Meeting Minutes | Field Trips | Plant Sales | Local Resources | Photo Gallery
The Kankakee Torrent Chapter welcomes you! We aim to host presentations, take field trips, promote native flora, and encourage the restoration of our natural areas. Join us on our Mission!
SAVE THE DATE!!
February 24th 2024
Community Habitat Symposium – Location TBD
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The Kankakee Mallow T-shirt:
Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve, or Hoody
Limited Supply Remaining
Hoodie: XL (4 Remaining)
Short Sleeve T-Shirt: L (5 Remaining)
Long Sleeve T-Short: (Large 10 & XL 1)
In 2014, the Annual Gathering of the Illinois Native Plant Society held a field trip to Langham Island to see the only wild home of the indigenous Kankakee Mallow (Iliamna remota). To our dismay, not a single plant could be found. Members, led by Trevor Edmonson, rallied the troops to clear invasive trees and shrubs from the island and applied prescribed fire to stimulate the seed bank if any remained. Experts suggested that a roasty fire, hot but not too hot, would help germinate the seed. Members came up with the idea of the rolling burn pile. We laid small trunks and branches parallel to each other in a pile, lit it, and rolled the burning pile across the landscape using cut poles.
To our delight, it worked. In some areas where we rolled brush piles, we had hundreds of Kankakee Mallow seedlings sprouting. Now, rising from the ashes, the Kankakee Mallow blooms again in its wild home. To celebrate this achievement, we have created this T-shirt with a nod and a wink to JRR Tolkien. All profits from the sale of these shirts go to the Friends of Langham Island, who continue to manage and restore this remarkable place that was also home to the Federally Endangered Leafy Prairie Clover (Dalea foliosa).
President – Floyd Catchpole
fcatchpole@comcast.net
Vice President – Andy Neill
ajneill63@gmail.com
Past-President – Trevor Edmonson
trevoredmonson@gmail.com
Treasurer – John Sullivan
Membership Chair –
Secretary –
