Photo Album

When the fire goes out and the burn crew leaves, it can be difficult to visualize that the blackened waste before you will eventually be lush and green again.

In the case of a patch of woods at the Illinois Raptor Center, the results of a single controlled burn have been nothing short of miraculous. Joe Pye weed blooms along the trail. Starry campion and false boneset have also reappeared. The woods seem healthier and more open. We can't wait to see how the spring woodland wildflowers respond.

July 24, 2005

At the IRC, a regime of controlled burns and removal of non-native species like bush honeysuckle and multi-flora rose has helped our property start the process of recovery.

While some areas, particularly prairies, have been replanted from seed. Areas like the one pictured above are recovering naturally, without any seeding or planting, so far.