The deck tables were all pushed against the downstream railing.

The cabin had about 2 feet of flood water.

The barn/office space also received about 2 feet of water.

Large debris above the stream bank.

The creek bank was deeply eroded.

"My fiancée once posed a question to me: ‘If you were standing between two buildings, both on fire, with your loved ones in one building and a thousand strangers in the other, and you could only make it to one building in time who would you save?’ Many people would argue that you have an obligation to save the greatest number of people, even if it results in the death of your loved ones. She argued the opposite, that you have an obligation to your loved ones, but she took it a step further. She said that the other building would take care of itself if everyone felt and acted in the same manner. There’s definitely a logic to that, and it appeals to my sense of personal responsibility (even if part of me does wonder about those in the other building). Furthermore, when it comes to problem-solving, those experiencing a problem generally have a more practical and realistic sense of what constitutes a successful resolution than those totally unconnected with it.

I think the same principle applies to ecological restoration (and environmental issues, as well). It’s easy to garner widespread support for polar bears, coral reefs, giant pandas, or mountain gorillas, and that support is valuable. However, one of the problems with flocking to global issues is that it leaves no one addressing the local ones. No, they might not be quite as glamorous, but they’re every bit as critical. More importantly, though, if a community isn’t looking after its own environmental interests, who will? Even more significantly, in an era of many challenges, we need to start seeing nature as part of the solution to those challenges rather than something to be fixed.

Those who live in a particular area should have far more knowledge of (and far more stake in) how a given environmental issue is affecting them than a remote decision-maker. Take streambank erosion, for instance, a problem that is very serious here at LREC. It’s easy to make a blanket statement that total channelization would take care of that problem, but such a move would also impact the species that live in the riparian corridor, as well as make Deer Creek even “flashier” than it already is (one inch of rainfall in an hour can raise the water level about six feet). It interferes with groundwater recharge and speeds the creek up, worsening erosion problems elsewhere. I think that the situation would be far better than it is if we all did what was best for our section of the creek (modest slopes, plenty of vegetation to provide habitat & promote better water infiltration, trees to shade the creek from the sun, and runoff control to decrease the water flowing from impervious surfaces) and took care of the whole in due time. Further, I think we’d get a lot of satisfaction and a lot of benefits from that process. We need to- all of us should have a basic understanding of our immediate environment and, a relationship with it beyond that of a consumer. Hopefully, with exposure, we’d appreciate nature and ourselves more; eventually, I’d like to think that we’d come to be a community again, a group of organisms looking to themselves to meet their critical needs before looking outward. A key part of community is interdependence, and we’ve lost that somewhere along the way. I think it’s past time to get it back.

I see ERC as an opportunity to allow you to learn about your surroundings and even do something to improve them- what do you want it to be?"

In the afternoon, we visited the McGrath elementary school and other schools near the ecology center. Mrs. Becky, a nice lady, introduced us to the accomplishments in restoring the native plants around the McGrath School. A few years ago, the front yard at the school was a mess.Then she and other volunteers assisted to plan out and grow a variety of beautiful native plants and trees. Like McGrath elementary, many other schools are doing the same to enhance their schools' environment via restorations of plants. LREC did many many things to help accomplish these great projects, and the ERC is contributing our part to these wonderful community projects.

When the clock ticked 10:30, we were on our way to the Shaw Natre Reserve (SNR). Katie, a SNR staff emmber, welcomed us warmly as we entered the magnificent cabin. (I wouldn't say it's better than the LREC's, but it had a whole lot of space!) Then she introduced us to the cabins that we are going to stay the next day. These houses, according to Katie, were originally moved from other plaes. I thought whoever did this had done a nice job. The houses looked in good shape despite the fact that they are old ones.

Wetlands and larger prairies were our next destination. Katie told us that the plants living in the wetlands have an amazing growth rate- a few days ago they were below your knee, and the next thing you know they are going to outgrow your height. Compass plant and other plants were new, too, and many interesting shapes of them will definitely help in memorizing those specimens.

Well, this had been a long day for all of us, epecially for the two instructors- Sean and Leslie. And thanks for Claire's idea at a little interactive game "ice breaker" which helped us to know a little bit more about each other. The next day we will be staying in this absolutely beautiful place in SNR and I'm looking forward to it, definitely."

After that, we headed out in groups to collect a specimen in the prairie. Missouri Wildflowers was used as an identifying tool to help us find that certain wildflower. This was new for me because the book uses a flower's color as a guide to divide the wildflowers into different groups, thus making them easier to be found.

We also had our naturalist Jennifer to guide us through the woodland and the prairie area. Along the way she explained many fun facts about them such as the growth factors, the history, some invasive specimens, usages, and much more...

At the end of the day we did some mulching and I thought it was fun. I learned many things and I can't wait until the next day..."

Spring also means the commencement of the nest box season. Carolina Chickadees, Eastern Bluebirds and Eurasian Tree Sparrows may begin nesting as early as mid-March (though April is usually the month the eggs begin appearing) and the boxes were already showing signs of activity the first week in March. After checking boxes yesterday it is safe to say that the nest building portion of the breeding season is underway. More than half the boxes contained material and several times I witnessed birds leaving the boxes. I was lucky to capture this photo of a Eurasian Tree Sparrow entering a box with some nesting material.

Many have asked me if any of the nest boxes contained evidence of Eastern Bluebird activity and sadly the answer is no. Though the Bluebirds are not true migrants and stay in the same spot year round, I think they only pass through our prairies for food before flying to a nearby area to breed. There are at least 2 golf courses near LREC and it has been my experience that Bluebirds find this type of habitat favorable for raising their young. Late last summer Malinda Slagle and I discussed possible ways to encourage Bluebirds to use the nestboxes and this past winter she and the Friday volunteers moved the boxes located on the woodland edge into the prairie. Time will tell if this entices the Bluebirds into our nestboxes. I do plan to continue research additional ways to encourage the Bluebirds to nest in our prairie.

However, Litzsinger Road Ecology Center is one of the few places in the United States that have a breeding colony of Eurasian Tree Sparrows. Back in 1870, German Immigrants homesick for the birds from their homeland released 20 Eurasian Tree Sparrows in Lafayette Park. Since then these birds have spread through St. Louis and St. Charles Counties and Madison and Calhoun Counties in Illinois. These sparrows are found nowhere else in the United States and birdwatchers from all over will make a special trip to St. Louis just to see them. Being an avid birdwatcher myself, I feel truly fortunate to have been able to check the boxes and handle these unique birds over the last 2 years.

The Eurasian Tree Sparrows were not the only birds active at LREC. One of our resident Red-shouldered hawks was seen flying around between the barn and the classroom.

A pair of Canada Geese were grazing on the pasture prairie.

And there were dozens of Robins foraging on and near the burned prairies.

Spring is a busy time of the year and there will be a great deal of growth and activity in the next few months. Be sure to stay tuned for further updates on the nest boxes and other spring sightings!

Most bird species will switch from a diet of insects and fruits to a diet of seeds and grains during the cold winter months. Chickadees, Titmice, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatches will store insects and nuts for winter consumption and join flocks that contain several bird species to forage for food.

You can help those seed-eating birds by putting birdfeeders up in your yard and there are some seed that are better than others to feed during the winter. Oil sunflower seed has high fat and protein content and most birds can eat this seed due to its thin outer shell. Cardinals, Blue Jays, chickadees and woodpeckers are especially fond of Black oil sunflower seed.

Of course variety is the spice of life and you can include a good seed mix to attract other birds. Many seed mixes include Black Oil Sunflower Seed, Striped Sunflower Seed, Safflower Seed and Millet. It will not be unusual to find Mourning Doves, Carolina Wrens, Chickadees, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Sparrows dining on a good seed mix. Just be sure that any seed mix you purchase does not contain milo, as this is a filler and the birds will simply toss it to the ground. Goldfinches and House Finches enjoy Thistle. Thistle is a tiny seed that needs a special feeder but can easily be found in grocery, feed, department and bird feeding specialty stores.

And don’t forget those ground-feeding birds! White-throated Sparrows, House Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos (and Cardinals too!) usually forage for seed on the ground beneath the feeders. I usually place a healthy amount of millet under my feeders for these birds, but you can avoid the mess and purchase a ground feeder that has been made for this purpose.

Suet is also an excellent source of fat for our feathered friends, especially since the birds need a high number of calories to keep their bodies warm. Suet is rendered beef fat that is prepackaged and sold in grocery, feed, department and bird feeding specialty stores. Sometimes the suet will contain other ingredients, such as peanuts, peanut butter, seed, insects and fruit. You can also make your own suet and recipes are easily found on the Internet. The base ingredient for most homemade suet is peanut butter, but Crisco or lard is a great substitute for those with peanut allergies.

Woodpeckers are especially fond of suet, but you may also find Carolina Wrens, Chickadees, Titmice and Blue Jays flocking to your suet feeder.

Whole Peanuts are another source of high fat and protein. You can either buy a peanut feeder or string them with yarn on your feeder or in the trees. And the same birds that enjoy suet will snatch those peanuts up to eat.

Water is just as important to these birds as food. Obviously water is prone to freezing this time of year, but hardware stores and bird feeding specialty stores sell immersion heaters and there are birdbaths that have built-in heating units.

Not only do the birds benefit from the seed and water, but you do as well! It’s fun to watch our feathered friends hop and flit about the feeders. You can keep a tally of the different bird species you see at the feeders, watch their eating behavior or see how often the birds go the water for a bath or a drink. You can also participate in Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project Feeder Watch or Great Backyard Bird Count as a citizen scientist.

Whether you decide to keep it simple or get involved with observations, make sure you feed the birds this winter!

Based on the pictures and descriptions I've been able to find, I'm pretty sure that it's a harvestman, also known as a daddy long-legs.

While it is in the same class as spiders, it isn't in the same order (that's just a way of saying that they're "cousins")... if you look closely, you can see that its body isn't separated into two parts like spiders' bodies are. Harvestmen don't weave webs, either.

If you're interested in learning more check out http://www.arachnology.be/pages/Opilio_QandA.html.

Thanks to Whiteside 7th grade for finding this arachnid!

In the a.m. of the day of the research project, Malinda set up two transects—one in the prairie and one in the woods. (A transect is a straight line used for sampling, such as to count the occurrence of a species in order to estimate its population size.) Along each transect she placed a plastic cup, or "bee bowl," every 5 meters. The cups alternated in color (white, blue, yellow) and were filled with soapy water. The idea is that the bees are attracted to the color and can't help themselves from flying into the soapy water.

Here we are hiking out to retrieve the bee bowls from the prairie.

This is a bee bowl.

Each student had a job. Here a student is pouring the contents of the bee bowl through a filter.

A different student had the job of spooning all the bugs from the filter.

The captured bugs were placed in specimen bags that were carefully labeled with the transect name (PRAIRIE or WOODS). A piece of paper inside the bag recorded other information, such as the date and the color of the cup.

Getting all the bugs off the filter proved challenging.

After transferring all the critters to the specimen bag, we hiked back to the deck to wash the specimens. This photo shows the set-up for the washing station.

The bees were shaken in jars with soapy water then rinsed with water. Next the bees were shaken in the jars with denatured alcohol, which helped to dry the bees. Here a student rinses the specimens.

The next step was to dry the bees. The students did so by spinning the bees in salad spinners. Why? To give lift to the bees' hairs. If the hairs are matted, the bees are even more difficult to identify.

Here the students sort the bugs to separate out the bees.

The next step was to observe the bees (and other arthropods) and make detailed drawings.

Finally, students created permanent labels and pinned the bees to add them to Malinda's collection. Eventually, Malinda will use technical manuals called dichotomous keys to identify the bees.

TA-DAH!!