Grace Teninga Discovery Trail to Eradicate Live Plants and Any Remaining Seeds, and to 9

The Grace Teninga Discovery Trail to eradicate live plants and any remaining seeds, and to 9. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) This short TRAIL GUIDE Along this moderately strenuous 2 mile loop trail to the ensure the invasive plant does not spread. stature prairie grass is one of the most widely distributed native grasses in dune top and back, you will find many points of inter- 4. New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) This shrubby North America. Little bluestem boasts est about the sand prairie ecosystem—here are 12 to perennial can grow to 3’ tall and is found throughout the beautiful blue-green leaves in sum- discover. Enjoy your walk and happy exploring! eastern and Midwestern US. Efroymson Restoration mer and a deep, rusty color with fluffy The trail begins at the boot brush station and heads to It blooms in bunches of small white seed-heads in fall. It typically at Kankakee Sands the northwest. Before hiking the trail, please be sure to white flowers (it’s also known grows to 3’ tall and prefers medium to use the boot brush station to remove any weed seeds as “wild snowball”), and is a dry soil. which might be on the bottom of your soles. favorite of many insects. In the fall the seeds cure, and a 10. Sand Blow Sand blows occur where there is deep 1. Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) Looking capsule forms and pops open sand and thin plant cover. High winds, common in the a bit like a yucca plant but when ready. prairie, routinely expose these areas, leaving open dune- actually in the carrot family, like expanses that attract specialized plants and animals. 5. Beach wormwood (Artemesia caudata) Occurring this beautiful yet prickly plant All the sand at Kankakee Sands was deposited more in dry sandy soils, beach can be found in prairies and than 12,000 years ago, when glacial melt-water rushed wormwood and other sages open woodlands throughout down the Kankakee River valley, depositing its sediment were used both medicinally the eastern US. The brilliant in the area now known as the Kankakee River Basin. and ceremonially by Native white flowers bloom in late Please stay on the trail, as exposed areas like these are Grace Teninga Americans. This particular summer, and are a favorite very fragile. nectaring plant of butterflies. This plant can grow up to variety grows to 3’ tall and is Discovery Trail 6’ tall! found throughout the US and 11. Plains pocket gopher (Geomys pinetis) This Canada. Beach wormwood is burrowing rodent (aptly named as its cheeks are 2. Pricklypear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) This native used by many animals for food, and its thin frosty leaves actually big furry pockets) creates tunnels through the species of cactus is found in are reminiscent of an evergreen. soil, which helps to aerate plant roots. It digs and pushes open sand and dry areas in the soil ahead of it, and when too much soil accumulates, 6. Wetland If you look to the northeast corner of the Indiana, including Kankakee the pocket gopher pushes the area, you will notice a difference in the types of plants Sands and the coastal dunes of soil up out of the ground form- growing there. This small area stays relatively wet all Lake Michigan. In July, it pro- ing the telltale sandy mounds. year long, providing habitat for wetland plants. This duces a brilliant yellow bloom. This type of soil disturbance area is a great example of the diversity of restoration Look, but don’t touch. The creates an opportunity for more plantings that we are undertaking at the Efroymson fine, almost invisible spines of this cactus are barbed and plants to grow and provides Restoration—everything from dry upland prairies to low do hurt. homes for other species. wetlands. 3. Controlling Invasive Species The southeast portion 12. Wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) This prairie of this unit is currently in agricultural production. From 7. Oak Sapling (Quercus veluntina) In this area, the black oak is the predominant plant blooms throughout the summer in clusters of 2002 to 2013 this area was part of the prairie restora- bright, white button-looking flowers. It can reach four tion, but was being overrun by bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus savanna tree. A savanna could be described as a prairie with a feet tall, and was used medici- corniculatus), one of the most aggressive and difficult to nally by Native Americans and control invasive, non-native plant species in our area. few scattered trees. One day, this little oak sapling will grow early settlers to treat burns and Bird’s foot trefoil is a legume that has clover-like leaves aches. It occurs throughout the and clusters of bright yellow flowers. It quickly forms up and oversee its very own acre of open prairie. eastern US, but only as far west vegetative mats which shade out other plants and pre- as Wisconsin and Arkansas. vent anything else from growing. This is referred to as a 8. Roundheaded bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) This “monoculture” and is harmful to the diverse wildlife of plant is in the bean family and flowers in late summer. the prairie. Despite multiple years of intensive herbicide It prefers drier soils, and has a taproot up to 7’ long, treatment, the plants continued to grow and set seed. making it extremely drought-resistant. Historically used The Nature Conservancy is an international, non-profit organization When no other means of control are effective, a drastic for a variety of medicinal purposes, bush clover has working around the world. Our mission is to conserve the lands and measure like till-farming can be utilized for several years undergone pharmaceutical testing in modern times. waters on which all life depends. For more information visit nature.org. Welcome to the Grace Teninga Discovery Trail

Welcome to the Grace Teninga Discovery Trail at the Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands, owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. The 7,800-acre Efroymson Restoration strategically connects four established nature preserves. Kankakee Sands is a prairie-savanna complex in northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois. Nearly 25,000 acres of remnant and restored lands across state borders are protected by the Conservancy and partner organizations.

What to look for along the Discovery Trail ¼ÉCR 800 N The plant and animal species along this trail are abundant and diverse. Some of the commonly seen or heard species are listed below. Let us know if you find something of interest! Leave ¼ÉCR 750 N your comments at the visitor information area

under the silo shelter across the parking area CONRAD STATION A IA SAVANNA & CONRAD SAVANNA RESTORATION

from the trailhead. NATURE PRESERVE

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C É Birds: Field sparrow, Grasshopper sparrow, Lark ¼

sparrow, Meadowlark, Red-winged blackbird, ¼ÉCR 675 N Red tail hawk, Rough-legged hawk, Turkey

vulture, Wild turkey

C É Reptiles and Amphibians: Chorus frog, ¼ B Eastern box turtle, Legless lizard, Leopard frog, IA Milk snake ¼ÉCR 600 N 8 N Seed Barn Plants: Lance-leaved coreopsis (Coreopsis £¤41 C D BEAVER LAKE lanceolata), Showy tick trefoil (Desmodium NATURE PRESERVE

canadense), Rattlesnake master (Eryngium B e a v e

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(Lespedeza capitata), Wild bergamot (Monarda ¼ÉCR 50 0 N fistulosa), Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa), Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), Yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), Little E F KankakeeG Sands in IndH iana bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) ¼ÉCR 800 N

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Insects: Ruby meadowhawk dragonfly,

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Regal fritillary butterfly (pictured) NATURE PRESERVE

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É Grasshopper sparrow, ¼ slender glass lizard EFROYMSON RESTORATION E F IA G H IA IA IA IA Trail Rules and Safety Tips IA ¼ÉCR 400 N ¼ÉCR 400 N £¤41 Pack out your litter and leave the plants and wild- flowers for others to enjoy. I J

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É L ¼ No ATVs, dirt bikes, camping or horseback riding. K ¼ÉCR 300 N Pets must be leashed and under control at all times. IA M IA Nursery Please remove all pet wastes. WILLOW SLOUGH 8 ¼ÉCR 250 N

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IA Parking Trails The Nature Conservancy Department of Natural Resources Beaver Lake Ditch Railroad Efroymson Restoration Beaver Lake Nature Preserve Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve Conrad Station Savanna 8 Buildings Ponds Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Area Enjoy your visit to Grace Teninga Discovery Trail! Be a part of the future of Kankakee Sands by volunteering and/or making a donation.

Learn more at nature.org/kankakeesands. The Nature Conservancy depends on the support of people like you who enjoy Indiana’s natural places.