Motorola Community Service Event

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Motorola Community Service Event

• October 14th 900AM- Noon 1230PM 330PM
• Busse Woods Forest Preserves Grove 24
• Hosted by the Forest Preserve District of Cook
  County (FPDCC) and Friends of the Parks (FOTP)

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Team Leader Training Overview

• Mission of the FPDCC
• Mission of FOTP
• Understanding Restoration
• Project Plan
• Responsibilities of Team Leaders
• Safety Training
• How to Prepare
• Questions

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Friends of the Parks

• Mission To preserve, protect, and improve
  Chicagos parks and forest preserves for the
  benefit of all neighborhoods and citizens.

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Forest Preserve District of Cook County

• Mission To acquire, restore and manage natural
  forests, prairies and other lands to protect and
  preserve their flora, fauna and scenic beauty for
  the education, enjoyment and recreation of the
  public.

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Forest Preserve District of Cook County

• In the early 1900s, visionary leaders foresaw a
  time when the citizens of Cook County would need
  to be able to seek refuge in nature in the midst
  of a rapidly expanding urban landscape.
• Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) -
  established in 1914. Over the past 94 years, the
  District has acquired 68,000 acres of land in
  which people, wildlife and native plants find
  refuge every day.

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Understanding Restoration

• Ecological restoration is defined by the Society
  for Ecological Restoration (SER) as an
  intentional activity that initiates or
  accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem with
  respect to its health, integrity, and
  sustainability.
• Clewell and Arson (2007) the purpose of
  restoration is to return an ecosystem to a prior
  state to the extent that the state can be
  ascertained and then approximated through
  restoration practice. 

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What Does a Healthy Eco-system Look Like?

• In Chicago region
• Open woodlands, savannas, prairies, wetlands
• Complex web of diverse, interdependent species
• Natural processes (e.g., fire water regimes,
  predator/prey relationships sustain cycles of
  life

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Why Are Healthy Ecosystems So Important?

• Education inspiration
• Opportunity to explore science in a living
  laboratory of complex, dynamic ecosystems
• Diversity of life inspires artistic creativity
  and technological advances
• Ethics
• Our children have the right to enjoy the same
  natural legacy we inherited. No generation has
  the right to destroy the environment and resource
  on which future generations depend.
• All species have a right to exist. Wildlife
  depends on native plant communities for food and
  shelter. Thus, native plant communities must be
  restored so wildlife can continue to exist.
• Recreation quality of life
• Healthy ecosystems allow for activities such as
  hiking, fishing, birding.
• Our lives would not be as rich if we lost species
  such as river otters, fireflies, red-tailed
  hawks, tree frogs, bobcats and the habitats where
  they live.
• Medical and economic reasons
• Plants animals could provide us with foods,
  medicines
  other products that will
  save lives and benefit society
• Ecosystem services
• Oxygen production, flood control, pollination,
  erosion
  control, pest management.

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Threats to Health of Ecosystems

• Fragmentation of habitat
• Interruption of natural processes such
  as fire water
  regimes, predator/prey dynamics
• Global warming
• Invasive plant and animal species
• A recent FPDCC study of the ecological condition
  of its natural areas revealed that 21,000 acres
  of the Districts holdings contain irreplaceable
  natural communities of significant ecological
  importance, but that 76 of those irreplaceable
  communities show signs of significant community
  decline that portends a loss of native species
  (CW Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1. www.chicagowilderness.
  org).

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Project Plan

• Workday Schedule
• Overview of project activities
• Team leader responsibilities
• Roles of the FOTP FPDCC staff supervisors

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Morning Schedule

• 845 AM- Arrival
• 900 AM Brief overview
• 910 AM Teams depart to work sites
• 1145 AM Teams turn in tools equipment
• 1200 PM Departure
• Please note there is no scheduled break.
  However, team leaders should call a short water
  break midway through the morning. Make sure
  volunteers stay hydrated and take additional
  breaks if needed. Water will be provided at two
  First Aid tables. Washrooms are available
  nearby.

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Afternoon Schedule

• 1230 PM Arrival Brief overview
• 1245 PM Teams depart to work sites
• 315PM Teams turn in tools equipment
• 330 PM Departure
• Please note there is no scheduled break.
  However, team leaders should call a short water
  break midway through the morning. Make sure
  volunteers stay hydrated and take additional
  breaks if needed. Water will be provided at two
  First Aid tables. Washrooms are available
  nearby.

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Project Plan - Activities

• The activities you may be involved with may
  include Litter RemovalBrush Removal
• Buckthorn
• Teasel

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Map of Site
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Litter Removal

• This preserve is used by hundreds of visitors per
  week. We encourage stewardship by reminding
  preserve users to put litter in its proper place.
  We need volunteers to pick up litter from the
  preserve in the groves and in the woods. 
• We estimate that we will need 3 teams of 10
  people to work in parts of the preserve to help
  remove litter. Please remind your crew to be
  careful when picking up glass or debris.
• Leave full bags at the side of the road for later
  pickup by the FPDCC.

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Brush Removal Team Leader Responsibilities

• Orient your people
• Explain why, how and what your team will be
  doing. (Refer to slides if necessary.)
• Teach plant identification
• Buckthorn
• Teasel
• Poison ivy
• Wild Parsnip

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Brush Removal Let the Sun Shine
In!

• PRIMARY TARGET BUCKTHORN
• Introduced in mid-1800s from Europe for hedgerows
  as an ornamental.
• Lacking any environmental controls to keep its
  growth in check, it easily out-competes native
  species for resources each year esp. light.  
• Identification
• Leaves oval, dark green with 3-4 curved veins
  
  reminiscent of a pitchfork margins serrated or
  
  toothed leaf terminates in a slightly curved tip
  
• Bark dark gray, often silvery
• Inner bark orange
• Twigs thorn in every joint where branches fork
• Growth form deciduous shrub or small tree that
  can
  grow up to 25 feet in height
• Uses fruits used medicinally as a cathartic

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Brush Removal Part 2

• Secondary Target Teasel
• First introduced to the area in the 1800s,
  Teasel is an aggressive plant that can take over
  prairies and savannahs if left uncontrolled.
• Identification
• Teasel is a biennial plant that can reach
  heights of 6 Feet.
• The flowering plant will have tiny spines
  covering them and appear rippled. The stems have
  downward facing spines running along a wood-like
  stem.
• The flowers range from white to purple and occur
  mainly in early summer. In the fall the teasel
  flower turns brown
• Removal
• Teams of two should take care to cut just below
  the flower on the stalk. One person should cut
  and the other person should put the plant
  material in a garbage bag. Then the remainder of
  the plant should be cut as near to the ground as
  possible.

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Harmful Plants

• Poison Ivy
• Shrub or vine
• Ovate or elliptical compound leaves that are
  trifoliate
• Margins are entire or shallowly lobed
• Common in open woods and borders of wooded areas
• Leaves of three, let it be. It can be a
  groundcover or a vine winding up a tree.
• Wild Parsnip
• Herbaceous plant
• In July, can stand chest high, with broad
  umbrella of yellow flowers
• In some people, can counteract the skins natural
  sunblocking abilities, leaving burns.
• If you think youve come into contact, wash the
  area with lots of soap and COLD water within 3
  4 hours this reduces the chance of rash
  occurring. Other potential plant hazards include
  thorns, inedible berries, stinging nettles, wild
  parsnip.

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Brush Removal Team Leader Responsibilities

• Organize your people
• In each group of ten people, a successful
  workflow can happen with 3 pods of 3 people each
  (with the team leader circulating regularly for
  quality control).
• Depending on thickness and type of brush to be
  cut, each pod should have
• One Lopper
• One Sawyer
• One Consolidator (drags cut brush to brushpile)
• Encourage each pod to rotate tasks among members
  or put two people on a saw for thicker trees if
  necessary.

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Brush Removal Team Leader Responsibilities

• Teach plant selection and cutting procedures
• Select shrub/tree to cut. Make sure youre
  cutting the right shrub/tree!
• Forest Preserve District volunteers are only
  authorized to remove invasive shrubs and trees
  that are no larger than 6 in diameter at breast
  height.
• FPDCC/FOTP staff crew leaders will mark most
  trees to be cut with a dot of spray paint.
• If you run out of marked trees, check with FPD or
  FOTP staff person to confirm target trees.
• If youre not sure about a tree, DONT cut it.
  Move on to another target until you can check w/
  FPD or FOTP staff person for confirmation.

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Brush Removal Team Leader Responsibilities

• Teach tool selection use.

• THE LOPPER RULE OF THUMB
• For saplings and re-sprouts whose diameter is
  thumb-size or smaller use loppers. You may very
  well be able to muscle the loppers through larger
  saplings, but the force can actually break the
  loppers.
• For stems and trunks larger
  than your thumb (but smaller
  than 6 diameter)  use
  bow saw. 

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Brush Removal Team Leader Responsibilities

• Safety training Demonstrate how to saw and lop
  SAFELY.
• For All always wear gloves when using tools or
  handling brush. Always walk with blades pointing
  down.
• For Loppers cut FLAT and EVEN WITH THE GROUND.
  Do not cut at an angle if someone trips, they
  could fall on essentially a sharpened stake.
  Instead, with the lopper handles parallel to the
  ground, make your cut as flat as possible.
• For Sawyers cut FLAT and as EVEN WITH THE GROUND
  as possible. OR, if the tree seems unwieldy,
  FIRST cut at waist height to get the top off,
  then cut trunk down to the ground.

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Brush Removal Team Leader Responsibilities

• More on sawing and lopping SAFELY.
• More for SAWYERS Plan your cut carefully. If
  youre cutting down a shrub or tree as tall or
  taller than you
• 1st Determine which way the tree is likely to
  fall. Dont just look at the angle of the trunk
  also look up at the branches and estimate which
  side of the top of the tree is carrying the most
  weight. 
• 2nd Begin cutting on the side of the trunk that
  is opposite of the side the tree will be falling
  toward. Use LONG, SMOOTH STROKES.
• Always stop sawing halfway through the trunk,
  look around, ask everyone working nearby to step
  way back, and then resume cutting.
• Slow the saw down as you get to the last ¾ of the
  trunk and start to hear cracking sounds. This
  allows the pressure to release gradually. Proceed
  slowly, especially if theres any chance that the
  tree might lean on another tree as it falls,
  because the cut end could shoot back toward you.
  Be ready to step away quickly.  
• Yes, declare victory and shout TIMBER. But then,
  cut up your shrub/tree into lengths of 8 or less
  and drag to brushpile.

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What do I do in case of an Emergency?

• Participants should alert their Team Leader, who
  will alert their FOTP/FPDCC staff liaison.
• Basic first aid kits will be available throughout
  the Busse Woods work area for treating minor
  injuries.
• FPDCC FOTP staff will have emergency telephone
  numbers on hand and plan for making emergency
  notifications as necessary. Such contacts include
  the Police (call 911), fire departments, local
  hospital, poison control centers, nearest Nature
  Center, Volunteer Resources Contacts, etcetera.
• In medical emergencies arrangements should be
  made to give CPR and to transport the victim to
  the hospital if necessary. Evaluate whether or
  not the victim can or should be moved. In some
  cases (e.g. neck injury) it may be prudent to
  send someone for help, or to guide emergency
  personnel to the scene, while a caregiver remains
  with the victim.
• Volunteers are encouraged to alert staff to any
  health issues. This will aid in proper
  communication in the event of a medical
  emergency. 
• Volunteers should ensure to drink a sufficient
  amount of water during the workday and to stay
  hydrated. Carrying of high-energy snacks is also
  encouraged. Crew leaders should ensure periodic
  group breaks for rest and hydration.

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How to Prepare?

• What do I wear? Dress for success!
• To help guard against injuries from tools,
  vegetation, sunburn, etcetera wear long sleeves
  and long pants of substantial material. Volunteers
  should guard against loose clothing or dangling
  jewelry which could be caught on trees, snags or
  in tools.
• Work boots, or other enclosed and substantial
  foot wear should be worn. Consider wearing
  footwear that supports the ankle and that will
  protect from punctures, water, and will be
  breathable. 
• Sturdy work gloves should be worn anytime tools
  or brush are being handled. Please bring your own
  gloves. (We will also have some onsite.)
• A hat is helpful for shielding the head from sun,
  sunburn, and some minor hazards. Be aware that
  hats with visors can create blind spots in
  vision. 
• What do I bring?
• Review and/or bring along team leader
  instructions.

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Questions?