MONITOR NEWS, August 2010

Skokie Lagoons bird monitors Linda Gohlke, Mary Lou Mellon and Dolph Williiams were dismayed to find that one of their favorite locations on their monitoring route was being invaded by teasel.  The sedge meadow area that had been formerly productive for shrubland birds was becoming disappointing birdwise. The three met with the Skokie Lagoons site stewards Dave Kosnik and Daniel Kielson and expressed their concerns.  With the stewards' approval they started an attack on the teasel in July, deheading the plants and cutting them off low to the ground.  By this time some of the invasive plant was over their heads.  On July 20th the Forest Preserve District of Cook County sent out Tallgrass Restoration to herbicide the area.   In two weeks much of the teasel was dying.  The group continues to work to remove the dead stalks and to pull any new growth. The stewards have lent a hand by calling SOS workdays and finding boy scouts willing to do community service to help out.  The meadows are starting to rebound without the overgrowth of teasel. The plan is to continue to herbicide teasel rosettes this fall (rosettes are the low-to-the-ground next year's crop) to preempt next spring's growth.  By herbiciding in the fall, collateral damage to "good" spring plants is avoided.