoing healthy plant communities. Animals are impacted too. Insects, mammals and birds are all affected by not having these healthy biological communities. That soon became our mission.”
“Our initial focus was on restoring the prairie,” Sutter said, whose site lies along the North Branch of the Chicago River. “But soon we realized the importance of the savanna ecosystem. Illinois was really kind of like a mosaic back then, with woodlands, grasslands and wetlands scattered around.”
According to Ziomber, who also works in collaboration with the restoration efforts, the group has a two-pronged approach. Non-native species are removed first, followed by the collection of indigenous seeds for planting in cleared zones. “We find something like buckthorn, we cut it down, we cut it into manageable chunks, and then we burn the debris,” Ziomber said. “We also have to apply herbicide to the stumps we leave so that the buckthorn doesn’t grow back, and then we attempt to put native seed in as soon as possible. Sometimes we reseed areas that have already been cleared, just to maximize biodiversity.”
Nonetheless, the persistent nature of Illinois’s invasive plants ensures that the restorationists’ work is hardly finished. “Initially people thought that once you removed the invasives and got a native community going, you were sort of out of the woods, but that’s not really the case,” Sutter said. “A lot of the native plants here are fire-adapted, so you need regular blazes to keep the community structure, and to remove excess plant material and non-native species. Fire has been part of our landscape for a long time.”
However, most untrained volunteers won’t see themselves managing prescribed burns. According to frequent volunteer Vlad Nevirkovets, who has worked with the North Branch Restoration Project for two years, “most of the work is just cutting buckthorn with little loppers and saws that they give you.”
“It’s a very nice social atmosphere though,” said Nevirkovets, a first-year student at Northwestern University. “During non-COVID times, we’d have little get-togethers by the brush pile. The volunteers would bring snacks, and we’d just talk about nature during our breaks. It’s a very nice place to bond with people who are also interested in the natural world and ecology.”
Sutter enjoys the community aspect as well, but also stresses the meaning she finds in the work itself. “One factor for me is just being outside,” she said. “Sometimes you feel like a computer just isn’t the real world. The natural world is far more compelling to me than the virtual world.
“Some people find a spiritual motivation in this as well, and that’s kinda true for me too. There’s a sense of peace, and of being in harmony with something bigger than yourself, that dwarfs the pettiness of your own life. It sometimes seems as if we were meant to be in nature and observing it and telling its story to other people. It’s really an amazing time to be involved in this work.”
For more information about the North Branch Restoration Project, as well as access to scheduling for local work days, consider perusing the organization’s website. Volunteers of all experience levels are welcome.