Chapter Events

"Oaks, the King of Trees"Tuesday, September 2,? 2014 7:00 to 8:45 P.M.

Location
Fremont Public Library
1170 North Midlothian Road
Mundelein, IL 60060For Directions call Sandy Miller 847-546-4198

SpeakerDebbie Maurer

Other
Families Welcome, No fee, No registration required

Brief Summary
Oaks remain the King of Trees because they support over 450 species of butterflies and moths, along with other insects. With over a dozen native oak species, we have a good selection to choose from.Unfortunately?.Over 88% of Lake County?s oak communities have been lost, and the rest have become overgrown with little light reaching the understory. This impacts oak seedling growth, native shrubs, plant diversity, and bird and wildlife habitat. As ecologist Debbie Maurer will explain, the Lake County Forest Preserve District in partnership with the Morton Arboretum is embarking on a long-term multimillion-dollar project to solve the problem.

 
Biography
Debbie Maurer

Debbie has been with the Lake County Forest Preserve District for over 11 years as both an Ecologist and since 2010 as Assistant Manager of Natural Resources.?? Debbie has an M.S in Botany with an emphasis on plant ecology and restoration from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Conservation Biology degree (B.S.) from University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.? She is a certified by the Ecological Society of America as a Senior Ecologist, is a board member of the Illinois Invasive Plant Council and chair of the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership.? Debbie works on a variety of ecological restoration projects, including the 4000-acre Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain Habitat Restoration Project, the restoration of Wadsworth Prairie nature preserve, and has lead the planning and implementation of the Southern Des Plaines River Preserves Woodland Habitat Restoration Project.? Her interests lie in the use of applied ecology to inform restoration and management decision-making at a landscape scale.