1

News from the Hickory Hills Chapter of the Illinois

Audubon Society, Stewards of Bremer Sanctuary,

Hillsboro, Illinois

Who We Are……………… by Don Krefft, Chapter Representative for Bremer

Periodically when I am out in the local community, I am approached by people asking, “What's new at Bremer?”

or “Are you guys staying busy out there?” Well, we the Stewards of Bremer (SOBs) do enjoy homemade cookies, stale

doughnuts, and hot coffee, but for the most part we are happiest when we can leave

the sanctuary knowing we have accomplished something or have a good project in

the works. Of course we must do routine chores such as mowing the 4 miles

of trails, clearing downed trees and limbs, keeping the barn and education

area looking sharp, keeping the outhouse tolerable, monitoring and

maintaining the 46 Eastern Bluebird nest boxes, and keeping the machinery

in good working order. But then there are the unique projects that keep

things interesting for the SOBs. We did the foundation work for the new

storage shed that was recently constructed, two new memorial benches have

recently been installed on the grounds, a chimney swift tower was built and

installed in the south silo, and most recently work has begun on a new

observation platform also near the south silo. In recent years, the initiative and

creativity of the SOBs has been demonstrated by the construction of the

covered bridge on the Timber Trail and the first observation platform on the

prairie to the west of the barn.

In the restoration area much work has been done to help heal the scar in the

landscape created by the pipeline company's project that affected a 60 by 3,200

square foot area at Bremer Sanctuary. Seed from native forbs and grasses have

been spread on the area and additional seed will be collected in other areas and

spread in the pipeline scar in the coming months.

The planning process for this 203 acre sanctuary is ongoing. We plan on

improving the Cress Creek crossing with a more permanent structure to provide

year round/ all-weather access to the acreage south and west of the creek.

Efforts in the education area are also ongoing. There have been two

youth workshops this summer, one on aquatic creatures and one entitled

“BugOut”. A Pollinator Habitat Program, involving a grant from Corteva

administered through the National and Illinois 4-H, is planned for this fall and

next spring involving five 3rd grade classes from Hillsboro and Coffeen. Land near the south silo

will be converted from unwanted fescue and brome grasses to native grasses and pollinator forbs. The school groups will

help with the planting and seeding projects in November and next April. Hopefully some of the youth involved will be

the future Stewards of Bremer.

From bird and wildflower walks, owl prowls, youth gatherings and the popular New Year’s Day hike, there is

always something going on at Bremer Sanctuary. If you would like to join in the fun, just stop by the barn on Tuesday or

Thursday mornings from 8 to 10 A.M. Some eager beavers are normally there quite earlier and frequently we stay

somewhat later.

2

Summertime Fun at Bremer…………by Nancy Redman

Awesome, fun and educational are just a few words to describe the children and family programs, “Aquatic Adventures” and “Bug Out” that were held at Bremer Sanctuary this summer. Co-hosting these events were Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Educator, Beth Groves and Bremer Education Chairperson, Nancy Redman and guest speaker, retired IEPA aquatic biologist Jim Hefley. On June 19th, Beth kicked off the aquatic workshop by discussing how we use water every day and how much fresh water there is actually available on the planet for all of our needs. Jim’s portion began by explaining exactly what the word “aquatic” means and introducing several aquatic specimens he had previously collected and placed in an aquarium. The participants were very impressed by the Dobsonfly larvae as it was 2 inches long and could bite (as Jim found out). The group then made the trek to Turtle Pond, one of two ponds on the Bremer property that holds water all year. Jim donned his waders and using a large dip net, scraped the bottom of the pond collecting a variety of species including crayfish, dragonfly nymphs and tadpoles that were almost morphed into frogs. Many of the items collected in the pond were placed into a bucket for later observation. Concurrently, Beth collected water samples from Turtle Pond and a nearby vernal pond. The next stop was a nearby vernal pond where Nancy explained its purpose. A vernal pond is a seasonal body of water, filled by the spring rain, that usually dries up with the heat of the summer and absence of rainfall. The Bremer vernal ponds, 8 in total, provide a short-term habitat for the breeding of many species of frogs, salamanders, snakes and the migratory Red-winged Blackbirds. The dip net was once again used to collect several species and afterwards the eager participants hiked back to the barn to unload the bucket of specimens into the awaiting aquarium. Jim spoke in depth about the life cycle of insects with an aquatic larval stage and the children were able to observe the following larvae; mayfly, caddisfly, stonefly, dragonfly, damselfly and dobsonfly. Also captured and observed were a water scorpion, leeches, crayfish and various stages of tadpole development as well as juvenile frogs and toads. The water samples that Beth collected were then examined under a microscope to view the many microorganisms that were zipping across the slides. Duckweed, a tiny, flowering aquatic plant which floats on or just beneath the surface of Turtle Pond, was observed using the stereoscope and amazed the children with how large it looks under magnification. On July 17th, over 50 participants, comprised of children, parents, grandparents and Bremer volunteers, enjoyed a toasty morning for the “BUG OUT” program. “Bug Out” offered the explorers a chance to discover the good, bad and just plain weird world of insects. Beth began the program with an informative PowerPoint presentation regarding the differences between insects and arachnids (spiders) and a discussion on how some bugs are good (pollinators) and some bugs are bad.

3

During our “Insect Olympics”, kids found out if they could see, fly, jump and eat like a bug. At the eating station, participants clenched their fists and placed on their cheeks. By extending their pinky finger outward, they created a “mandible”, whereas they could retrieve candy placed on the table or siphoning with a blowing straw. At the jumping station, their jump stride was compared to that of a flea and the flying station compared the rate of flapping arms to that of a mosquito. Participants were then split into small groups and donning a discovery bag (a denim bag containing magnifying glasses, spoons, screwdriver and bug viewing jar) made the trek to the memorial area where the bug hunt began. Each group was allowed to define their own study area to dig and explore. The defined areas varied from plots of grass to leaf litter and some with woody debris and rotten logs. Jim explained to the groups why some areas were more productive and assisted the groups by showing them where certain bugs like to hide. Some of the invertebrates collected included ants, beetle larvae, spiders, termites, worms, centipedes and millipedes, isopods and caterpillars. The groups used their bug viewing jars to hold a small collection to share with the class upon returning to the barn. Field guides were used to identify several specimens, like a Jumping Bristletail, before all creatures were released back to nature. Both programs concluded with the consumption of an aquatic or

bug themed snack.

*********************************************************************************

The Annual Prairie Wildflower Walk was well attended again,

boasting 46 participants. Walkers and tractor riders enjoyed the

spectacular beauty only late July can provide. With the Compass Plant blooms and native prairie grass seed

heads looming high over everyone’s sightline, Ken Schaal spoke of the diversity of plants located on the West

Prairie. Jerry Prater narrated the tractor portion with Carl Savage behind the wheel. A tasty carry-in dinner

with hot dog roasting rounded out the evening.

4

New Projects………………………….

We are excited to announce 2 new projects coming to the

area just east and north of the South Silo. Thanks to Alan Reynolds

of Hillsboro for donating and milling the repurposed lumber of

Douglas Fir and Red Cedar for the construction of a second viewing

platform. Bremer carpenter volunteers, Ron Gazda, Ray Luebbert,

Dane Murphy, Bruce Redman and Jim Yount have been hard at work

constructing the new tower which will feature several bench seats

on the platform. Assisting with setting the 8x8 posts were Don

Krefft, Ed Martin, Jerry Prater and Carl Savage.

We are pleased to announce……..

Through a grant provided by the National 4-H Council and Corteva Agri-sciences, in partnership with Pheasants Forever, Montgomery County 4-H is

collaborating with Illinois Audubon Society’s Bremer Sanctuary to provide pollinator education and lasting conservation practices through the 4-H

Pollinator Habitat Program. This nationwide program works to educate youth about the importance of pollinators and encourages the establishment of quality pollinator habitats in local communities. Locally, 4-H members are delivering pollinator programs both in and out of school. Additional local partnerships include hosting an educational field trip for local youth at Bremer Sanctuary in Hillsboro. Plans are underway to bring the 3rd grade students from the Hillsboro School District to the sanctuary in early November. This event will include educational booths on pollinators as well as the planting of additional pollinator habitats at the sanctuary. The designated area

(directly north of the South Silo) is currently being prepped for the school visit so the students may have the opportunity to spread wildflower and

native grass seeds. Future plans also include an Earth Day 50th Anniversary Celebration to be held in April 2020 that will be open to the public.

Check out our website at www.bremersanctuary.org

Like us on Facebook at “Bremer Sanctuary, Hickory Hills Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society”.

Illinois Audubon Society website: www.illinoisaudubon.org

5

New Additions……….

Making life easier for the Bremer stewards, a new John

Deere Gator and storage shed. Erected on May 28th by American

Steel Carports and buildings, a new 24’ x 26’ storage shed houses

the JD tractor and the new JD Gator. The ground prep work, which

entailed leveling a rock base for where the shed was placed, was

completed by the Bremer volunteers.

The XUV825 JD Gator was delivered on August 22nd and was

eagerly received by the Stewards. It will enable more equipment and

volunteers to be hauled to the far reaches of the NW prairie for

burns and maintenance as well as weekly upkeep on all trail areas.

Two generous contributions were recently received by the

Illinois Audubon Society earmarked for Bremer. A local donor, who

wishes to remain anonymous, has many found memories of the

Bremer property. Generous donors make it possible not only for the

big purchases like tractors and UTVs but the unglamorous stuff like

nuts, bolts, paper & printing, utilities, gasoline for mowers,

etc. Shirley (Toberman) Eaton of League City, Texas, but formerly of

the Hillsboro area, had this comment regarding her donation.

“After Bill passed away, I moved to League City, Texas with my daughter and son-in-law. That is when I

started to take The Journal, which covered many articles about Bremer and the wonderful work they do. The few

times we have made the trip (1000 mile trip) we always enjoyed the birds at the feeders, walking trails, the

butterfly house cute restroom, and all of the birds we saw while walking. You all do a wonderful job, and thanks

to Helen and Betty Bremer for donating this beautiful land for all of us to enjoy! We also love the bridge you built

and cedar fence, THANKS TO ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS!!”

Thanks to all who contribute their time, talents, services and resources to make

our sanctuary a beautiful place to visit and enjoy nature!

***********************************************************

Lynne Musgrove Marsho of Peoria, Illinois has given Hillsboro

back a piece of its history. Lynne, with family ties in the

Hillsboro area, was good friends with Helen Bremer and

upon Helen’s passing in 1999, Lynne acquired a painting

titled “Home Again”. The montage of the Bremer farm and

home site was painted in 1979 by a local artist, the late

Mercedes Lessman. Since the painting is oil-based, it would

not hold up well in our barn environment, so Bremer is

looking to “loan out” the artwork for local display in a climate

controlled setting. But until it finds a new home, the painting

will be on display at the Owl Prowl in October and Annual

Chapter Meeting in November.

6

UPCOMING FALL EVENTS

September 21st, 8:00-noon: Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders. Participants will receive an up-close view of birds while learning about the scientific process of banding and how the data is used. “Be a Bander”, a children’s program, will run in conjunction with banding. The program is continuous, so arrive anytime between 8-12 and bring a lawn chair. A light snack will be served.

September 22nd, 1:00-3:00pm: “All About Trees” is a family friendly event which features a leisurely hike on the Bremer Timber Trail to discover the many diverse trees on the property. Examine a collection of leaves and seeds, play an educational game, make a take-home craft and enjoy a snack.

October 12th, 4:00-7:00pm: Annual Owl Prowl. A wiener roast begins at 4:00. The Tree House Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will provide an informative program featuring 2-3 owls on display beginning at 5:00, and will release a rehabilitated owl at the sanctuary—release time is 6:00pm. Beginning at dusk (approx. 6:15-6:30), owl calls will be broadcast throughout the West Prairie in an attempt to lure a response/sighting. Bring your own hot dogs, buns, a dish or two to share, table service, lawnchairs, bug spray. Water will be provided.

October 20th, 2:00-4:00pm: “Owls of Illinois” is a program for the young and young-at-heart. Explore which owls call Illinois their home and which owls are migratory winter visitors. After a Power Point presentation, participants can observe the many owl posters on display, dissect an owl pellet and children can make a take-home craft.

November 9th, 5:00-7:00pm: Bremer Sanctuary’s Hickory Hills Chapter Annual Meeting and Potluck Dinner. The program begins at 5:00pm with the Illinois Audubon Society’s Executive Director Jim Herkert presenting “New Advances in Bird Migration”. Jim will discuss some of the early ideas we had about how birds migrate, and the current ways in which we study and learn about bird migration. Potluck begins at 6:00pm. Bring a dish or two to share. Water and coffee provided.

All events are free and open to the public…….donations graciously accepted!!

The Hickory Hills Chapter of the Illinois

Audubon Society Board of Directors

Henry Eilers-Restoration

Ron Gazda-Building

Gale Johnson-Building

Don Krefft-IAS Chapter Representative,

Treasurer, Restoration

Sonya Luckett-Bulletin Board

Ed Martin-Building

Dane Murphy-Building

Jerry Prater- Secretary

Bruce Redman-Building

Nancy Redman-Newsletter, Bluebird

Trail, Education Chairperson

Dick Rompasky-Building

Carl Savage-Membership

Ken Schaal-Restoration

Jim Yount-Building

After a heavy rain on August 25th, a

double rainbow highlighted the South

Silo. Unfortunately, there was no pot

of gold inside the silo.

Photo credit

this issue:

Ray Luebbert,

Stefan Munker,

Nancy Redman,

& Ron Seamon.