Print out of the Prairies/Native Plants page from the Vermilion County Conservation District website. Printed 8/10/2016

Vermilion County Conservation District

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The Keep

Eastern Illinois University
The Keep
Project Descriptions, Collection Site Summaries,
and other Supplementary Material Stover-Ebinger Herbarium
2016
Forest Glen Savanna
Vermilion County Conservation District
Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/herbarium_project_summaries
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Stover-Ebinger Herbarium at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Project
Descriptions, Collection Site Summaries, and other Supplementary Material by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please
contact tabruns@eiu.edu.
Recommended Citation
Vermilion County Conservation District, "Forest Glen Savanna" (2016). Project Descriptions, Collection Site Summaries, and other
Supplementary Material. 3.
http://thekeep.eiu.edu/herbarium_project_summaries/3
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Forest Glen Preserve and Kennekuk County Park have quite an extensive botanical listing.
More so for Forest Glen since it is rated third in the state for number of different botanical
species.
The Doris L. Westfall Nature Preserve has 100 native prairie plants with Vermilion County
seed origin. The 40 acre prairie is dominated by the tall grasses of Indian grass and Big
bluestem, but many other interesting plants are found here, such as Indian paintbrush,
puccoon, purple gentian, and Illinois bundleflower. A prairie garden plot is available to help
visitors identify the many prairie plants.
Forest Glen Savanna is a 22 acre area that is located just east of the Doris L. Westfall Nature
Preserve.  It is a savanna restoration in cooperation the Illinois Native Plant Society and
Eastern Illinois University Botany Department (now Department of Biological Sciences).  The
area is burned periodically.  There is a constant struggle to remove the invasive autumn olive
and encroaching hardwoods.  Prairie plants are moving in naturally.  White oak trees were
planted in some areas.  Other savanna species such as any oaks, hazelnuts, wild plum,
sassafras, and a few juniper will be maintained.  Volunteers are needed for this area.  Forest
Glen Savanna In Memory of Mary Hruska (1956-2005) EIU Botany Graduate Student.
 
EIU Botany
Professor, John
Ebinger and grad
student, the late
Mary Hruska set
up a line transect
to inventory
species.
 
The savanna
burns more
slowly than the
prairie, due to
lower fuel on the
ground.
 
The savanna is a
mixture of trees
and prairie
plants, forming
one of the rarest
ecosystems in
Illinois.
 
 
Forest Glen has many other unusual plants.
The two seep areas have marsh marigold and
skunk cabbage. The beech-maple forest
contains partridge berry, running strawberry
bush, white lady's slipper, snow trillium, and
blue ash.
Kennekuk County Park has many native prairie
areas. Besides the tall grasses, Kennekuk has
a very large colony of little bluestem and rough
blazing star. The Windfall Prairie Nature
Preserve has side oats grama and swamp white
oak.
The Vermilion County Conservation District - Prairies/Native Plants http://www.vccd.org/prairies.html
1 of 2 8/10/2016 12:36 PM
Management of the open roadside fields is resulting in an extensive oak savanna. Native
prairie grasses are spreading due to the west winds and the Maximillian's sunflower is
advancing rapidly. Because the areas are burned, the oak trees are the only hardwoods to
survive the fire.
 
  
   
   
  
 
 
 
The Vermilion County Conservation District - Prairies/Native Plants http://www.vccd.org/prairies.html
2 of 2 8/10/2016 12:36 PM


Forest Glen Savanna

Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Illinois UniversityThe KeepProject Descriptions, Collection Site Summaries,and other Supplementary Material Stover-Ebinger Herbarium2016Forest Glen SavannaVermilion County Conservation DistrictFollow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/herbarium_project_summariesThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Stover-Ebinger Herbarium at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in ProjectDescriptions, Collection Site Summaries, and other Supplementary Material by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, pleasecontact tabruns@eiu.edu.Recommended CitationVermilion County Conservation District, "Forest Glen Savanna" (2016). Project Descriptions, Collection Site Summaries, and otherSupplementary Material. 3.http://thekeep.eiu.edu/herbarium_project_summaries/3HomeGeneral InformationActivities/EventsRecreationalOpportunitiesConservation EducationForestry ResearchHistoric AreasWildlifeLakes/ActivitiesArboretumMaple SyrupShiitake MushroomsHerb GardenNational Scenic RiverIllinois Nature PreservesWetlandsFees/Rental InformationOrganizationsVermilion Co.Conservation DistrictFoundationForest Glen Preserve and Kennekuk County Park have quite an extensive botanical listing.More so for Forest Glen since it is rated third in the state for number of different botanicalspecies.The Doris L. Westfall Nature Preserve has 100 native prairie plants with Vermilion Countyseed origin. The 40 acre prairie is dominated by the tall grasses of Indian grass and Bigbluestem, but many other interesting plants are found here, such as Indian paintbrush,puccoon, purple gentian, and Illinois bundleflower. A prairie garden plot is available to helpvisitors identify the many prairie plants.Forest Glen Savanna is a 22 acre area that is located just east of the Doris L. Westfall NaturePreserve.  It is a savanna restoration in cooperation the Illinois Native Plant Society andEastern Illinois University Botany Department (now Department of Biological Sciences).  Thearea is burned periodically.  There is a constant struggle to remove the invasive autumn oliveand encroaching hardwoods.  Prairie plants are moving in naturally.  White oak trees wereplanted in some areas.  Other savanna species such as any oaks, hazelnuts, wild plum,sassafras, and a few juniper will be maintained.  Volunteers are needed for this area.  ForestGlen Savanna In Memory of Mary Hruska (1956-2005) EIU Botany Graduate Student. EIU BotanyProfessor, JohnEbinger and gradstudent, the lateMary Hruska setup a line transectto inventoryspecies. The savannaburns moreslowly than theprairie, due tolower fuel on theground. The savanna is amixture of treesand prairieplants, formingone of the rarestecosystems inIllinois.  Forest Glen has many other unusual plants.The two seep areas have marsh marigold andskunk cabbage. The beech-maple forestcontains partridge berry, running strawberrybush, white lady's slipper, snow trillium, andblue ash.Kennekuk County Park has many native prairieareas. Besides the tall grasses, Kennekuk hasa very large colony of little bluestem and roughblazing star. The Windfall Prairie NaturePreserve has side oats grama and swamp whiteoak.The Vermilion County Conservation District - Prairies/Native Plants http://www.vccd.org/prairies.html1 of 2 8/10/2016 12:36 PMManagement of the open roadside fields is resulting in an extensive oak savanna. Nativeprairie grasses are spreading due to the west winds and the Maximillian's sunflower isadvancing rapidly. Because the areas are burned, the oak trees are the only hardwoods tosurvive the fire.              The Vermilion County Conservation District - Prairies/Native Plants http://www.vccd.org/prairies.html2 of 2 8/10/2016 12:36 PM

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Forest Glen Savanna

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