DeKalb County Forest Preserve District Wildlife Highlights
- DeKalb County Forest Preserve District
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
January, February, and March 2025
Prepared by Patrick McCrea, Damon Lubkeman, Lorena Robles (Illustrator)
Looking over the bridge at Russell Woods take a minute to think about every drop of water that makes up that river.
Every drop of water that travels down the river is changing the landscape, eroding banks, creating meanders, moving silt, sand, gravel, and boulders. Streams are dynamic and always changing but remain stable for the species that live within.
The streams around us help support a plethora of flora and fauna. They are the major corridors for wildlife within DeKalb County. Our interests in streams lead us to working with RiverWatch where we have been able to monitor some aspects of the stream health.
Winter offers us a chance to reflect on what we have accomplished and set goals for the next year.
This year RiverWatch recognized DeKalb County Forest Preserve District with their Partner Prize.
Riverwatch has been fantastic to work with offering opportunities for volunteers and district staff to learn more about the health of the waterways.
This cross section captures a snapshot of stream life featuring a johnny darter, a broad winged damselfly nymph, stonefly larva, 2 caddisfly species (one stick case, one snail case), bluntnose minnow, mayflies (emerging), American ruby spot damselfly, ebony jewelwing damselfly, snail shells, and a mussel shell.
Stream ecosystems are so complex that to summarize it in a paragraph would be a disservice and even in an illustration only a small percentage of all the species and their interactions can be represented.
Each species fills a different niche in their ecosystem and recycling nutrients is key to a healthy ecosystem. This drawing depicts both the aquatic and terrestrial lives of some of the common stream species such as mayflies and damselflies. When ready to emerge, mayflies swim up to the surface of the water and molt their aquatic exoskeleton as they break through the surface. The mayfly shows its vulnerability during this event and fish looking for a snack take advantage. To witness the incredible diversity and complexities of a DeKalb County stream find a place along a stream in one of the preserves and relax watching the world around you.
Our stream ecosystems are fascinating and maybe one of our most intact ecosystems. Our terrestrial ecosystems are just as complex.
The pre-settlement landscape of DeKalb County was driven by fire. In the past prairies, savannas and woodlands moved a crossed the landscape as fire dictated. More frequent and more intense fires lead to prairies.
Trees tolerant to fire like oak and hickories were dominate species creating oak savannas and mixed hardwood forests. Streams lessoned fires effect acting as a fire break. Where fire did not reach successional forest and shrublands grew.
Only fragments of remnant ecosystems exist today. We prize the remnant woodlands. At MacQueen F.P. as I write these highlights the spring wildflowers are carpeting the ground after a March burn there.
These spring beauties are some of the first to bloom, opening their blossoms to spring beauty mining bees. A species that specializes on this one ephemeral plant. They are called mining bees because they make their nests in the open soil which is also made more accessible after a fire.
Remnant woodlands are beautiful in full bloom late April early May before the leaves on the trees have fully emerged.
Remnant prairies are even more rare, its estimated that less than 0.01% of the original prairie that once covered Illinois landscapes still exists. We will never get back what we lost but we can and do attempt to recreate them.
This year we worked with the restoration crew to pick a seed mix that would benefit pollinators and add diversity to 14 acres at Kishwaukee F.P. Restoration and wildlife crew worked together to seed this area.
In the photo Lorena seeds with the tractor for the first time. On the right side you can see large oaks, remnant of an oak savanna. The crew took care to make sure seed was mixed properly and we got complete coverage of the area. Imagine in a few years a prairie in full bloom!
Some of us have been seeding prairies and planting trees longer than others.
DeKalb County Forest Preserve District Superintendent, Terry Hannan was recently recognized for his 50 years of public service working for DeKalb County. In his acceptance speech he talked about planting trees with his mother at a young age.
Earning him his “PhD, Professional Hole Digger.” Terry has shared a lot of good jokes over the years! If you need one just stop by the branch office. (Terry has a tree branch taped to his door). Along with jokes Terry has also shared his personal love and appreciation for nature, adventure, and art, reminding staff why we do what we do.
Many of us working for the Forest Preserve District have been here less than 10 years many less than 5. Sometimes it is hard to grasp the impact an individual can have on the world when you have not been there to witness it all. So, let us look at an example.
Examples of Terry’s work dot the DeKalb County landscape. Afton Forest Preserve is one example. Terry sent this 1980’s hand drawn map to us recently. A vision for what Afton might be. In 40 some years the trees grew, the prairie grew and Afton F.P. grew.
The landscape changes speak for themselves.
Over 600 species of flora and fauna have been documented and eBird users identified over 250 species of birds that utilize the Afton Forest preserve. This is just one example of the many preserves Terry Hannan has helped preserve and create. To see his work stop by any of the DeKalb County Forest Preserves.
As we work in the preserves today, we see the trees and prairies Terry planted, the habitat and ecosystems he has helped create and protect.
We are grateful for the people before us who have had the forethought to protect, preserve and restore these local ecosystems.
Terry, I look forward to continuing to working with you! Congratulations and thank you!
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