Spring 1998

[TEXT ARCHIVE WEB-PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2002.
ORIGINAL PRINT PUBLICATION DATE: SPRING 1998.]

Jane and John Balaban:
A Natural Partnership

By Chris Larson

They don't have formal academic degrees in conservation. Jane Balaban is a staff pharmacist at Evanston Hospital and her husband John teaches math and physics at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. Neither was particularly attuned to nature until their early 20s, when a college friend of John's introduced them to plants. John and Jane began taking courses at the Morton Arboretum and paying more attention to nature. "Ray Schulenburg really instilled in many people a sense of reverence for the native landscape," Jane says. The expertise they have developed over a quarter-century has given them local and even national renown. Recently, they were honored by The Nature Conservancy as one of only three recipients nationally of the Presidentıs Stewardship Award.

Both have taught restoration and science literacy courses at area universities, as well as segments of the Naturalist Certificate Program at the Field Museum. They've given lessons on sedge identification to field officers of the US Army Corps of Engineers and helped Friends of the Chicago River develop plans for riverbank restoration. Jane also serves on the board of The Nature Conservancy's Illinois chapter.

They have devoted their efforts principally to two sites along the North Branch of the Chicago River: Bunker Hill in Chicago, not far from their home in Skokie, and Harms Woods in Glenview. As stewards of the sites — selected for their knowledge, expertise, and leadership ability by the Forest Preserve District — their responsibilities include helping to plan restoration projects, leading tours and teaching classes, and coordinating volunteer workdays — as well as lots and lots of just plain work, pulling weeds, clearing brush, dispersing seeds, burning brush piles, assisting on burn crews and applying herbicides when needed (both Balabans are licensed by the state).

They've been at it a long time; restoration work began at Bunker Hill in 1980 and at Harms Woods around 1986. "Both sites have changed tremendously," John says. "There was no work done at Harms Woods before we started, and just a little bit at Bunker Hill. Pieces of them were nice, but other pieces were really abused. Today, they both are just gorgeous."

"We're always struck by how rich and diverse and healthy the sites are now," Jane says. When they started at Bunker Hill, for instance, the savanna had large amounts of mountain mint, a very tough native species, and few other native plants. After nearly 20 years of work, she says, "there's still mountain mint, but it's mixed in with a whole variety of rich and beautiful native plants like rattlesnake master, obedient plant, and grasses and sedges."

John describes their motivation as a sense of duty, to nature and to future generations of humans.

"There are plant species that have been here for a hundred centuries," John says, "and in some sense have a right to continue to live here. I don't think we have to worry about maple trees dying out, but I think many of those 1,600 species would disappear if they were not cared for and watched over."

Jane agrees. "We're working to make sure that these very unique natural communities that have been here for so long continue to exist. And it's also a way of giving something back to society," she goes on. Working with other volunteers gives them "a real sense of community and shared purpose, and the realization that as an individual you can do something that has tremendous significance." Restoration work also grants them fresh air and exercise, and the chance to experience what Jane calls "the day-to-day pleasure as we watch the land respond to what we're doing."

"And unquestionably, the people that you meet doing this kind of work are just outstanding people," John adds. "It's a wonderful way to spend your time."

They've had many successes, but they know that much work remains. "You can't just sit back and say 'let nature do its own thing' anymore," John says. "It's not possible." Vigilant weeding, reseeding damaged areas, and an occasional prescribed burns are all necessary to assist these sites towards a more healthy natural state, he says.

In 1996, the Cook County Board imposed a moratorium on restoration work throughout the county, responding to criticisms of a small minority. Though work has since resumed at Harms Woods and most other sites, the moratorium at Bunker Hill continues. "It has probably already set us back five or six years," John says. "Last summer, not even the weeds could be removed, so we had to watch them flower and set seed."

"On the other hand, the site itself is healthier than it was 20 years ago," he goes on, "so it should be able to fight off exotic invasions to some degree."

That optimism, based on a faith in natural processes, helps keep the Balabans going, motivates them to continue their education and restoration work, despite the occasional set-back. "We've certainly gone through some very trying times over the last couple of years," Jane says. "But I really do have confidence that this very good, powerful work will continue. It's too important not to."