I went out early Tuesday to photograph a field of sunflowers in Matthiessen State Park. Unfortunately, the gates to the park were closed when I arrived. (I tried all four entrances!) In the course of driving between entrances, I noticed a field I’d been in several years earlier, and pulled over to see the prairie flowers. Fortunately, I just had a dog, not a horse. At least I think that sign means no horses, or at least don’t pack another horse on top of your horse.
The 700 acre Starved Rock Nature Preserve lies mostly between the two state parks. The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission is a division of the state’s Department of Natural Resources, and has jurisdiction over 607 preserves and reserves across the state in size from 1 acre to 2,000. Some are publicly owned as is the one entirely within nearby Matthiessen State Park. Others are privately owned, but are given certain state protections and control.
Morning, Starved Rock Nature Preserve prairie
While the view west hinted at the smoke blown in from the fires in the U.S. and Canadian West, looking east, the sun was an orange ball behind the particles in the air.
Bergamot, Rattlesnake Master, Compass Plant and Coneflowers in bloom
Wild Bergamot, or Bee Balm, was used by Native Americans to dress wounds, settle stomachs and treat colds and mouth diseases. It is used in many teas today, and likely is a help to many breathing the smoke blanketing the country. Bergamot’s been blooming since early June and will likely keep doing so most of the summer.
Gray-Headed Conflower
The sun provided some drama for the Gray-headed Coneflowers. While the heads are dark brown once in bloom, you can see some of the green-gray heads that haven’t bloomed yet. Did you spot the beetle near the bottom?
A Chance at Bergamot
Chance’s hair as well as my shoes and pants were soaked from the dew-covered plants. Speaking of insects, if you look carefully, you can spot the tick between his eyes. He’d taken his flea and tick medicine and I’ve sprayed my clothes with permethrin, and doused myself with Off before heading out, but we did a thorough tick check and shower once home, and only found one traveler.
Purple Coneflower
The dew, the sun and the haze provided drama and atmosphere to capture, but looking west provided some nice portrait views of the wildflowers.
Governor JB Pritzker has approved filling the vacancy for the position of the Director of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission which was vacant the entire term of Governor Rauner. During Rauner’s term, the budget for the Department of Natural Resources was severely cut, and the effects are still evident in the terrible conditions of most of the hiking trails and several gutted roads at Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks.
Purple Coneflower — Echinacea purpurea
While the gates were closed for the intended sunflowers, the nearby “fall back” scene was a wonderful surprise. Perhaps I’ll post sunflower images next week, though I’ll also post some on my Instagram page if you want to take a peek.
Gray-headed Coneflower — Ratibida pinnata
This is land taken from the Potawatomi and Kaskaskia peoples. The Nature Preserve also protects some archeological sites of theirs still on the land. Gwen Nell Westerman, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is director of Humanities at Minnesota State University. In her first book of poetry, Follow the Blackbirds, she wrote Genetic Code. From that:
On the edge of dream,
the songs came.
Condensed from the fog,
like dewdrops on cattails,
they formed perfectly clear.
. . .
Always on still morning air,
they come,
connected by
memories and
song.
Gwen Nell Westerman, Genetic Code, 2013
Do yourself a favor. While looking at the final image, listen to her read the entire poem.
On the edge of a dream