While finishing up our March volunteer work day in the Bobolink Meadow Nature Area, a curious passerby observed the hundreds of pounds of fried golf balls we had collected from the recently burned prairie and exclaimed, “You should send a picture of those to the Herald!” So, here they are.
Bobolink Meadow, a beautiful and diverse patch of native prairie, is adjacent to the Jackson Park Driving Range. Occasional burns are vital to the health of native prairies, clearing away years of accumulated thatch and removing some unwanted invasive plants. The blackened soil absorbs early spring heat from the sun and provides a head start for the deep rooted perennial grasses and wildflowers which by mid-summer will provide the stunning views that lead the organization Chicago Wilderness to give Bobolink Meadow its award for “Conservation and Native Landscaping” in 2013.
The controlled burn of Bobolink on March 2 also exposed the very large number of errantly driven golf balls, now nicely toasted, which our volunteers collected at our Saturday workday. For information on our work days visit bit.ly/4cZpx8I…