Gensburg-Markham Prairie

Gensburg-Markham Prairie Join in a restoration group every saturday from 9am-12pm! linktr.ee/gensburgmarkhamprairie

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿Senega sanguinea (Blood Milkwort)Milkworts are fun! 🤟Coming in all different shapes and colors, t...
06/11/2026

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿
Senega sanguinea (Blood Milkwort)

Milkworts are fun! 🤟Coming in all different shapes and colors, this group of interesting plants serve an important role in grassland and wetland systems across their range that often gets overlooked

Blood Milkwort is an interestingly delicate plant topping out at a foot tall with alternating linear leaves, smooth stems, and flowers clustered together into cute packages that may elicit confusion to one unfamiliar with Milkworts. The cluster (termed a raceme) of pink-colored scales are actually sepals - each pair subtending the small yellow petals of each individual flower

The complex design of these flowers are very attractive to a range of small native pollinators including cuckoo bees, leaf-cutter bees, long-horned bees, and bee flies who feed on the nectar and transfer pollen

Taking on an annual life cycle, this plant will germinate and put on it's spectacular bloom once before producing seed to continue the Milkwort heritage. The seeds are very small, hairy, and contain a fatty little package called an elaisome that is the equivalent to candy for ants who carry the seeds off to consume the elaisome and by doing so help to disperse the seed

Being an annual, this species particularly requires quality habitat in order for the Milkworts to continue growing and thriving within a prairie. At GMP, Blood Milkwort is common among the more mesic corridors of the site where the soil is not too dry nor too wet. They require full sunlight where they are not shaded out by shrubby vegetation. Walk the trails of GMP on a late June-July day to see them right along the trail where there is a mosaic of native plants of differing heights giving the little Milkworts space and sunlight to grow

Taking part in brush cutting, prescribed burning, invasive plant management, and seed collection are all ways volunteers strive each week to help the many Mikworts of GMP.

You can join in and help with these efforts by coming to a workday at Gensburg-Markham Prairie!

Workdays are every Saturday 9am-12pm - check the link in the bio to RSVP!

Embossed by the golden blooms of Zizia, the pink tufts of Smooth Phlox, and the brilliant oranges of Krigia flowers lays...
06/11/2026

Embossed by the golden blooms of Zizia, the pink tufts of Smooth Phlox, and the brilliant oranges of Krigia flowers lays the prairie awake with the whispers and songs of tomorrow.

Join in on the valiant effort to manage invasive species and scout for the many wonderful grasses and flowers to collect seed from by coming to Gensburg-Markham Prairie this Saturday where there is beauty to be shared and smiles to be had!

Never heard of ecological restoration or been to a volunteer workday in a prairie before? This group is composed of folks from all different backgrounds and experience levels all eager to welcome and learn alongside anyone with an interest in exploring and helping to restore Gensburg Markham Prairie.

All are invited to make a difference and come to the next GMP workday this Saturday, June 13th from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Meet at the entrance / parking lot to the prairie located at 157th and Whipple in Markham. Bring a snack and a friend!

Check out the link in our bio to RSVP for this weekend's workday!

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿Sagittaria graminea (Grass-Leaved Arrowhead)Gensburg Markham Prairie may have ancient beach ridge...
06/02/2026

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿
Sagittaria graminea (Grass-Leaved Arrowhead)

Gensburg Markham Prairie may have ancient beach ridges made of dry, sandy soil but a large percentage of the site is actually composed of pocketed wetlands. There are also man-made ditches criss-crossing around the site which were dug when the site was slated for development to drain the wetland parts and relieve flooding. These ditches remain across the site and remain long-narrow stretches of habitat for wetland plants like this Arrowhead

There are a handful of Arrowhead species native to the Chicago region that all inhabit wet soils. They can be recognized by their often geometrical spikes of 3-petaled white flowers shooting out between their large basal leaves

The sharp flowers attract many types of different pollinators specifically sweat bees who glean on the nectar and transport pollen from plant to plant. Bumblebees, flies, and butterflies like the Skipper in pic 2 are known to visit the plants as well. Mallards and wood ducks will eat the winged seeds and even the tubers formed in the muddy soils

Grass-Leaved Arrowhead is characterized by it's linear shaped leaves and is one of the more conservative Arrowhead species known to only grow in high-quality habitats with little disturbance. They require a healthy amount of sunlight and don't tolerate being shaded out by woody trees and the invasive monocultures we see many of our wetlands plagued by with Phragmites, Cattails, and Reed Canary Grass

Using fire to keep surrounding woody vegetation in check is important as well as management of invasive grasses that can quickly take over Arrowhead's habitat. The Gensburg Markham volunteer group works hard to scout for and eliminate these invasive plants before they have the chance to take hold

You can join in and help with these efforts by coming to a workday at Gensburg-Markham Prairie!

Workdays are every Saturday 9am-12pm - check the link in the bio to RSVP!

Embrace the chaos illustrated by the plains of the prairie alive with sounds of clicking beetles and green herons alike....
05/20/2026

Embrace the chaos illustrated by the plains of the prairie alive with sounds of clicking beetles and green herons alike. Botanic mysteries unravel their petals to songs of spring revolving to the heavens and hells above in a flurry of blossoming buds.

Join in on the valiant effort to manage invasive species and scout for the many wonderful grasses and flowers to collect seed from by coming to Gensburg-Markham Prairie this Saturday where there is beauty to be shared and smiles to be had!

Never heard of ecological restoration or been to a volunteer workday in a prairie before? This group is composed of folks from all different backgrounds and experience levels all eager to welcome and learn alongside anyone with an interest in exploring and helping to restore Gensburg Markham Prairie.

All are invited to make a difference and come to the next GMP workday this Saturday, May 23rd from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Meet at the entrance / parking lot to the prairie located at 157th and Whipple in Markham. Bring a snack and a friend!

Check out the link in our bio to RSVP for this weekend's workday!

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿Ophioglossum pusillum (Adder's Tongue Fern)Yes, this is an actual fern! Strange looking as it may...
05/18/2026

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿
Ophioglossum pusillum (Adder's Tongue Fern)

Yes, this is an actual fern! Strange looking as it may be, this tiny and inconspicuous species is a member of the Ophioglossaceae family. This ancient lineage of ferns is known for having a leaf blade that has both a modified, fertile segment and a non-fertile regular leaf-lookin' segment which is what you see in the first 2 photos

Topping out at about 6 inches tall, Adder's Tongue is an often overlooked but also not very common species within the Chicago area. Growing from an underground rhizome, they can often live for many years in healthy grassland habitats

As a refresher on fern life cycles - they have a haploid stage (Gametophyte) and a diploid stage (Sporophyte). We only see the fern while it is in it's Sporophyte stage as this is when it grows it's actual leaves and aboveground mass. What makes this group of Ferns special is that during the Gametophyte stage when the newly germinated spore undergoes mitosis, it develops a symbiotic connection with mycorrhizal fungi which it depends on for survival

The mycorrhizal fungi these plants depend on (Glomus sp.) are dependent on soils that have little disturbance and thus Adder's Tongue is only to be found in high-quality natural areas - often remnants that have not been plowed and developed. They prefer wet, sandy soils in open prairies alongside sedges and grasses where there is little shade cast upon them

By implementing regular prescribed burning, thinning/removal of invasive or aggressive native shrubs, and protection of the soils from harmful chemical runoff, these plants and their symbiotic fungi can continue to call GMP and other managed prairies across the region their home

You can join in and help with these efforts by coming to a workday at Gensburg-Markham Prairie!

Workdays are every Saturday 9am-12pm - check the link in the bio to RSVP!

Volunteers of Gensburg-Markham Prairie teamed up with The Nature Conservancy land stewards to tour the Markham Shkode P...
05/09/2026

Volunteers of Gensburg-Markham Prairie teamed up with The Nature Conservancy land stewards to tour the Markham Shkode Prairies and marvel, learn, & discuss land management and restoration plans.

Come to the next volunteer workday to experience the beauty for yourself! Every Saturday from 9am-12pm at Gensburg-Markham Prairie🌱

Special Event This Weekend - Join in on a guided tour by Nature Conservancy staff around the surrounding Markham Shkode ...
05/06/2026

Special Event This Weekend - Join in on a guided tour by Nature Conservancy staff around the surrounding Markham Shkode Prairies to explore the other wonderful natural areas around Gensburg-Markham Prairie and discuss restoration management with experts on prairie restoration!

We will meet at The Nature Conservancy office where there will be parking available and where the tour will start beginning with Paintbrush Prairie. After this first stop, there will be transportation via TNC work trucks to the other remaining sites on the tour. Depending on the size of the group, carpooling in another vehicle or two will be necessary.

Depending on how long the tour takes, folks may choose to mosey back to Gensburg-Markham Prairie with their new understanding of the landscape and continue to scout for and flag native plants within the prairie to collect seed from in the summer.

All are invited to make a difference and join in on this wonderful opportunity this Saturday, May 9th from 9:00am - 12:00pm.

Check out the link in our bio to RSVP for this weekend's prairie tour!

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿Castilleja coccine (Painted Cup)Color plays an important role in both a plant's biology and ecolo...
04/27/2026

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿
Castilleja coccine (Painted Cup)

Color plays an important role in both a plant's biology and ecology. Different pigments may attract specific pollinators, provide protection from UV light, deter (or advertise) herbivory, and allow for the mechanisms of photosynthesis to take place

One plant that really exemplifies the beauty and variability in plant pigmentation is Painted Cup whose populations can be a mix of bright yellows, oranges, and reds. The colorful parts of the flowers appear to be petals but are actually petaliferous bracts - or modified leaves. The actual petals of the flower are actually pretty inconspicuous and not showy

Having petaliferous bracts is an adaptive strategy used by some plants with many tiny flowers like Catilleja to attract pollinators as it is more efficient to produce one set of showy bracts than showy petals for each individual flower. These petal-lookin' leaves are also photosynthetic so they can actually be used to generate energy for the plant unlike true petals

Speaking of pollinators - with the spectrum of colors that can be exemplified from this plant, a spectrum of different animals are known to pollinate this species. Individuals with a lot of red pigment will be favored by the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird while some of the more Yellow and Orange colored individuals will moreso attract bumblebees, sweat bees, and butterflies. Checkerspot butterflies will use Castilleja species as their preferred host plant

Another interesting aspect of this plant's life is that it is a hemiparasite - meaning it photosynthesizes on it's own but also taps into the root systems of surrounding plants to soak up some of their nutrients. You'll most often see Painted Cup growing amongst populations of different native graminoids including grasses like Little Bluestem, sedges, and rushes - these are the plants that Painted Cup uses as hosts

These plants prefer mesic prairies that are free from shading shrubs, have very little duff, and are generally nutrient-low soils that tend to not have a lot of tall-statured plants. Fire and bruscutting are how volunteers are able to sustain this type of habitat.

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿Carex tetanica (Stiff Sedge)Now's everyone's favorite time of the year - time to refresh yourself...
04/19/2026

🌿GMP Plant of The Week🌿
Carex tetanica (Stiff Sedge)

Now's everyone's favorite time of the year - time to refresh yourself on sedge ID! Sedges do a wonderful job of filtering water through their root systems, preventing runoff and erosion, and carrying fire through landscapes

Stiff Sedge performs all these functions and more in the wetter prairie sections at Gensburg Markham Prairie. Sending long underground roots that run laterally (called rhizomes), this sedge can form small colonies that rodents, snakes, and frogs alike will make their home or use as cover

You may be able to even spot a Skipper butterfly hanging out on it's leaves using it as a host plant to lay it's eggs on. Songbirds will also snack on the seeds after they ripen

Carex tetanica doesn't form clumps like a lot of other wetland sedges and has vase-shaped fruits (perigynia) that taper to a blunt-like tip with the fruits on the bottom of the spike being more spread out from one another and becoming more closely packed together closer to the tip of the spike

This species requires full sun and water levels that are relatively stable. To remove duff and dead plant litter and enable more light to reach these important sedges, the site needs to be burned in the fall or spring. The volunteer group will collect seed of Stiff sedge and many others this year in order to help spread them around the wetter parts of GMP and is a great way to get more comfortable telling the sedges apart from each other

ou can join in and help with these efforts by coming to a workday at Gensburg-Markham Prairie!

Workdays are every Saturday 9am-12pm - check the link in the bio to RSVP!

Whistling wrens stir up excitement as sunshine blankets the spring prairie and grasshoppers jump with vigor. Fiddleheads...
04/08/2026

Whistling wrens stir up excitement as sunshine blankets the spring prairie and grasshoppers jump with vigor. Fiddleheads unwind gently sounding the alarm for Violets, Phloxes, Clocks, and Spoons to join the dance.

Join in on the valiant effort to manage invasive species and scout for the many wonderful grasses and flowers to collect seed from by coming to Gensburg-Markham Prairie this Saturday where there is beauty to be shared and smiles to be had!

Never heard of ecological restoration or been to a volunteer workday in a prairie before? This group is composed of folks from all different backgrounds and experience levels all eager to welcome and learn alongside anyone with an interest in exploring and helping to restore Gensburg Markham Prairie.

All are invited to make a difference and come to the next GMP workday this Saturday, April 11th from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Meet at the entrance / parking lot to the prairie located at 157th and Whipple in Markham. Bring a snack and a friend!

Check out the link in our bio to RSVP for this weekend's workday!

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