Our most recent class of Master Naturalists included a very special mother and daughter team of graduates. Though only recently formally titled as naturalists, both Marilyn and Amber Andress have long been actively engaged in land stewardship and environmental volunteerism.
As many of us have had the great pleasure of witnessing, the Andress family lives on 76 acres of sand bluff overlooking the Mississippi River valley. The family acquired about half of this acreage in 1992 and immediately set to cleaning up and restoring the row-cropped lands into native prairie and horse pasture. Aided by both the CRP and EQIP programs, the fragile soils that were formally worn down and washed away, are now held in place by various water retention measures and their return to perennial vegetation. Marilyn calls their land and works a testament to what you can do when you recycle, as beyond their land management, even their house and barns are restorations of thrown away materials. With the return of the native vegetation to the land, so too have come the native critters, with many grassland birds and butterflies and even the six-lined race runner (a native Illinois lizard not formally listed in Rock Island County) returning to their original habitat.
Outside of their own incredible efforts at home, Amber and Marilyn have also served the larger community in a variety of capacities. Amber is currently a senior at Augustana College about to head off to her graduate studies, and so has served as a student liaison to our Master Naturalist advisory committee with lots of great suggestions on our course format and content. Marilyn, formally a voluntary board member with the county Soil and Water Conservation District, is now employed as their education director since her retirement from the Rock Island County Sheriffs Department. Both Amber and Marilyn have been a part of the process of bringing the Master Naturalist program to fruition in our county and are both so pleased with the enthusiasm with which it has been embraced by our community.
In addition to their many other pursuits, as Master Naturalists, they are both interested in developing more children's education programs and the creation of a Junior Master Naturalist program. Furthermore, Marilyn would like to work towards developing a 240-acre stretch of land, willed to Rock Island County by the Martin family, into a Nature Preserve. She envisions a collaborative effort of many Master Naturalists working in invasive species control, environmental monitoring, and eventually educational programming at the site.
With so much energy and inspiration in their every day pursuits, both Marilyn and Amber Andress are such great examples of the impact that we can all have once we take the first steps to engaging ourselves in our dreams of what our land and our community can bring forth. Many thanks to them both for their contributions.

- Stephanie Crandall

The February Master Naturalist's monthly meeting is scheduled for February 21st, 6:00 p.m., at the Singing Bird Nature Center, Black Hawk State Historic Site. Everyone
is welcome and strongly encouraged to attend! Get involved and find out what events are being planned for the year ahead – we would like to have everyone's input.

The 250-acre Nahant Marsh is located in western Davenport with an educational center at 4220 Wapello Avenue. It is one of the last remaining urban wetlands of its size on the Upper Mississippi River.
Recently, the Midwest Birding Symposium held a silent auction that resulted in $5,040 and has donated these funds to Nahant Marsh. The funds will be used to improve and finish the current trail system, improving signage and a public observation deck to view waterfowl.
On the heels of this good news came an announcement that Mel Foster, Jr. and Mel Foster Co. Inc. have donated 27.92 acres of wetlands to the City of Davenport. This property is located northeast of the marsh and adjacent to Credit Island Park, providing a corridor between the two natural areas. Mel Foster also donated $100,000 to the city for financing construction of an observation deck to provide public access to the new property.
This comes at a good time for the marsh, since it currently is without a naturalist. The former naturalist, Jody Patterson, chose to accept a position as a University of Illinois Extension educator. She is still active as a Friend of Nahant Marsh. The City of Davenport is developing a plan to fill this position with a Recreation Coordinator in the near future under the supervision of the Parks and Recreation Department. This position is essential to educating the public about Nahant Marsh as a diamond in the rough – no pun intended. Where else can you see a functioning natural ecosystem in an urban setting? Experiencing the marsh is a step back to simpler times. Come see for yourself.

- Julie Werthmann

I feel like a proud parent and you should too. We have just adopted a Mississippi River mile from Living Lands and Waters. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new sign that shows the Master Naturalists have adopted mile marker #480-481 on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. Our mile marker starts just north of Sunset Park in Rock Island and ends at 2nd Street. To get a better look at our new baby go to www.livinglandsandwaters.org, click on adopt a Mississippi mile, select Map/List of Miles Adopted, at the bottom U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River Navigational Charts, Map Index No.3 and Map 57 (Mississippi River Miles 475-482).
Like all new parents we will have some growing pains trying to keep our baby clean and beautiful. Anyone interested in being part of this river stewardship please contact me at juliemw@mchsi.com or call 309-794-0336. Since our mile is so visible to boaters and park visitors, we will need to establish a routine clean-up schedule. If you are concerned about any items that we can't remove, we can let Living Lands and Waters know and they will remove them the next time they are in our area.
I am confident that the Master Naturalists will be good river steward parents. Congratulate yourself – you will be making a significant contribution to a home-town river environment. Our native wildlife will appreciate our efforts, as well as all the people who use the river. As Adopt-a-Mississippi River Mile participants, we will receive a quarterly electronic newsletter that highlights some of the groups that have done cleanups in the past. Let's send photos of our first spring cleanup to announce our new adoption.

- Julie Werthmann

On New Year's Eve the western world focuses its attention on the clock, watching for the stroke of midnight and the exact beginning of a new year. The clock we watch is based on the relationship of the sun and earth and often is not the same as the clock of the natural world of living things.
"Biological Clock is a common name given to that mysterious timing system that operates in most plants, animals, and humans. The scientific term given to this internal timepiece is Circadian Rhythm. Circadian comes from the Latin words meaning 'about a day'." The circadian or 24 hour cycle is only one of nature's rhythms. Some cycles are shorter like a heartbeat and some may last a year such as migration and hibernation.
"Biological clocks keep track of changes in the environment, including the seasons (which are influenced by the earth's annual revolution around the sun), night and day (which is affected by earth's daily rotation on its axis) and the tides (which are controlled by the moon's gravitational pull).
"Circadian rhythms or biological clocks are controlled by 'clock genes' that carry genetic instructions on how to produce proteins, control body temperature, sleep, activeness, heart activity, blood pressure, metabolism, reproduction instincts, moods and oxygen intake. Biological clocks have three components: the clock itself, a way to receive light energy from the sun, and genes that help the clock control activity of other genes!" (Newhouse).
The first circadian gene was discovered in 1971 in the fruit fly, reports the National Institute of Mental Health. The first circadian gene in a mammal was found in a mouse in 1997 and since then more research findings continue to show the function of these natural rhythms in organisms from bacteria to plants to mammals.
Natural rhythms are obvious in plants as they control the sprouting of seeds, the releasing of pollen, and preparations for the end of the growing season. Animals follow many daily and annual internal rhythms. Some are more active during the day and some are more active at night. Their natural clocks prepare some to migrate or hibernate. Humans base their lives around circadian rhythms to which vital body processes are programmed. Light is a big factor in setting the timetable for the day although it is possible to reset the internal clock such as when school starts or a new job begins a different rhythm. Some individuals may suffer from a disease that affects their internal clock.
Circadian rhythms or biological clocks are what make all organisms tick! Observe the rhythms in plants and animals. Stay in touch with your natural clock to preserve your body and your mental health.
Quotes and information are from Janine Newhouse, education specialist with Pheasants Forever's Leopold Education Project, "Nature's Biological Clock", Pheasants Forever Ringnecks Fall 2005 and the National Institute of Mental Health, www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bioclock.cfm.
–Della Moen, Board Member,
Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District
(Published in The Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois)

Landowners and agricultural producers need to take a look at the conservation provisions of the farm bill, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Grant website, and the University of Illinois online Drainage Guide. There are a number of programs and grants that take land out of continuous row-crop production and financially help landowners.
To help landowners and producers understand their options, a statewide Farm Conservation Programs Telenet has been scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at University of Illinois Extension Rock Island County, located at 4550 Kennedy Drive, East Moline.
Featured speakers will be from the USDA Farm Service Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Interested? Contact Rock Island County Extension at (309) 796-0512 for more information or to pre-register for the teleconference. To ensure that you receive a copy of the handouts, please pre-register by February 11.

Come join in the "Mystery of the Poisoned Professor" at Camp Milan, Friday, March 3rd, 5:00 p.m. until Saturday, March 4th, 3:00 p.m. Students will partake in biotech activities to solve the mystery. Designed for students entering sixth grade through eighth grade. There is a $60 registration fee that covers meals, snacks, and lodging. Space
is limited. Financial assistance may be available upon request for Rock Island County residents. For more information or to register, contact the University of Illinois Extension office at 309-796-0512.

For master naturalist certification, I chose to participate in a Citizen Science Research project developed by the Cornell Ornithology Lab of Cornell University in Albany, NY. I selected the Birds in Forested Landscapes (BFL) study because it combined my love of birding with my love of the outdoors. In the process I "flexed" my newly developed Master Naturalist muscles as I used many tools we learned about in class.
The purpose of the BFL study is to assess what effect forest fragmentation is having on the population declines of 48 species across North America. I selected four species to study: Cerulean Warbler, Worm Eating Warbler, Eastern Wood-Peewee, and the Red-Headed Woodpecker. Study sites included: Bickelhaupt Arboretum, Soaring Eagle Nature Center in Eagle Point Park, and Willow Island in Clinton, Iowa, and Spring Lake and the Mississippi Palisades State Park in Carroll County, Illinois. With exception of the Mississippi Palisades and Eagle Point Park, all study sites were small forest patches of 25 acres or less.
Studying birds in the field parallels real life experiences. For example, like the car that runs perfectly for the mechanic but falls apart at home, I heard and saw Eastern Wood-Peewees outside of my study site boundary. Technically, I could not include them in the data, but I did note their presence in the comment section of the data sheet.
In a nutshell (perhaps I should say "eggshell"), these were my results:
Bickelhaupt Arboretum: 0 study species observed or heard
Soaring Eagle Nature Center/ Eagle Point Park: 0 study species observed or heard (Eastern Wood-Peewee heard outside of study site)
Willow Island: Red-headed woodpecker responded excitedly to the vocalizations as well as the Eastern Wood-Peewee. Also spotted a pair of prothonotary warblers (Really hit the jackpot! Perhaps because it's near the gambling boat!)
Spring Lake: Eastern Wood-Peewee heard, not seen. Spotted a beautiful pair of American Redstarts (Bonus birds!) (Illinois Karma)
Mississippi Palisades State Park: At study site one, a Worm Eating Warbler made an appearance at the very last minute. This was quite thrilling as the Worm Eating Warbler is felt to be rapidly declining. I did not see any other species, but did hear Eastern Wood-Peewees and Red-Headed Woodpeckers. Of course, outside of my study sites at the Palisades I saw the peewees and a pair of Yellow Billed Cuckoos. (Illinois Karma strikes again!)
Completing the data sheet for each study site tapped into a number of master naturalist tools. Habitat variables requiring documentation included: hydrology, forest cover type, slope, land use, land ownership, canopy characteristics, and low vegetation characteristics. The most challenging variable to describe was the landscape around the study site. This entailed outlining a 2,500 acre block around the survey site to calculate the forest patch size, percentage of forest surrounding the survey site, and the distance from the study site edge to the nearest patch of 100 acres and the nearest patch of 400 acres.
To do this I contacted my friendly neighborhood NCRS people in Clinton and Carroll Counties to obtain aerial photographs for use with the transparent grid overlay provided by BFL. To my delight, I found a copy of the land management plan for the city of Clinton at the library, which provided additional information. I spent a great deal of time counting and re-counting tiny boxes to ensure accuracy.
This project made me realize the enormous amount of forested habitat required to sustain large numbers of bird species. In my hometown of Clinton, the only area meeting the "nearest forested patch of 100 and 400 acres, for all my study sites respectively" was that of Beaver Island. I found this shocking, as I presumed the woods of Eagle Point Park would cover 100 acres, but for the purposes of this study, they do not. Beaver Island is the largest island in the Upper Mississippi River and close to 100% forested.
If any other master naturalists are interested in this project, you can access the Cornell website at www.birds.cornell.edu/bfl. The Cornell Ornithology Lab informed me that I was the only person from Iowa doing the study and the only person doing the BFL survey in this area of Illinois. I would encourage other Master Naturalists to get involved with the BFL survey because we live in a primary flyway of the United States. I am looking forward to participating again this year.

- Linda Boardsen

The soil survey is now available on the web for most of the nation. As of October 2005, digitizing is in progress for Stephenson County and should be added within a year or so. The Rock Island County soil survey is now available online and can be accessed at http://soils.usda.gov/-survey/online_surveys/. This website has all the soil surveys in the U.S. that have been digitized, along with other information of interest.
The National Cooperative Soil Survey began in 1899 and has evolved into a partnership of state and federal agencies working together to collect, classify, interpret and provide soils information. Until recently the survey was available only in printed soil survey books obtained or borrowed from USDA field offices.
What difference do soil surveys make? "For many years, soil surveys have been used by farmers and ranchers to determine the capability of the soil to support certain kinds of crops, and for installing soil and water conservation systems. Surveys are still of extreme value for these uses. In more recent years, however, the value of soil survey information has been realized by many nonagricultural users." University of Florida Extension Service fact sheet, the Nature and Use of a Soil Survey, by R.E. Caldwell and R.B. Brown (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/SS160).
The soil survey can help you as an individual in buying a house or taking care of your property. The survey can give you information about soil wetness, stability, permeability, flooding, and other properties important to soil use for a dwelling site.
Soil surveys provide scientific information that helps all of us protect soils – soils that sustain plant and animal life and ensure production agriculture for future generations.
–Della Moen, Board Member,
Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District
(Published in The Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois)

You can celebrate Earth Day every day by making an effort to check as many as you can on the list below. Some checkmarks can be earned by simple tasks such as turning lights off when you leave a room. From there, the degree of involvement in environmental issues can go as high as you care to take it. Review your lifestyle, and amend your habits which, somewhere down the road, may be costing a wild animal its home or its life.
In Your Home . . .

• 4Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass, aluminum foil and pans, motor oil, scrap metal, etc.
• Save your kitchen scraps for the compost pile.4Try to use phosphate-free laundry and dish soaps.
• Avoid the use of household pesticides; flyswatters work very well.
• Clean your windows with vinegar and water instead of chemical products.
• Use cold water in the washer unless it's necessary to use warm or hot.
• Use washable rags, not paper towels, for cleaning up spills and other household chores.
• Crumpled-up newspapers are great for washing windows.
• Use cloth diapers. The plastic in disposable diapers doesn't break down in landfills.
• Use cloth, not paper napkins.
• Don't put hazardous substances down your drain or in your trash.
• Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand.
• Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic liners.
• Re-use bread bags, butter tubs, etc.
• Use re-usable containers to store foods . . . not plastic wraps and foil.

–Produced by the Metro Washington Park Zoo, Portland, OR, in conjunction with Metro Recycling Information Center, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon State University Extension Energy Program and the Portland Audubon Society
To Be Continued . . .