March 2026 Newsletter

Happy March! It feels like Spring is in the air!

Quarry Care Burn Day – 14 March

Our March Quarry Care date is coming up this Saturday, March 14th from 9AM to 12PM. If you haven’t already, register online to join us in the ecological stewardship of the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area. We will continue working on brush pile burns at a recently cleared section of quarry shoreline and woodland (weather permitting). If it is too wet, we will work on woody invasive removal instead. Hopefully we can burn, though! Brush pile burns are a fast and efficient way to clear removed woody plant material and expedite nutrient redelivery.

We will meet up at parking lot 1 at 9AM. Look for our staff and side-by-side work vehicle. If you arrive later, you can find us at the project location noted on the map. Follow the smoke if you get lost.

Please wear clothing appropriate for the elements, close-toed shoes, and secure any long hair. We recommend dressing in layers that can be easily added and removed as it will be much warmer near the brush pits. While we will have hand tools like loppers and hand saws available, we recommend bringing work gloves if you have them. Spare gloves are limited and buckthorn can, as its name implies, be pretty thorny.

Earth Day Special Quarry Care – 11 April

Our April Quarry Care date will be a special planting event in honor of Earth Day. Volunteers will gather at the Heritage Quarries on Saturday, April 11 to plant native shrubs, grasses, and forbs. Species to be planted include American chestnut, nannyberry viburnum, common witch hazel (pictured above), and prairie dropseed. These plants will replace removed invasive species and provide high quality, long-lasting food and habitat for wildlife. Many also produce attractive flowers that support pollinator species and look (and often smell) nice to visitors.

We will meet at parking lot 1 and work from 9AM to 12PM (unless we finish earlier). We recommend dressing for the elements, wearing close-toed shoes, and bringing work gloves if you have them. Physical tasks will mostly involve walking and digging. None of the plantings will be larger than 36 inches tall (most will be under 24 inches) and, as such, will not require very deep holes to be dug.

Ideal locations for each species will be marked in advance. Don't worry if you have never planted plants before – our staff will be there to provide guidance and support. We hope to see you out there!

April Foraging Walk

We’d like to finish by inviting you to join us for a foraging walk at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area (HQRA) on Sunday, April 26th from 10AM to 11:30AM. We will be led by Eric Lizzo of The Conservation Foundation and discuss plant identification, which parts of the plants to eat and how to prepare them, safety, and foraging ethics. While most native fruit are not yet ripe, Spring is a great time to forage for fresh greens and fungi.

Register for free here. Slots are limited, so it’s better to sign-up sooner rather than later. If you miss the April date, maybe we can see you for our Summer Foraging Walk on July 11, 2026.