Faculty Feature: Hidden Gem at Sauk

By Rachel Brunner

With its relatively rural location, Sauk Valley Community College is a campus with some lovely attributes. The Rock River flows along the south edge of campus and provides a beautiful and ever-changing backdrop–not to mention a constant serenade of wild geese and duck calls–and the Sauk prairie, the landscape native to Illinois, forms the boundary on the north side of campus.

Wait . . . Sauk has a prairie?

Believe it or not, what some may see as just a field of tall and unruly grasses and weeds along IL Route 2 is actually a 30+ year old prairie recreation. Founded by Biology Professor Zollie Hall in the 1980s, the Sauk Prairie has been developing and expanding since the day its first seed was scattered, and now we have a diverse prairie with over 50 different plant species and numerous birds, small mammals, butterflies, bees, and other insects.

Now, thanks largely to the advocating of Tim Keller, the Sauk prairie is under the care of the Sauk Prairie Committee and the Natural Area Guardians of Lee and Whiteside County, and regular conservation efforts are made to maintain the health and diversity of the prairie. These efforts range from exotic species removal, to seed collection and spreading, and regular prescribed fire. Every spring, the Sauk Prairie Committee gathers on a day between March and April and, with the help of a strong north wind, burns the prairie. This prescribed fire is a natural part of the prairie’s lifecycle, with both the midwest and plains prairies historically experiencing fire through lightning strikes and Native Americans intentional lighting of fires, and these fires help regenerate prairie plants and reduce the encroachment of invasive shrubs, trees, and weeds. Additionally, burning the prairie helps to create and improve habitat for small animals, birds, and insects through an increase in wildflower blooms.

In the 1800s,Illinois had over 22 million acres of prairie, giving us the nickname of “The Prairie State”. Now, with less than 0.01% of Illinois remaining in prairie today, conservation and restoration efforts are increasingly important. Protecting current natural areas and planting or restoring prairies has become a significant priority and in the Sauk Valley area there are some great examples of restored and remnant prairies at places like Nachusa Grasslands and Franklin Creek Nature Preserve. Every acre of prairie is critically important to so many of our native plants and animals, such as the Monarch Butterfly, or the Rusty Patched Bumblebee.

At Sauk, maintaining the Sauk Prairie has been a labor of love and will continue to be so. As conservationist Aldo Leopold said, “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” We are some of the ones who cannot live without wild things, and so we will protect and conserve them for future generations to enjoy.

Interested in getting involved? Email Rachel Brunner at rachel.d.brunner@svcc.edu.