Spring 2004 Elgin-area Adventures in Ecology Cook and Kane Counties, Illinois

The historic city of Elgin, along the Fox River in eastern Kane County, is known for the faithful restoration of many of its classic old buildings. But for many, the restoration of the native ecosystems around Elgin is just as great a source of civic pride; just minutes from town, people can enjoy and help restore thousands of acres of nature preserves. Here are just a few highlights.

Bluff Spring Fen Nature Preserve, Cook County. At the 95-acre Bluff Spring Fen, owned by the City of Elgin and the Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, an upwelling of groundwater keeps peat saturated, creating rare plant communities called graminoid fens (only 142 acres of this wetland type exist in Illinois).

Wild columbine. Photo by Jack Shouba.

A treat in the spring, marsh marigolds bloom in the graminoid fen wetlands and along the spring runs. Later in the year, visitors can find fringed gentians and a variety of goldenrods and asters, such as the rare Ohio goldenrod and the flat-topped aster. Thanks to years of buckthorn clearing, spring beauty, hepatica, Dutchman's breeches, red trillium, and trout lilies now blanket the oak savannas. The preserve also supplies breeding habitat for willow flycatchers, eastern phoebes, red-headed woodpeckers, woodcocks, wood ducks, and yellow-breasted chats.

Visitors should allow at least a few hours to explore the narrow trails that weave through the preserve. As Steve Byers of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission relates, "When you see these fen wetlands tucked up against the hill prairies and oak savannas, you too will be enchanted by this magical place."

Trout Park Nature Preserve, Kane County. As you enter the 26-acre Trout Park Nature Preserve, owned by the City of Elgin, note the rich layer of spring ephemerals and the refreshing absence of invasive garlic mustard, a testament to the volunteer group Friends of Trout Park. Angelica, skunk cabbage, and marsh marigold proliferate where seeping waters saturate the hillsides and coalesce into bubbling streams. These streams support seven species of caddis fly existing nowhere else in the state. The air here remains pleasantly cool, even on warm days, due to calcareous streams richly supplied with cold groundwater and a slope that plunges away from the afternoon sun toward the Fox River. Here at one of only two wooded fens in Illinois, the preserve's bluffs and ravines create varied conditions for many notable Illinois species (all in close proximity to a major expressway). But the most unusual plant on these slopes is an evergreen, the white cedar (or arbor vitae). Famed ecologist Henry Cowles called these rare native cedars "one of the most notable plant colonies in Illinois."

Bluff Spring Fen. Photo by Mike MacDonald, www.ChicagoNature.com.

Shoe Factory Road Woods Forest Preserve, Cook County. The 600-acre Shoe Factory Road Woods, also known as Poplar Creek, is a great place for a hike with a view. The generally wide trails through the preserve have been purposely kept to the perimeter to protect native plants and animals, including lots of bobolinks and other grassland birds, but lead past vibrant areas that Forest Preserve District volunteers and staff have restored. The literal high point of the circuit is an ascent to a rare dry gravel hill prairie that surveys the entire preserve. Lower down, a dammed lake attracts spotted sandpipers, pied-billed grebes, great blue herons, and great egrets. Nearby, mink, beavers, and muskrats visit Spring Creek. The trail that heads west from the parking area traverses an oak woodland rich with spring flora such as wood anemone, Jack-in-the-pulpit, toothwort, yellow pimpernel, columbine, Jacob's ladder, and wild geranium.

Roaming
One great way to get around the area is to take a stroll, ski, jog, or bike ride along the 42-mile Fox River Trail, which hugs the eastern shore of the Fox River as it passes Elgin, and meets up with the Illinois Prairie Path. For a map, call (630) 232-5980.

The Elgin Public Museum of Natural History and Anthropology, (847) 741-6655, at 225 Grand Boulevard in the city's Lords Park, features hands-on exhibits. Admission for adults is $2; $1 for children.

For architecture buffs, the Elgin Area Historical Society and Museum, (847) 742-4248, 360 Park Street, shares a neighborhood with grand Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, and Italianate homes. Perfect for those fascinated by the stories of local legends, such as the Elgin Watch Factory and Elgin Road Races. Admission for adults is $2; $1 for students and seniors.

Foraging
Just south of Trout Park, Baker Hill Pancakes, (847) 888-8119, in Elgin at 1279 Dundee Avenue offers filling family fare, from country breakfasts to sandwiches. Selections average from $5 to $8.

Worked up an appetite big enough to eat everything including the kitchen sink? Well, you can do just that at Colonial Cafe & Ice Cream, (847) 888-3939, at 600 S. McLean Boulevard in Elgin. There, the hearty soup and sandwich fare is topped only by the dessert menu, including the awe-inspiring Colonial Kitchen Sink, a challenging ice cream extravaganza.

For a more diverse menu, Prairie Rock Brewing Company, (847) 622-8888, 127 S. Grove Avenue in Elgin, offers a casual atmosphere where those inclined can also enjoy a pint of ale, porter, or stout, brewed on the premises. Entrees start at around $7.

For all-around entertainment, visit The Milk Pail, (847) 742-5040, a half-mile north of I-90 on Highway 25 (Dundee Avenue) in East Dundee. The restaurant, 1880s farmhouse, Sunday Jazz Brunch, Country Market & Bakery, and Saturday-evening mystery dinner shows are just some of the offerings on this 30-acre wooded site.

Bedding Down
The 1907 Mansion Bed & Breakfast in West Dundee, (847) 426-7777, surrounds guests with original woodwork, period fixtures, and leaded-glass windows. Rooms range from $119 to $179 per night and have private whirlpool tubs, an enticing ending to a day on foot.

The Victorian Rose Garden Bed and Breakfast in Algonquin, (888) 854-9667, features an 1886 Folk Victorian house with an inviting wraparound porch. The inn is just a block from the Fox River Bike Trail, and bike packages are available. Rooms range from $79 to $139.

Events
Bluff Spring Fen Orchid Walk, May 16: 2–4 p.m. Registration is required. Call Rick Manner at (847) 464-4426.

Trout Park Nature Workdays. Second and Fourth Saturdays Each Month: 9 a.m.–noon. Call Sue Bohne at (847) 697-4929.

Bluff Spring Fen Nature Workdays. First and Third Saturdays Each Month:9 a.m. Call Rick Manner at (847) 464-4426.

Shoe Factory Woods Workdays. Saturdays and Sundays: 9 a.m. Call Rick McAndless at (847) 426-5671.

Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation Guided Bird Walks. April 16, May 14, May 21, and June 11, 2004: Join naturalists for a Friday-morning guided tour at this 1,224-acre property, not usually open to the public. Travel through woodlands and along the river, in search of some 200 recorded bird species. 8 a.m.–11 a.m. Registration is required but free. Call (847) 428-2240.

— Jayne Bohner