Florsheim Needs People

01/05/2026

One year ago today, on January 5, 2025, a new community of stewards got started at the three beautiful Westfork Nature Preserves (Florsheim Park, North Park, and Old Mill buffer addition) in the Village of Lincolnshire

Birthday cake seemed to be in order 🎂🎉🌱🔥

12/11/2025

Reflections from stewards on last week: “I thought it was a blessing to get to go out on a splendid snowy day, in our beautiful Nature Preserve, with fellow stewards and friends we cherish seeing weekly. We serve the ecosystem and uplift our spirits while learning and thinking about the whole process of how to do a better job every week and every month.

Our group consisted of souls from every generation. From Micah (three years old) through people in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, from many backgrounds, building community. What better endeavor can there be?”

The weather might be cold this coming Sunday, but spirits are always warm and cozy. Come cut brush and pole trees to return summer sunlight to the understory 🍂

12/05/2025

Swipe to clear the buckthorn and other woody invasives… and then come out this Sunday IRL to clear more buckthorn and woody invasives! The next workday is this Sunday, 10 AM ☃️

11/28/2025

Last week: stewards prepped the abundance of seeds collected this season! Seed pods were separated from “chaff”, and prepared to be added to ecosystem-specific mixes. The work was cozy, with the fireplace in the nature preserve shelter going all morning.

This coming Sunday: brush cutting ensues! Stay warm beside the brush pile fire, as you work to clear buckthorn and other woody invasives.

11/21/2025

A week so nice that we have to post twice! In addition to a wonderful workday of seed prepping last weekend, Florsheim also had its first community-led controlled burn 🔥🥳

Prescribed fire is an important part of ecological care. Fire promotes native plant growth and helps control invasive species. This controlled burn will clear out dead vegetation, return nutrients to the soil, and create diverse habitats that benefit wildlife like grassland birds, pollinators, and various reptiles and amphibians alike!

11/21/2025

Starting this week, workdays will begin at 10 am for the season! Sleep in, and then join in, for seed prepping and a cozy fire at the shelter this coming Sunday morning 🍂

11/14/2025

Last week, stewards cleared invasive buckthorn, opening up ground for native species to move in.

This weekend, be part of preparing those native species to make their eventual move! Sunday’s workday will focus on seed prepping. Prepping is the important week of separating collected seeds from “chaff”, which is the outer coverings of seeds, husks, stems, and leaves 🍃🌱

11/07/2025

This Sunday, get excited for seed preparation work to begin at Florsheim! The bounty of seeds this season need one more step before they get added into rare, high-quality seed mixes.

And a look back at last Sunday: Stewards took a field trip last weekend to the Somme preserves in Northbrook to collect some special seeds of species that are missing from Florsheim!

10/31/2025

Last Sunday was all about seed collection, with over 20 species, including sensitive fern spores, collected!

This Sunday, Florsheim stewards are taking a field trip to sister site Somme Woods and Prairie Grove. Somme will share some of its bountiful seeds, like purple prairie clover, prairie dropseed, zigzag goldenrod, and riverbank rye, to support future diversity at Florsheim 🌱

Planning to come? RSVP at the link in bio, where you can also find more details!

10/25/2025

10/23/2025

Last week’s rainy weather created the perfect opportunity to prep the seeds collected at the three Westfork Nature Preserves (Florsheim, North Park, and Old Mill) this season

This coming weekend, as we prepare for the prescribed burn season, there’s enough work to fill two exciting workdays

Saturday, October 25th, 9 am - 1 pm, joined by travelling restoration group The Peregrines, stewards will brush-cut an important burn break

Sunday, October 26th, 9 am to 12 pm, will see more seed collecting and other seasonal priorities 🌾

Choose your weekend adventure - or choose both! See you out there soon 🍂