By Alyssa Nyberg, Preserve Coordinator, Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands
At Kankakee Sands, as we delve into all the layers of the natural world, we have so many questions! University students and our own TNC staff are helping us to answer some of those questions through research. This year alone we have research underway on vegetation, butterflies, birds, bees, Franklin’s ground squirrels, bison…
And we know that our visitors to Kankakee Sands have questions too! How many calves are there? What was that lizard I just saw? Did I just hear a bobwhite quail? Luckily, we have a dedicated group of volunteer Bison Rangers who are trained, prepared and excited to greet visitors and answer any questions visitors may have. Our Bison Rangers have experience with many aspects of our Kankakee Sands conservation work, including seed harvesting, invasive species removal, native plant propagation, trail hiking, and hosting outreach programming. If you have questions, they have answers!
The Kankakee Sands Bison Ranger program began in 2016 with one Ranger and has grown to 12 Rangers strong. On most weekends of the year, our volunteer Bison Rangers can be found at the Bison Viewing Area. Three of our Rangers, Mary Kay Emmrich, Stephanie Ferguson and Chrysta Walker have these thoughts to share…
Rangering allows me to meet new people, share the area’s history, learn about plants and bugs and critters, and talk about bison. I have been in awe of bison since they were brought to Kankakee Sands 10 years ago! I Rangered one Sunday several years ago, and the bison were simply magical that day. The whole herd was near the fence line, easy to view, playful – doing all the bison things I knew about but had never witnessed. I was just as amazed as our visitors! – Mary Kay Emmrich
I enjoy visiting with people that stop by, answering their questions, plus sometimes helping them to see the world a bit differently. My favorite memory was when the herd was moving past the fence. One of the bulls stopped to stare at me. He was beautiful! I wonder what he thought of me? – Chrysta Walker
Sharing my love of nature with youth groups that pay us a visit is my fave! Sharing fun facts about the Bison and then watching them light up with wonder is absolutely priceless! Youth are our legacy for keeping this thing called stewardship alive and I’m always honored to play a part in shaping future leaders! One of my most memorable experiences while Rangering was witnessing the herd of over a hundred walking out of the north pasture in a single file; it was a quiet moment as they all marched slowly past the east overlook. Then all of the sudden they all began to pick up speed and began running. These massive animals kicking up a long trail of dirt and dust as they went by. At that point the stillness of the moment turned into the thunderous sound of hundreds of hooves as they raced to the other side. It was a beautiful awe-inspiring sight that I’ll never forget! – Stephanie Ferguson
Come on out for a visit to Kankakee Sands to experience the beauty and awe-inspiring bison, and bring those questions! If you have questions about our Bison Ranger program, please ask our Rangers. Perhaps you’d like to be a Bison Ranger too?!
The Kankakee Sands property is free and open to the public, every day of the year, from sunrise to sunset. See you soon!
(Answers to the questions in paragraph two: There are presently 15 calves in our herd. The lizards most often seen are six-lined race runners, and they are indeed fast! You most likely did here the bob-WHITE call of a Northern bob white quail.)
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The Nature Conservancy’s Kankakee Sands of Indiana and Illinois is 10,000 acres of prairie and savanna habitat in Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois, open every day of the year for public enjoyment. For more information visit www.nature.org/KankakeeSands or call the office at 219-285-2184. To receive a copy of our quarterly newsletter with events and activities at Kankakee Sands, send an email to anyberg@tnc.org.
Friends of the Sands 