McHenry County Conservation District Natural Resource Management Department

Mission Statement

To improve the biological health of MCCD lands through the monitoring and inventory of existing native plant communities, while providing the knowledge and materials to restore native plants and fungi to ecologically damaged lands.

Natural Resource Management – Plant Ecology Division

Staff
Laurie Ryan - Plant Ecologist

Facilities
MCCD Seed Cleaning Building
14308 Hemingsen Road
Huntley, Illinois 60142

Departmental Overview

The Plant Ecology Section of Natural Resource Management is responsible for a wide variety of projects related to vegetation management. Plant Ecology integrates its expertise closely with every other section of the department as well as many other departments within the greater District, especially Planning and Development and Educational Services. Staff includes a full-time Plant Ecologist and a part-time Nursery Technician. The Plant Ecology Section is currently housed in the Natural resource management Building at Glacial Park.

Major Areas of Concentration

The Plant Ecology Section is closely integrated into many aspects of overall departmental work plans, projects and activities. This section implements critical scientific inventory and monitoring needs related to vegetation District wide as well as providing native seed and plants for planting projects. A number of important departmental activities are the sole responsibility for the Plant Ecology Section. These include:

Propagation, collection and installation of plant species native to McHenry County and identified as part of natural community restoration projects on District lands.

Monitoring of all endangered or threatened plant populations located on District lands.

Monitoring of long-term vegetation studies to track the effects of ecological management and restoration efforts.

Baseline vegetative inventories of all new land acquisitions protected by MCCD.

Operation and oversight of the MCCD Native Plant Nursery and Seed Processing Building.

Coordination and creation of all natural community restoration seeding and planting plans on District sites.

Oversight of all bid specifications and ordering for outside seed, plant and tree purchase.

	2010 was a great year for native seed collection on District sites. Laurie Ryan, along with seasonal native plant technicians, Briana Castle and Jared Jaggers, and several volunteers collected seed from 106 different native prairie, wetland, and woodland species. After cleaning or separating the seed, the District now has an additional ~810 lbs of native seed to be used on upcoming seeding projects. A special thanks to all of the volunteers that participated. We look forward to your help in 2011!
	NRM Plant Ecologist Laurie Ryan, Nursery along with Brianna Castle, Jared Jaggers and Katie Cowlin meet with volunteer Dale Shriver at Marengo ridge to do garlic mustard monitoring in established plots
	Now that there is snow on the ground, the District is sowing native seed mixes on large scale restoration projects with their new Vicon broadcast seeder. Seeding projects have been completed at Lake in the Hills Fen and Goose Lake. Broadcast seeding on snow (dormant seeding) is an effective method of seeding - it mimics the natural life cycle of native plant seeds that are exposed to cold, moist conditions in winter to break down seed coats for spring germination. The Vicon broadcast seeders have reduced time spent seeding compared to older methods.
	Contract lichenologist, Richard Hyerczyk, is halfway through his second year studying the lichen diversity of MCCD sites. Additional species' discoveries have been made in 2010, and now our total lichen count is up to 114 species! This study will be continued for a third and final year in 2011-2012. For more information on lichens, you can read "Learning about Lichens" an article by Laurie Boldt that was published in Landscapes this year.