CONSERVATION
PROJECTS
Conservation Manager
Upon meeting his future wife Kathy in 1989, Mark started volunteering at Oaken Acres. They met while she was a naturalist at Russell Woods Forest Preserve and he was a summer intern, helping with the children's summer camp environmental education program.
Mark's work at Oaken Acres has centered mostly around cage building/repair and stewardship of the wildlife habitat on the farm.
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Mark has a BS and MS in Geography, and a PhD in Geology from Northern Illinois University. His career has been focused at the intersection of technology and agronomy for over 20 years. Mark's current interests include conducting field research of regenerative agriculture concepts.
Mark Stelford
Did you know that the majority of Oaken Acres
property is dedicated to conservation efforts?
These activities are coordinated by
"Mr. Oaken Acres," Mark Stelford.
He finds a quote from Henry Betson helpful to
form the mindset of our conservation efforts.
Trained as a soil scientist Mark sees the quote
applying beyond just animals.
For nature shall not be measured by man.
"In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings, they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net
of life and time..." ~Henry Betson
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There are several different conservation areas on the property:
Oak Savanna
Located on the east side of the Kishwaukee River, small areas of woodland developed prior to European settlement given the river acted as a firebreak for prairie fires. When Kathy moved here in 1984 a big part of the area was mowed. She stopped that practice and it is amazing to see the native plants that have come back - they were there all the time, just waiting for the right conditions! Things like bluebells, jack in the pulpit, bloodroot, spring beauties, great Angelica, dogtooth violet, and trillium. The conservation work here involves the removal of invasive species (e.g., garlic mustard, giant ragweed, reed canary grass) as well as planting oak trees.
Prairie Areas
The remaining part of the two small farm fields was also enrolled in CRP over twenty years ago, but they were planted to prairie plants instead of trees. With several different prairie plants blooming throughout the growing season, these areas now support honey bees! Invasive management is front and center - reed canary grass, Canada thistle, wild parsnip, and poison ivy are key challenges, in addition to "scrub trees" (which if left to grow would shade out the prairie). Both areas have small ponds - it is great to hear the frogs in spring and summer as well as see wood ducks and mallards taking a break.
Tree Plantations
Over twenty years ago, two small farm fields on the property were enrolled in the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Part of each field was planted to several species of trees: oak, hackberry, and sycamore. A small area was planted with eastern white pine to serve as a windbreak for the farm house. Over time, other tree species (and multiflora rose bushes) seeded themselves in and they compete for resources (water, nutrients, sunlight). They need to be removed per our CRP contract. A big removal project happened in 2022. All wood removed was chipped and a lot of it was used in a project to cultivate beneficial soil microbes.
"The Other Side."
The other side of the river is a woodland with lots of downed trees and invasive growth.
The goal is to keep working on the current projects and get to the point that effort can be focused on the other side of the river.
