It’s not fancy, wire fencing around green stakes to protect plantings—dogwood, elderberry, chokecherry, American plum, hazelnut, etc.—by volunteers at LaBagh Woods.
Scrappers don’t target the fencing and posts, so why would somebody damage or remove them? And who? It doesn’t appear to be random.
Bring the deductive skills of a Sherlock Holmes. Staci Stagner, communications manager for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, emailed that “the Forest Preserves police have assigned a detective to lead the ongoing investigation.”
Foot patrols have begun.
When I asked Judy Pollock, president of the Chicago Audubon Society, if she had any idea why, she replied, “No idea. Lots of theories buzzing around but no reason to pick one or the other.”
I’m not a detective, but I’ve knocked around the broad spectrum of the outdoors a long time. I would start with the fringes. Lots of threads make the outdoors.
LaBagh Woods is on the northeast corner of Cicero and Foster. Forest Glen Woods is immediately to the northwest.
“Ecological stewardship volunteers have been conducting ecological restoration at LaBagh Woods for decades,” Stagner emailed. “Since 2015, volunteers have undertaken an extensive restoration project at a specific area of Irene Hernandez/LaBagh Woods, replanting more than 4,000 native shrubs—a significant investment of time and resources. In conjunction with the Forest Preserves, these volunteers have installed metal fences with green stakes to surround and protect these native shrubs, particularly from being grazed by deer.
“On Oct 1, the volunteers notified the Forest Preserves Law Enforcement Department that wire cages were vandalized and damaged, exposing the shrubs to possible destruction.”
Despite repairs to the fences, vandalism continued and spread. Similar vandalism happened at Forest Glen Woods over the weekend.
“In this case, the fencing had been uprooted and thrown in a dumpster,” Stagner emailed.
The destruction altered volunteer work.
“Fencing recently erected to protect shrubs to be planted on October 23 was damaged within 24 hours after it was put in place,” a press release from the Chicago Ornithological Society noted. “LaBagh Woods is a vital migratory stopover for birds during spring and fall. Hosting more than 200 bird species, it is one of the top birding sites in Chicago.”
Sunday would have been splendid for planting. Temperatures reached the 70s. Couples pushed strollers. Lovers blended. Parents shepherded kids. Church folks in Sunday best ambled. Dogs ran people. People walked dogs. Southerly winds rattled dying leaves free. A mom splashed with little kids by the North Branch. You could wax Carl Sandburgian without even trying.
But not all is idyllic.
“Due to the overpopulation of deer at LaBagh, deer browsing is rampant,” the COS release pointed out. “Without the protection of enclosures, native shrubs have been eaten to nubs even in the short time since this vandalism was discovered. Even large shrubs have had their leaves and stems devoured and trunks broken from bucks rubbing their antlers against them.”
A volunteer with life experience, working with a chain-saw crew, said, “I hope this is an opening of a conversation. The input might be helpful for what we do here.”
May he be right. It could be that simple, somebody wants to make a point, to be heard.
As we finished talking, a group of three came by and one said, “”I’ve lived here 30 years and this is the first time I was here. Last week we were in Wisconsin to do this.”
That’s why this matters, right here, right now.
Any one knowing or noticing something should contact the Forest Preserves police at (708) 771-1001.
