Nestled among ball fields, tennis courts, and other modern amenities, Morton Grove Prairie offers a glimpse into the ancient past, when lush grasslands emerged from the receding glaciers of the last ice age. As Morton Grove grew in the mid-century, forward-thinking local advocates and village officials recognized the importance of saving a parcel of original Illinois prairie, ultimately dedicating the Morton Grove Prairie as an Illinois Nature Preserve – a bicentennial gift to its residents.
Prairies and people are deeply intertwined. From pre-colonial times to present, indigenous peoples routinely burn the land for practical and cultural purposes. These practices, along with natural fires caused by lightning, maintained a diverse landscape dominated by deep-rooted grasses and wildflowers rather than trees.
Today, prairies exist as small, disconnected remnants in an interconnected modern world. Invasive species, development, and fire suppression are constant threats to their survival. Morton Grove Prairie’s nature preserve designation protects it from development, but the other threats remain. Prairies need people now more than ever.
In 2024, the Morton Grove Park District partnered with Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves to address the human need. In the absence of regular fire, gray dogwood and smooth sumac formed dense, dark shrub thickets that choked out prairie vegetation across much of the preserve. Large planted cottonwood trees cast extensive shade over the prairie, dooming yet more shade-intolerant prairie flora. Invasive species like European lily-of-the-valley escape from home gardens and form thick mats, out-competing native vegetation.
In March, volunteers supported by Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves set about removing the woody shrubs and addressing the invasive species, while the Morton Grove Park District heroically removed the shade-casting cottonwoods. With favorable prairie conditions reestablished, volunteers now collect seeds and supplement with local seeds donated by the North Branch Restoration Project. One might ask: if so much of the prairie was badly degraded, where do we collect seeds?
Two small areas of prairie remain relatively intact, and trail edges where sunlight reached the ground sustained native prairie species, too. Remarkably, most of the species identified in early surveys of the site persist, albeit in diminished populations. Yellow star grass, prairie alumroot and stiff gentian are just a few of the rare species in this small oasis, providing food and habitat to wildlife like the threatened golden northern bumblebee, a grassland specialist. These remnant populations provide the important genetic material for restoring and expanding the high quality prairie.
Prairie restoration is a long-term project. Successful restoration requires stewardship in perpetuity, and results take time. This year, the brush-cleared areas of Morton Grove Prairie expectedly filled in with weedy pioneer species like American burnweed. Though perhaps unsightly, it is an early sign of healing, not unlike a scab on a wound.
The volunteer community will continue to manage invasives, burn annually under the supervision of a certified prescribed burn manager, and collect and spread seeds. Some wildflowers like black eyed susan may bloom in the first year after seeding, while others like eastern shooting star will channel energy into building root systems for many years before flowering.
Year to year, seeding to seeding, burn to burn, as seedlings establish and grow into hearty plants, the early weeds will fade away and the diverse, competitive and colorful prairie ecosystem will reemerge.
To learn more or join in, contact mgprairie@friendsilnature.org.
