More than 200 years after Lewis and Clark documented the American wilderness, new teams of Illinois citizens are exploring and documenting the land beneath their feet. A21st Century Corps of Discovery

Story and Photos by moths and mastodons might still roam nois. Motorists easily predict the flat or this vast territory. rolling farmland ahead, punctuated by Michael R. Jeffords and As the explorers pushed west, up the occasional city. Susan Post the Mississippi and into the uncharted But, for many, this superficial intima - , they experienced dis - cy with nature, where a hundred miles ust over 200 years ago, Illinois covery in a very personal way, with of discovery pass instantly beside the served as the jumping-off point each bend in the river unveiling new, road, no longer is good enough. Surveys for perhaps the greatest explo - unexpected impressions of an undocu - reveal that many people in the Prairie ration undertaken on the North mented landscape. State once again want to discover and JAmerican continent—the Lewis Today, as one zips across the coun - truly understand the land beneath their and Clark Expedition. try on four-lane interstates, that original own feet. In fact, recent outreach Nicknamed the Corps of Discovery, spirit of discovery is essentially lost. efforts by the Illinois Natural History this two-year journey across the Ameri - Nothing surprises us anymore, nothing Survey show that many Illinois citizens can West generated some of the most lifts our heart with the sudden realiza - now crave what Lewis and Clark experi - famous nature journals ever compiled. tion that the landscape before us is enced more than 200 years ago. For Lewis and Clark, the assignment absolutely new and unknown. Travelers Now, two centuries after Lewis and from in 1803 repre - today fully know what to expect in Illi - Clark returned from the wilderness of sented a wild foray into a uni - America, a handful of modern-day pio - verse of near-total mystery: At neers are rediscovering what it means the dawn of the 19th century, to witness nature by participating in a America was scarcely 25 years reincarnation of the Corps of Discov - old, the majority of its western ery—in Illinois. lands virtually unknown. In fact, so little was documented Corps of Discovery participants about the natural world document landscape changes beyond the Illinois country, Jef - through photography, descriptive ferson believed woolly mam - writing and sketch journaling. 2 / Outdoor Illinois April 2008 opportunity for dedicated citizens to participate in the documentation of the dramatic changes that will occur. The preserve, once a massive wet - land complex (consisting largely of the former bed of Thompson Lake), was levied and drained in the early part of the 20th century and had been farmed ever since. The nearly 8,000 acres pur - chased in 2000 are now in the early stages of restoration. To document the evolution of Emiquon, an “Emiquon Corps of Discovery” was developed, made up of individuals trained in the skills of photography, descriptive writ - ing and sketch journaling. These were citizens who could create a total aes - thetic picture of Emiquon, not merely a scientific data sheet. Despite the title, the 2005 Corps of Discovery at Emiquon differed from the Lewis and Clark expedition in a funda - The Corps of Discovery project was Nature,” an effort to confront the prob - mental way. The first Corps of Discov - initiated at Emiquon, where partic - lem that exists when scientists, restora - ery crew traveled thousands of miles to tion specialists and land managers record the landscape and its organisms. ipants watch the transformation of share their research findings through At Emiquon, those who document its agricultural fields to wetlands. scientific literature only, a venue not evolving landscape will stay put. easily available to the public. Their for - Members of the Emiquon Corps, 45 Corps of Discovery Concept mal writing style, although technically strong, were trained in a series of work - Today we understand more about precise, also fails to engage the public shops that taught everything from pho - the nature of Illinois than ever before, in the ecology and biology of a land - tography and descriptive writing to even as ongoing research continually scape. The reality is, despite their sketching and drawing. But the new adds new twists and revelations to our often-amazing scientific revelations, sci - Corps didn’t ignore science altogether. fundamental knowledge. Unfortunately, entific articles seldom succeed in con - Science (despite its starchy reputation) the tantalizing findings of researchers juring the appeal of nature to a wide is the foundation of understanding. To who explore these details of our natural audience. Communicating scientific provide a systematic approach to the world often languish out of the public discovery requires different skills than Emiquon documentation, a series of eye, buried in seemingly obscure scien - those typically taught to scientists: tific literature. Scientists themselves skills more closely linked to the arts need to recognize the ability of the gen - than to science. eral public to experience the thrill of natural discovery and to participate in a Emiquon Opportunity meaningful way. Just as the Lewis and Clark Expedi - Fortunately, groundbreaking change tion was targeted at a particular land - is under way as the scientific communi - scape—the western U.S.—this modern- ty works to close the divide between day Corps of Discovery focused on a the privilege of discovery and ordinary specific site. In central Illinois, the citizens. ongoing restoration of The Nature Con - The idea began collectively. The servancy’s Emiquon Preserve over the basic premise for a new Corps of Dis - next decade is providing a unique covery emerged from a meeting a few years ago between The Nature Conser - vancy, the Illinois Natural History Sur - Exhibits of Corps member vey and Dickson Mounds State Muse - creations provide museum um staff. The INHS had recently devel - visitors a chance to experience oped a new course: “Communicating evolving habitats. April 2008 Outdoor Illinois / 3 Corp members attend workshops Aside from site-specific training to develop a solid foundation in materials, all of the discovery processes used by the various new corps are near - scientific observation and artistic ly identical to those started at Emiquon. expression. The goal of the Corps of Discovery “Aesthetic Points and Pathways,” analo - across today’s Illinois landscape is sim - gous to scientific sampling points and that occur, the Corps will have a yearly ple: Engage citizens to add a creative, transects, were developed. Thus, over exhibit of their works on display at the aesthetic dimension to their local natur - time, Corps members will be able to Dickson Mounds Museum and other al world. In short, we want citizens to show systematic change at Emiquon, venues in the region. develop the ability to capture an obser - but filtered through their own creativi - vation that gives individuals the power ty. The only “rules” governing the The Beat Goes On to depict, and, ultimately, to contribute observations are that the time, date and Cache Corps of Discovery, Lost to the total picture of the evolving, direction of the observations be noted. Mound Corps of Discovery, Aller - diverse landscape that is Illinois. The Emiquon Corps of Discovery is a ton Corps of Discovery long-term project with additional In 2006, a Cache Corps of Discovery opportunities for members to experi - was developed for this unique wetland ence further creative growth following complex in far southern Illinois. The Michael R. Jeffords is the education/out- the completion of formal training in the Cache wetlands are of international reach coordinator for the Illinois Natural History Survey, a division of DNR. Susan form of advanced classes in the various importance and remain the focus of Post is a technical scientist at INHS. disciplines. To showcase the changes major restoration and preservation efforts spearheaded by many organiza - tions and agencies, including the Projects of the Corps Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, or updated information on Corps of of Discovery Cache River State Natural Area, TNC, FDiscovery services and exhibits, contact each site. Emiquon Corps of Discovery Ducks Unlimited and the Natural Emiquon Corps of Discovery— I Exhibit at Dixon Mounds Museum Resources Conservation Service. Dickson Mounds Musuem, Lewistown, Gallery, 2006 The Lost Mound Corps of Discovery (309) 547-3721 or www.museum.state. I Exhibit a Western Illinois University in northwest Illinois was developed in il.us/ismsites/dickson Gallery, 2007 Cache Corps of Discovery— Henry Cache Corps of Discovery 2007. Their site is the Lost Mound Unit Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Cen - I Exhibit at Henry N. Barkhausen Wet - Wildlife and ter, Cypress, (618) 657-2064 or www. lands Center, 2007 Fish Refuge (former Savanna Army dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r5/ I Interpretive trail at wetlands center cachervr.htm#bark I Creation of illuminated map for wet - Depot), a 13,000 acres wetland, sand Lost Mound Corps of Discovery— lands center prairie and forest complex. Lost Mound Unit, Upper Mississippi I Creation of note cards for sale for In 2008, the Allerton Corps of Dis - River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, www.fws.gov/midwest/plan wetland restoration through Michael covery in central Illinois began. This Wolff Foundation, Inc. ning/lostmound/index.html Lost Mound Corps of Discovery corps is a partnership between the Illi - Allerton Corps of Discovery— Aller - I Creation of interpretive trail with nois Natural History Survey and the Uni - ton Park, , (217) 333-3287, blooming dates for wildflowers versity of Illinois Extension Master Nat - www.continuinged.uiuc.edu/allerton uralist Program. 4 / Outdoor Illinois April 2008