“Hidden in Plain Sight”, a report released last year by PRN, summarizes six years of study of herbicide drift – the movement of toxic chemicals through the air to a non-target site – across rural and urban Illinois. The report shows that herbicide drift is damaging wild and cultivated plants and trees throughout the state.

Prairie Rivers Network launched a Tree and Plant Health Monitoring Program in 2018 to study symptoms of herbicide drift and the damage it causes. Testing was conducted at 280 sites in more than 40 Illinois counties. Widespread symptoms of injuries and an alarming decline in tree health was found. Tissue samples showed detectable levels of herbicides in leaves of 95% of trees tested. Nearly all sites had symptoms of drift every year.

Martin Kemper, retired IDNR Natural Heritage Biologist and co-author of the report said, “This scientific report by Prairie Rivers Network, conducted in places it matters – gardens, backyards, school yards, parks and natural areas – show that such drift is pervasive and insidious.”

Trees play a vital role in climate change, sequestering carbon, improving air quality, and cooling urban areas. The drift is triggering a chain of adverse effects that are destroying habitats and food sources for native wildlife.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes that injuries are widely under-reported. Much attention has been paid to the damage caused by the herbicide dicamba, which has damaged millions of acres of cropland and natural areas across the Midwest and South; however, the report finds that there has been consistent drift from many herbicides, including 2,4-D, glufosinate, atrazine and others. In fact, 2,4-D was found even more often than dicamba.

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area blufflands.

A version of this article appeared in the June 4, 2025 edition of the Republic-Times.

©2025 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP

Why do we use prescribed fire in natural areas? The main reason is that overall biodiversity is typically greater in natural areas maintained by low-moderate severity fires in our region. Several factors can contribute to declines in biodiversity that fire helps to alleviate. Such factors include woody species encroaching on habitats that would otherwise be more open, such as in the hill prairies along the Mississippi Bluffs, where frequent fires prevent many woody plants from overtaking more sun-loving plants. Or areas threatened by invasive species that outcompete native species and can be set back by fire, such as bush honeysuckle and autumn olive. Mesophication is another problem for biodiversity conservation. Mesophication is a process where more shade-tolerant tree species, such as maple and beech, overtake oak trees as the dominant canopy species, primarily due to insufficient fire frequency. Fewer oaks on the landscape is a problem because the number of species that rely on oaks is significantly greater than that of maple and beech (see The Nature of Oaks by Douglas Tallamy). Fire gives the competitive advantage to oaks that have adaptations encouraging fire, such as leaves that curl and are more likely to combust versus those of maple and beech that lay flat and are less likely to carry fire, or the thick bark of mature oaks to resist fire and greater ability to resprout following fire exhibited by many oaks but not by species less tolerant of fire. Those are all good reasons to apply prescribed fire in our natural areas.

Still, we need to make decisions about fire based on science and use best practices to execute fires safely and minimize potential adverse effects. One of the best examples of the need to reduce the negative effects of fire concerns invasive plants.  Some invasive species, as mentioned above, can decrease following fire.  However, some species, such as stiltgrass, typically increase with fire, and others, like garlic mustard, may increase or decrease depending on the timing, frequency, and/or intensity of a burn and other factors. Check out this webinar on invasive plants and fire for more details on that topic:  https://go.illinois.edu/fireinvasives

Wildlife should also be considered when planning burns. Because so many habitat types rely on fire to maintain species communities and habitat characteristics, prescribed fire is critical to ensure the habitat remains suitable for many wildlife species.  That said, there are some important considerations to remember. Some insect species, for example, overwinter in leaf litter and other vegetative matter that will burn in prescribed fires during the dormant season. Therefore, it is vital to have refugia, either nearby or within the burn unit, where insects may repopulate.  State-threatened species, such as ornate box turtles and timber rattlesnakes, may be susceptible to fire depending on the time of year a burn is conducted. In areas where reptiles emerge from hibernacula in the spring, the animals can react slowly. Timing fires while wildlife is dormant in areas with sensitive species will minimize adverse effects.  It is also important to remember that without fire, the habitat would not be suitable for many wildlife species, so not conducting fires is not a solution that will benefit wildlife. 

Safe and effective use of prescribed fire is critical for maintaining habitats in Illinois and beyond. You can help!  Organizations like Clifftop need volunteers to help safely and effectively conduct prescribed fires.

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area blufflands.

A version of this article appeared in the January 15, 2025 edition of the Republic-Times.

©2025 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP 

You walk through the woods, seeing a distinctive clearing up ahead, only to find yourself taking in the view of a woodland pond. Perhaps there are grasses and rushes along the edge and some lily pads in the deeper water. If you’re a fisherman, it might occur to you to get your line wet: these backwoods ponds sometimes have the best fishing action. But why? How on earth did this pond in the middle of the woods get fish in it? That’s where my dissertation research comes in, and what brought me to southwestern Illinois and sites across two continents, including Connecticut, the Carolinas, Florida, and the South American nations of Peru and Paraguay. I wanted to know how, exactly, ponds and wetlands end up with fish, those poor vertebrates that find themselves on the wrong side of the evolution of legs, and thus have a hard time traversing uplands.

For most bodies of water, the answer is obvious: if the pond is connected to other bodies of water by rivers and stream, no problem, so I specifically focused on hydrologically isolated bodies of water. In other words, ponds and wetlands that one could walk around and find no connections with streams, creeks or other water features. There are three possibilities that may be occurring: maybe birds are bringing them in, maybe people are bringing them in, or perhaps flooding events are periodically allowing them to move in. The bird hypothesis is a little dubious, some scientists have done experiments and found carp eggs could pass through birds’ digestive tracts unharmed, but there’s no direct evidence that this is actually a mechanism for spreading fish around.

In Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve (PWSNP), where most of my southern Illinois wetlands were located, the answer became very clear: only two of the nine sinkhole ponds we surveyed had fish.  One is the parking lot pond, the other is a pond on the edge of the preserve right along a road. Both ponds had only one species of fish each, and both species are popular sportfish. Fast forward to the end of surveys in over 120 wetlands in ponds, and the data back up what I saw at PWSNP: fish get into isolated wetlands via flooding, but in hilly landscapes (or landscapes with high topographic heterogeneity in ecology lingo), the only ponds that have fish tend to be the ones that have had a human helping hand. Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Give a pond a couple fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.

The logical next step is to ask what, exactly, these fish do to the other stuff in the wetlands when they show up: frogs, salamanders and insects. I also addressed this question in PWSP, but you’ll have to join me October 12 if you want that answer!

You can view a video recording of Josh’s program at this link: https://youtu.be/s43Ae8XdLJA

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area blufflands.

A version of this article was published on the Republic-Times website on October 11, 2024.

©2024 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP

Uniquely positioned along the Mississippi Flyway and home to many different habitat types, Monroe County is a hotspot for birds, with almost 300 species historically detected.

The diversity of birds changes seasonally – some birds use the area to breed (summer tanager) or overwinter (golden-crowned kinglet) while others only stop as they are passing through on migration (golden-winged warbler).

While some birds are very commonly found (red-winged blackbird), others are decreasing or all but disappearing from Monroe County (eastern whip-poor-will).

Avara will talk about the efforts in the county to monitor birds in this changing world. Through citizen science efforts like the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the Great Backyard Bird Count, MOON routes, and Illinois Spring Bird Count, the public has helped researchers learn more about how Monroe County birds are faring.

The talk on April 27 will also discuss current research efforts to study species of concern (wood thrush) – tracking their movements with radio transmitters both locally and internationally.

Such efforts help researchers quantify and understand how these species are impacted by human activities and what conservation efforts can be done to improve the outlook for these species.

For more information on this free program, call 618-407-0092.

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area bluff lands.

A version of this article appeared in the April 3, 2024 edition of the Republic-Times.

©2024 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP

Gazing up at the night sky has always held a magical allure, captivating human imagination for generations. Among the myriad celestial phenomena, the Perseid Meteor Shower stands out as one of the most awe-inspiring events.

Nature’s own fireworks display, the Perseids is a breathtaking spectacle that graces the heavens annually, leaving star-gazers in awe. As we approach the peak of this celestial event, it’s time to prepare for an extraordinary experience under the cosmic canopy.

The Perseid Meteor Shower, named after the constellation Perseus, occurs when Earth passes through the debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Meteors will be seen in all parts of the sky; however, they appear to radiate away from the constellation that gives them their name. Swift-Tuttle has a nucleus of approximately 26 kilometers in diameter and orbits the Sun once every 133 years. Its nucleus of rock and ice formed 4.6 billion years ago during the solar system’s formation. As it nears the Sun, intense heat causes the comet to shed debris, creating a trail of dust and rocks along its path.

When Earth ventures into this comet’s wake, tiny particles collide with our atmosphere at high speeds, burning up and creating the mesmerizing streaks of light we call meteors. The Perseids are particularly enchanting because they are among the brightest meteors, leaving a fleeting yet unforgettable trail of brilliance across the sky in addition to occurring in the summer in the northern hemisphere.

As summer transitions to autumn, the night sky comes alive with celestial wonders, and the Perseids take center stage. Every year from late July to mid-August, the shower graces our atmosphere, but it reaches its peak during the second week of August.

The peak this year is the evening of August 12 to the morning of August 13. Additionally, this year the peak coincides with a near new moon, meaning the dark skies will make the Perseids become a breathtaking spectacle with an average of 60-100 meteors visible per hour.

The Perseid Meteor Shower is a celestial event that invites us to pause, reflect, and marvel at the beauty and vastness of the universe.

As the cosmic debris ignites the sky with brilliant streaks of light, we are reminded of our small yet significant place in the cosmos. Don’t miss this once-in-a-year opportunity to witness the wonders of the universe unfold above you.

Clifftop, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area blufflands.

A version of this article appeared in the August 9, 2023 edition of the Republic-Times.

©2023 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP

Reptiles belong to a class of herpetofauna (aka herps) that are comprised of turtles, lizards and snakes. Reptile comes from a Latin word, reptilia, meaning “to crawl.” Reptiles are distinguished from amphibians by their scaly skin, which protects them from scratches and abrasions much more effectively than the thin, delicate skin of an amphibian. And the skin of a reptile is waterproof and retains body moisture, freeing reptiles from remaining in damp or wet environments.

Twenty-three snake species live in our area: small worm snakes, racers, ringnecks, rare and endangered great plains ratsnakes, black ratsnakes, eastern hognose snakes, prairie kingsnakes, speckled kingsnakes, beautifully colored red milksnakes, exceedingly rare eastern coachwhip snakes, yellowbelly / diamondback / northern water snakes, rough green snakes, Graham’s crayfish snakes, brown snakes, redbelly snakes, state threatened flathead snakes, western ribbon snakes, eastern garter snakes, smooth earth snakes, and our venomous copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. The flathead snake is also venomous having two small, grooved rear fangs and small venom glands that are apparently used to subdue prey, but the snake is no threat to humans. The timber rattlesnake is also state threatened, but has been documented numerous times in the rocky bluffs of Monroe County.

Most reptiles lay amniote eggs. Unlike the naked, exposed eggs of amphibians, the reptile egg is surrounded by a hard protective shell, which protects the developing embryo from drying out and frees reptiles of the necessity of being near water. Unlike amphibians, which have an aquatic water stage, most reptiles hatch from eggs fully developed, a miniature copy of their parents.

However, there are a few snakes that give birth to live young. These include the Easter Timber rattlesnake (6-10 young born late summer or early autumn), Common Garter snake (15-80 young born from July through early October) and Copperhead (three to ten young born in late August or early September).

If you find one in your garage (most likely a black rat snake) they are after mice. As they say, don’t bother them and they won’t bother you.

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area bluff lands.

A version of this article appeared in the May 17, 2023 edition of the Republic-Times.

©2023 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP

Winter and snow bring the opportunity to discover an abundance of animal tracks, turning a simple path into a deer superhighway. It’s fascinating to see where the critters go in their travels in the woods.  Perhaps they feel the same way when they see our footprints or UTV tracks.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common animal tracks found in our area and learn about the critters that leave those tracks:

Bobcat (Lynx rufus): Bobcats have a ruff of fur extending from the ear to the lower jaw, tufted ears, long legs and a bobbed tail (4 to 6 inches). Bobcat tracks are round and do not have claw marks, as their claws are retractable, like all felines.  Front prints average one and three-fourths to two and one-fourth inches long, with rear prints slightly smaller.

Coyote (Canis latrans): Coyotes are 23 to 26 inches high and three to four and a half feet long.  They typically weigh 20 to 40 pounds, but can reach 55 pounds.  Illinois coyotes are usually larger than those from the western U.S.  Coyote, and most other dog tracks, are longer than they are wide and claw marks are almost always visible for canines cannot retract their claws.  Front prints average two and one-fourth to two and three-fourths inches long and one and three-fourths to two and three-eighths inches wide, with rear prints slightly smaller.

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes): Red fox tracks show four toes and claws.  The foot of the red fox is covered with hair, so toes can be indistinct.  Red foxes have callous pads on their toes that sometimes show up in the prints.  There is also a chevron-shaped callous pad on the heel pad of the foot.  No other canine has this, which makes identification of the red fox track easier.  Red fox footprints generally measure one and three-fourths to two and one-half inches long by one and one-half to two inches wide.

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus): The print of a deer’s cloven hoof is a split heart shape.  There are no other wild animals that make similar tracks in Illinois.  Most tracks are between two and three inches long on hard ground.  On soft ground, the dewclaws (functionless digits above the true hoof) may also make a mark.

Raccoon (Procyon lotor):  Raccoon tracks may be easily confused with opossum tracks.  Both animals have 5 toes on each foot.  They also share a similar walking style that produces paired tracks, however raccoons have claws on all of their toes and walk flat-footed.

Opossum (Didelphis virginiana): Opossums have five toes on each foot, similar to raccoons.  However, it is easy to distinguish opossum tracks from raccoon tracks.  An opossum’s rear tracks resemble a baby’s handprint.  This is because the inner toe on each hind foot is opposable, lacks a claw and resembles a thumb.

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis): Skunks are the size of a small house cat, averaging 22 to 26 inches in total length, including the tail, and weighing three to twelve pounds. Their tracks look similar to cat tracks, but skunks have five toes while cats have only four.  Also, skunk tracks will typically display claw marks because their claws do not retract like cat claws.

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger): Squirrel tracks are small—front feet about one-half inch by one-half inch.  The hind feet are longer, about one inch long by one-half inch wide.  They have five toes and typically all five show up in the footprints.  Claw marks usually show up in snow or mud and resemble small handprints.

Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo): The tracks of wild turkey are a classic game bird track. They are impressively large, with three large, bulbous toes and a shorter back toe, which usually only registers as a claw impression.  The tracks measure three and three-quarters to five inches long by four to five and one-half inches wide.

CLIFFTOP, a local non-profit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area bluff lands. 

A version of this article appeared in the February 15, 2023 edition of the Republic-Times

©2023 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP

Over the past few years Catherine (Katie) Dana and other students at the Illinois Natural History Survey have been catching cicadas and taking DNA samples by clipping a single leg – after all, they have five more. The DNA is then extracted, processed, given a unique ID for the individual, and sequenced using a powerful sequencing machine that provides us with hundreds of gigabytes of genetic code. That single leg can provide an enormous amount of information on how large a population is, if it is connected to surrounding populations and if not, how long it has been isolated.  Given the fragmented nature of Illinois, understanding the status of these rare and relict populations can help us to better protect them. Many of the species that Dana studies are only found in prairies where the soil has remained relatively undisturbed – nature preserves, cemeteries, and railroad prairies.

Cicadas have an incredibly unique ecology and life history. Depending on the species, young cicadas, or nymphs, spend anywhere from one to 21 years underground before digging their way up to the surface. Once there, they spend several weeks singing, mating, and laying eggs in twigs or grass stems. These eggs hatch and the nymphs, often no larger than a grain of rice, fall to the ground and dig their way below the surface. They will feed on plant roots for years, growing larger, and hopefully avoiding being eaten by predators, like small mammals, underground. Much like bird calls, every cicada species has a unique song. Cicadas provide a large meal for our wildlife, like insectivorous birds, small mammals, snakes, and even other insects.

Come learn more about how cicadas create a geographically unique soundtrack of summer that changes as the weeks go by and find out what incredibly rare event is happening in 2024 in your own backyard.

“Cicadas of Illinois: New Discoveries and Our Local Soundscapes,” an audio tour of the many cicada species found in Illinois, will be presented by Ms. Dana, Entomology Scientific Specialist, on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at the Monroe County Annex Building, 901 Illinois Avenue, Waterloo. Register to attend at this link: Click here to register or call 618-935-2542.

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area bluff lands.

A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2022 edition of the Republic-Times.

©2022 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP

Fall is often the season when seed collecting comes to mind, but waiting until then means likely missing many of the spring to early summer flowers that have either finished their seed-producing cycle or are about ready for harvest now. Collecting your own seed, as opposed to buying plants from a nursery, means getting a greater genetic diversity from locally grown plants that are best suited to their local conditions. Plants from nurseries are more often clones of one another, which means they are all exactly the same genetically. Genetic diversity increases resiliency against varying weather conditions and diseases. It increases the likelihood of survival, which helps to perpetuate genes that are best fit to their environment. This genetic diversity is also good for the pollinators and therefore the ecosystem as a whole.

It is best to collect seeds on a sunny and dry day in the afternoon when dew has had a chance to evaporate. Only collect from seed pods or seeds that have reached full maturity. A fully mature seed, seed head or pod is typically fully mature when it is grey, brown, tan or black and dry and crunchy to the touch. Likewise, seeds are typically mature when they are also grey, tan, brown or black. The Columbine seed pods pictured are tan and their seeds are black. In addition, the pod has begun to split open indicating the seeds are ready for dispersal. Now is the right time to collect.

I like to collect seeds in paper bags. If you’re not sure if the seed is fully dry, they can be temporarily stored in them until dry. Store seeds in labeled paper envelopes, clean pill bottles or glass jars. I like to collect the silica packets from various goods for reuse. I put one silica packet in each jar of seeds. This helps to keep them dry and from going bad. In addition, store your envelopes or containers in a dark, dry and cool location to increase seed longevity.

Native plant seeds that are ready now, or soon will be, include spring and early summer flowers, such as Columbine, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Golden Ragwort, Golden and Heartleaf Alexander, Wild Indigos, Wild Hyacinth, Virginia and Great Waterleaf, Bellwort, Solomon’s Seal and Plume, Sweet Cicely, Aniseroot, Woodland Phlox, Wild Geranium, Buttercups and Wild Violets, among others. Make sure to look up when the best time is for sowing these seeds. Some seeds will need to be planted late fall or early winter in order to germinate. Remember that it is illegal to collect seeds or plants from nature preserves and many other public and private lands. If it isn’t your property, make sure you have permission to harvest.

If you don’t have a source for wildflower seed near you, SWIC Biology Instructor, Laura Schaefer, will be leading a prairie walk at Clifftop’s Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve, 3325 G Road, Fults, on August 20^th and a seed collecting walk on September 17^th at 9am along the 1 mile, ADA accessible, walking trail. Meet at the pavilion. Dress for the weather and bring a drink to stay cool and hydrated.

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area bluff lands.

A version of this article appeared in the July 20, 2022 edition of the Republic-Times.

Did you know that moths outnumber butterflies 14:1 globally? In Illinois there are roughly 2000 members of the insect Order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). Of the 2000 species of Lepidoptera over 90% of these are moths and less than 10% are butterflies. Despite how numerous moths are, conversations about pollination and pollination studies tend to focus on bees and butterflies. Part of this may be because bees and butterflies are active during the day (diurnal) when most people are too, whereas most moths (but not all) are active at night (nocturnal).

Moths are incredibly diverse, filling several roles and niches in the natural community. Nighttime pollination is one of many ecosystem niches filled by moths. Adult moths are pollinators of many plant groups. Hawkmoths in particular have been found to be big contributors of pollination for some evening primrose  (Oenothera spp.). Furthermore, the Illinois native and endangered prairie fringed orchid (Platathera leucophaea) is only known to be pollinated by certain hawkmoths species.

Pollination is not the only ecosystem service that moths provide! The caterpillar or larvae stage are dependent on their host plants for a food resource and help break down plant material and in return nutrients to the soil. Moths at all stages of life are prey to numerous species of birds, bats and other insects which rely on moths for food. Additionally, moths are sensitive to changes in their environment, and because of this, monitoring moth diversity and abundance can be used to assess the quality of their habitat. In Illinois, moth diversity has been in decline especially in prairies and wetlands. The best way that we can protect them, and many other animals is to protect their habitat!

Many moths are pollinators, unlike luna moths (Actias luna). Adult luna moths do not feed from plants, rather relying on the fat storages from their life as a larva. May and June are the time to look for luna moths in Southern Illinois.

CLIFFTOP, a local nonprofit organization, is focused on preserving and protecting area blufflands.

A version of this article appeared in the June 22, 2022 edition of the Republic-Times.

©2022 all content rights reserved Clifftop NFP