Welcome New KDSWCD Team Members!
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plus Illinois Urban Manual BMPs found in the wild!
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Tommy Purdom joined the KDSWCD team in June with 6 years of experience in aquatic ecology and a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and Policy.
Maisie McTavish is an Enviro Science major with a minor in Agronomy at Iowa State University who is giving up her summer to intern with us!
Plus a new stormwater outfall into an adjacent pre-existing basin, all protected within a silt fence - notable IUM BMP implementations at an inspection site.
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Great enthusiasm and experience in the field on behalf of Kane and DuPage Counties. Welcome aboard, Tommy and Maisie!
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Join us for a very special tour to explore and learn about the diversity, history, protection and innovation of agriculture taking place in Kane County!
We will visit a variety of farms around the county that are rooted in sustainable and organic practices, committed to community wellness, climate friendly and focused on farmland protection.
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Along the way, you will meet farmers, conservationists
and other agriculture curious people from the Chicagoland area.
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Online registration is available until: 8/1/2023, or until event is at full capacity
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Reduced Tillage
Pays Off!
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Minimizing soil disturbance by implementing reduced tillage helps preserve soil's natural structure. This makes the soil more resistant to erosion and the negative effects of heavy field equipment, while improving water retention and drainage.
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Reducing tillage also enriches biodiversity, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers that emit greenhouse gases - all while helping to keep carbon sequestered in the soil.
Beyond these environmental pay offs, implementing a reduced tillage practice on your operation can also pay off in your pocketbook! KDSWCD may share in the cost of implementing conservation practices such as this, plus we provide technical support!
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We also have Resources - Do you need Land Improvement Contractors?
Click on the List above!
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Organic Matter - Chicken Soup for Your Soil
by Mark Bramstedt, Soil Scientist/Soil Classifier
An old home remedy for people who don’t feel well is a bowl of warm chicken soup. Maybe it is just comfort food, but it always seems to help when one has a cold or flu-like symptoms, or almost any other malady. Chicken soup seems to be the cure-all. A take-off on that theme was a book written in 1993, “Chicken Soup for the Soul”, which gave positive and uplifting self help ideas and stories, making one feel good again.
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To borrow on that same theme, in the world of Soil Science, organic matter is like “Chicken Soup for Your Soil”. No matter what the malady of your soil, organic matter seems to be the cure-all, especially for growing things. If the soil is too sandy - add organic matter. If the soil is too clayey - add organic matter. If the soil is infertile - add organic matter, if the soil is too drouthy - add organic matter, and so forth. Organic matter can improve your soil and remediate many of the problems or limitations for worn-out old soil or for new soil around modern homes in subdivisions. Organic matter is the fuel that drives so many of the life processes in the soil, such as providing food for the critters to decompose a leaf to make it a useable compound for a plant.
In order to improve the soil, to get the soil to “eat the soup”, one needs to understand what organic matter is and how to add it to the soil. By definition, organic matter is anything that once was living (or is living) or part of something that was living, but hasn’t been processed with non-organic material. Technically, people consist of 100% organic matter, as well as does a 100% pure cotton T-shirt. Realistically for your lawn or garden, the organic matter is generally thought of as plant material - leaves, grass clippings, vegetable food scraps, and even highly composted manure from some farm animals - and the critters that are living within the soil, such as bacteria, fungi, worms, nematodes, etc.
Where can one find organic matter to add to a garden or lawn? Fortunately, organic matter is abundant. Whenever we harvest crops or bag grass and leaves, we are depleting our soils of organic matter. By not bagging or collecting grass clippings, one can add organic matter back to the lawn. Mulching leaves, instead of raking and bagging, will add organic matter back into the soil. Many homeowners can also create a compost bin. Compost is decomposed organic matter. Organic matter, like grass clippings left on the lawn, will decompose on their own if not bagged. However, homeowners can build a compost bin to speed up the decomposition of organic matter and turn plant material and vegetable food scraps into a useable commodity. Composting vegetable scraps also reduces the waste stream of material going to a landfill or down the garbage disposal. Here is a link about composting from the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension. If one doesn’t want to mess with a compost bin and home composting, bagged compost and decomposed manure can be purchased at most garden centers.
Woody and dry plant material, such as shredded hardwood mulch or straw can also be a source of organic matter in perennial gardens if left to slowly decompose. If growing crops or tender young annual flowers, adding dry woody or fibrous material will impact the immediate nutrient supply, as a bloom of microbes will consume the readily available nutrients, and the plants may not thrive. Adding dry material in the fall will give time for the material to decompose for planting in the spring. Once the plants in a perennial garden are well established with deep roots, applying a supplement of woody mulch in the spring will have less negative impact on the vigor of the plants.
How does one get the organic matter into the soil? Compost may be added to the surface of the garden or spread on the lawn with a lawn spreader. There is no need to till the soil to incorporate the compost. Nature will help blend the compost into the soil. So, remember that organic matter is like “Chicken Soup for Your Soil”. Organic matter can remediate many soil issues, especially for growing things. It is readily available, free, and easy to apply. If one is into growing things, even if it’s just a lawn, one needs to think in the long run. There may not be noticeable improvements over just a single season, but over several seasons, one should see the improvements from increasing the organic matter in the garden.
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KDSWCD team in the field exploring the color, texture and structure in a mesic prairie soil sample. These properties affect processes such as water infiltration, erosion, nutrient cycling and biologic activity.
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Mark Bramstedt, CPSC, talks about prairie soil profiles
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Comparing the sample core from a mesic prairie with 3 cores from a wetland, taken at the edge, the center and up the surrounding slope of the kettle. A final sample from a suburban yard illustrated the impact of development.
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Envirothon 2024 Theme Revealed!
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Calling all High School Students!
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Each spring, teams of 5 high school students prepare with a teacher/coach to compete in the areas of aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife and a current issue in natural resources. Regional winners advance to the state and then the national competition. The Northeastern Illinois Envirothon is organized by local soil and water conservation districts for high schools in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will, Boone, DeKalb, Lake and Winnebago counties.
For 2024, Envirothon has chosen a renewable energy focus. "In our modern world, energy touches almost every aspect of our lives. It lights our homes, transports our food, cleans our water, fuels our cars, powers life-saving medical equipment and so much more. Governmental policies, industry and public opinion are shifting to embrace a sustainable future that includes renewable energy. New energy innovations are constantly transforming this emerging field, with technological developments in energy sources, production methods and flexible delivery.
Students will learn about the different sources of renewable energy; the challenges facing the transition from traditional fossil fuels to renewables; the environmental, economic, and social impacts of energy consumption; and how individuals can affect change in their communities."
KDSWCD will share more details as they come available,
including registration information and sponsorship opportunities.
Follow us on social media (links below) to keep up-to-date!
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Kane County Climate Action Plan
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Kane County Wants YOUR Input!
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Kane County will be developing their first Climate Action Plan over the next year. They have launched an online survey to collect input from Kane County residents and businesses which will help identify perceptions, needs, opportunities, priorities, and issues of the area.
To help them better understand the comments they receive, they ask for you to identify if you live or work in Kane County, however, all are welcome to take this survey whether or not you live or work in the county. They WANT to hear from you!
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Take Kane County’s Climate Action Survey and help shape our sustainability priorities. Please share the survey with your neighbors, friends and family.
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Psst...Let's Talk About This
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Dog... Poo-llution?!?
21 billion pounds annually in the US!
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We did the math: an estimated 76,811,305 dogs in the US ( AVMA 2018) multiplied by an average of 274 lbs. of waste per year (EPA). Yikes!
When it rains, the water picks up pet waste from sidewalks, yards and streets, and carries it directly into our local waterways – such as our own Fox River. Studies have shown that it's a leading cause of storm water contamination, polluting the water and making it unsafe for swimming and drinking. Plus, it can have serious consequences for the environment, as well as the plants and animals living in the water.
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To keep our water clean, it's important that pet owners properly dispose of their dog's waste by bagging it and throwing it in the trash. Do NOT add it to your backyard compost (but if you are determined - you can build a separate dog poop composter). Flushing is probably NOT an option - check with your municipal wastewater department first.
Let's "doo" our "doody" as guardians of our furry friends
to protect our water and keep our community healthy!
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Chairman
Gerard Fabrizius
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Gerard has served on the KDSWCD Board since 2006, and is a lifetime resident of western Kane County. He is very active in the KDSWCD's Legislative Committee. Gerard resides in Maple Park on the The Fabrizius Farm which has been farmed by his family for over 100 years. His four children grew up on those fields! Gerard also substitute teaches and he is a member of the Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation.
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![](https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif) |
Farmed by the Fabrizius family since the 1850s. The original wooden barn (not pictured) was built by Gerard's grandfather.
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Alfalfa in the field is happy about the recent rainfall! Drought has been a major challenge this year. Second cutting coming soon.
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![](https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif) |
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OUR Fox ~ Designated National Water Trail
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Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District 2315 Dean Street
Suite100
St. Charles, IL 60175
Mon - Fri 8am - 4:30pm
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Gerard Fabrizius Chairman
Thomas Konen Vice Chairman
William Pauling Secretary/Treasurer
Maggie Soliz
Tom Quinn
Patrick McPartlan Resource Conservationist
Becky Monreal Resource Analyst
Tommy Purdom Resource Analyst
Mark Bramstedt Soil Scientist
Kat Gerdts Administrative Coordinator
Sue Rankin Administrative Assistant
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