Gensburg-Markham Prairie is a rare Tallgrass ecosystem located in Markham Township. This prairie is owned by Northeastern Illinois University, who is considered the primary contact for the prairie; however, ownership is also attributed to The Nature Conservancy and the Natural Land Institute. Gensburg-Markham Prairie is having a restoration kickoff event on March 8th, welcoming anyone and everyone who wants to work on restoration efforts. Activities include invasive-bush cutting and helping prepare an area for burning the bush cuttings.
A tallgrass ecosystem is especially important due to the diversity of the life that lives in the area. It is an extremely endangered ecosystem, as less than 4% of the area that was found is estimated to remain according to National Park Services. This ecosystem thrives in North America, particularly in the Midwest, but the majority of it has been turned into farmland, city land, roads and other man made structures.
Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, a group dedicated to keeping nature preserves beautiful, free from trash and free from invasive species, is trying to build a new volunteer group around the prairie. For many, the Gensburg-Markham Prairie is a true community landmark. David Lynn is the primary media contact of the Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves as well as one of the volunteers. When talking with him about current volunteers, Lynn explained, “A lot of them have their own personal stories. This is where some people went with their parents, where they found a love of the prairie, volunteering, botanizing, doing controlled burns, prescribed fire.”
Before now, the prairie has been kept up by a small group of volunteers, who only have so much time. Lynn said, “Without dedicated volunteers, without people who are interested and want to come back and learn how to manage the land…it needs a little extra love because of things like encroaching woody invasive plants that don’t necessarily belong in a tallgrass prairie.”
With a strong group of volunteers, the prairie cannot only be kept up but improved. One example of how volunteers can truly make an impact is an area of restoration in the Kankakee River. Lynn said, “You can walk from one end of the island to the other, but there’s a point where the 10 years of restoration that they’ve done stops. It’s just a wall of buckthorn, and it’s like you would think you’re on a different planet.” Buckthorn is a highly invasive species that often kills native plants. For many preserves, removing buckthorn is a big part of restoration.
Martha Lopez is the prairie’s working naturalist and an NEIU employee. In a recent press release by Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, Lopez states, “My hope is that the kickoff results in a group of people that come back to learn about and care for the land, and love it the way I do.” This event at Gensburg-Markham Prairie is a way to gather people, bring attention to the prairie and have turnout for more events. You can follow @gensburgmarkhamprairie on Instagram to help promote the event and to learn more.
