Wetland Specialist Added to Native
Plant Management Seminar
CAMPTON HILLS, IL Al Roloff, Natural Resource
Manager of the DeKalb County Forest Preserve is joining the speakers at
Garfield Farm Museum's 27th Annual Prairie, Woodlands, and Wetlands
Management Seminar on Saturday February 16th from 8:30 am 4:30 pm.
Reservations are now being taken.
Roloff's experience and expertise includes natural area management with an
emphasis on wetland plants. In the afternoon, he and Jerome Johnson, museum
biologist will conduct a discussion on methods to encourage native plants
and discourage aggressive invasive species. Roloff has propagated and raised
various native wetland plants and has the special knowledge of working with
herbicides to control reed canary grass and phragmites or common reed which
are devastating acres of our rare surviving wetlands.
Although many property owners may think their property was always moderately
dry, a good amount of Illinois was actually a wet prairie which at least had
seasonal standing water. Only a hundred years of draining and installing
drain tiles to make such lands productive for farming has delivered Illinois
from being a soggy state. Many communities built on former farm land are
surprised to need at least one if not three sump pumps to keep their
basements dry.
Roloff has worked with NIU professor, Paul Sorenson and they have
implemented practical solutions for a diverse variety of situations through
a business they established, Natural Resource Services.
Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm in
Springfield, WI, has extensive experience in growing native plants from
seed, using native plants with cultivars for more formal gardens, and has
worked with prominent public gardens like Chicago's Millennial Park.
Conner Shaw's experience with growing native trees and shrubs from seed is
unrivaled in the region. His Monee based Possibilities Place Nursery has
specialized in not only producing hard to find natives but also all their
product has a much greater concentration of roots in the root ball enhancing
the tree's ability to establish itself and thrive.
From backyard gardeners, home owner associations to owners of natural area
acreage, this seminar covers all the key methods and techniques of
preserving and using the best adapted plants for the Illinois environment.
There is a $50 donation for the all day seminar which includes lunch and
refreshments. Half day attendance without lunch is $25. Garfield Farm Museum
is located five miles west of Geneva, IL off ILL Rt. 38 on Garfield Road.
For reservations call 630 584-8485 or email info@garfieldfarm.org
For more information about Garfield Farm send an e-mail message to: info@garfieldfarm.org
or call 630/584-8485.
