LaBagh Restoration Update: Summer 2024

Prothonotary Warbler. LaBagh Woods. Photo by Carl Giometti.

LaBagh Woods was a beehive of activity over the summer of 2024. Under the able leadership of Art Wawrzyczek, apprentice steward, and Linda and Dennis Marton, workday leaders certified by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, volunteers gathered to attack the long list of “to do’s” twice a month on a weekend and every Wednesday evening, weather permitting. A constant chore was the removal of the many aggressive invasive species that crowd out natives, such as Hedge Parsley, Canada Thistle, Bull Thistle, Reed Canary Grass, Teasel, Multi-flora Rose, Barberry, Lily of the Valley and, of course, buckthorn.  Hedge Parsley (Torilis) was especially pernicious this year and required repeated attention to eradicate it.

The native plants and trees provided by COS also received close attention. Marty Flynn, COS board member, Google mapped the cages (now officially called exclosures, since their purpose is to keep the deer out) needing repair, whether from treefall, deer damage, or unknown causes. Over the course of the summer, thirty-five of them were repaired. Many of these required certified sawyers to remove the fallen trees that crushed the fencing before the work of salvaging or replacing the poles and fencing could be done. Another focus was to maintain and inventory the existing exclosures, which will continue through the fall. This entails carefully removing and herbiciding buckthorn and other invasives that have appeared in the cages. 

Restoration work at LaBagh is very rewarding—if you are interested in helping out, please email labaghvolunteers@gmail.com.