Vermilion County Nature Hike Series
Birds and Blooms
Sponsored by Middlefork Audubon Society and
Illinois Native Plant Society (Forest Glen Chapter)
Our next hike is in Russell Duffin Woods Nature Preserve
Forest Glen Preserve, Vermilion County, IL
When: Sunday, May 19
Where: Big Woods (Russell Duffin) parking lot (Forest Glen Preserve) – it’s the first parking lot on the right (east) side of road after the main entrance
Time: 1:00 PM
Difficulty: difficult to very difficult – many long, steep slopes
Duration: estimated 2 hours (or more)
Russell Duffin Woods is a forest rich in flora and characterized by deeply dissected wooded ravines along the Vermilion River. Mesic beech-maple-tulip poplar forest fills the ravines with dryer oak-hickory forests and woodlands on the uplands. More than 145 plant species have been recorded in recent years. Some of the highlights we might see include, doll’s eyes (Actaea pachypoda), blunt-scaled wood sedge (Carex albursina), common beech sedge (Carex communis), cancer root (Conopholis americana), wild comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum), beech drops (Epifagus virginiana), showy orchis (Galearis spectabilis), bishop’s cap (Mitella diphylla), ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera), firepink (Silene virginica), celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), and pink valerian (Valeriana pauciflora).
Much of this hike is very difficult, containing numerous long, very steep slopes. But if you are up to the terrain, it is well worth the adventure! Please bring along water for the hike.
RSVP to Connie Cunningham: conniejcunningham@gmail.com; 217-516-1792
or
Suzanne Smith: suzanne56smith@gmail.com; 217-621-7523
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