2022 Restoration Crew

By Marissa Gorsegner
​Nachusa Restoration Technician

When you look around Nachusa Grasslands in the summer, you can see constant change in the prairie. You see an array of people day in and day out working in the summer heat. Some of these people are the summer restoration crew whose job is to work on the restorative vision of Nachusa. We spent our time working hard at killing weeds to restore the prairie, picking seeds for future plantings and, of course, having fun!

2022 Summer Crew

Our 2022 summer restoration crew was made up of seven members who never said no to a challenge that presented itself. Working together, we faced these challenges head-on. One issue every summer is fighting the weeds that pop up throughout the prairie. We began early summer with focusing on reed canary and bird’s foot trefoil (BFT). Then we moved onto king devil. Yellow and white sweet clover became the next major focus, with BFT moving right back to the top of the list as seed pods began to pop up everywhere.

Crew members spading out white sweet clover

We also busied ourselves with collecting seeds, collecting more and more as the summer progressed. Seeds such as pussytoes, oxalis, daisy fleabane, sedges, and June grass were some of the favorites to collect. We also learned how to mill seeds, and spent some time during rainy days milling seeds we had collected.

Emma using her elbow grease to hand-mill blue-eyed grass on a rainy afternoon

We helped out in many other ways at Nachusa Grasslands this summer. From rainy day maintenance tasks to observing bison, we found ourselves always experiencing new things. One of the most unique and exciting experiences we had was to help in various scientific research projects. We tracked nesting Blanding’s turtles, assisted in setting up small mammal traps, and helped with hand pollinating the Eastern prairie fringed orchid!

All in all, this summer flew by for all of us who were a part of the restoration crew. Between spraying weeds, collecting seeds, and everything else, we had a blast working at Nachusa. When asked about their summers, crew members all agreed that it was an unforgettable experience.

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SUMMER CREW

​Molly Duncan is from Polo, Illinois and is excited to be back at Nachusa as crew leader this year. She was on the past two summer crews and recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in crop sciences and a minor in natural resource conservation from the University of Illinois. She is looking forward to experiencing Nachusa throughout the different seasons and continuing to build on her knowledge of natural areas management.

​Derek Hofland grew up in northwest Iowa and majored in math at the University of Northern Iowa. After graduating, he moved to the Chicago area, and while there, he got involved in the restoration movement as a volunteer at the Somme Preserves in northern Cook County. Through this work, he discovered his passion for restoration and decided to pursue that passion further by joining the crew at Nachusa. In his free time, Derek enjoys exercising, playing games, coding, and solving math problems!

​Katee Johnson is a senior at Northern Illinois University. She is an environmental studies major with an emphasis in ecological restoration and biodiversity and a minor in biology. She is very passionate about everything nature and hopes to use what she learns from her time and from the staff, volunteers, and researchers at Nachusa to continue her lifelong studies and career. She plans to go wherever the wind takes her in life, but for now she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her animals. In her free time, she loves to hammock, hike, rollerblade, see live music, and take road trips. 

Dan Rabideau was the first summer restoration crew member to join us this season. He’s from Elmhurst, Illinois. Volunteer Emmylou Studier recommended the position to Dan. In the past he has volunteered for Cook County Forest Preserve. After really enjoying the work there, Dan was looking for more work opportunities in the great outdoors. In his spare time he enjoys backpacking, fishing, and working on cars.

Marissa Gorsegner is from Stillman Valley, Illinois. She just graduated from Augustana College with a major in biology and minor in environmental studies and hopes to focus her career on conservation and wildlife rehabilitation. She is excited to be on the summer crew this year, where she will pursue her passion for nature and prairie restoration.

Amber Denker is a recent high school graduate with aspirations to study ecology. She is planning on attending UW Stevens Point in the future and is excited to have this opportunity to work for Nachusa Grasslands. ​

​Emma Hovland is a sophomore in wildlife biology at Colorado State University. She is excited to learn more about plants and prairie systems and hopes to use this experience moving forward in wildlife biology and ornithology. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, sketching birds, and birding. 

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FALL CREW

Along with Molly Duncan and Derek Hofland, Noah and Booker joined the fall crew.

Noah Reynolds grew up in Shorewood Illinois. He recently graduated from Olivet University with a bachelors in zoology and a minor in geology. After graduating he worked with TNC in Montana at the Pine Butte Swamp Preserve and then came to Nachusa.

Booker Moritz. While languishing in a soul-crushing healthcare career, Booker discovered that his true purpose in life was restoring grasslands, especially southeastern grasslands, some of the most biodiverse, imperiled, and worthy of protection ecosystems in existence. He returned to school, completed an MS in ecological restoration, and left Virginia in March to work at TNC’s Platte River Prairies in Nebraska to learn high-diversity prairie reconstruction and grazing management. He is excited to work at Nachusa, with its reputation for excellence; soil, climate, and weed pressure more similar to home; and savannas, an ecosystem he particularly wants to restore. Booker hopes to start a grassland preserve in Virginia using the Nachusa model. Booker also enjoys being on water, wood and metal working, and native plant propagation.