Agencies
Services
Nature Preserve Area
2
County
Cook
Location And Access
The site is located within the Chicago Lake Plain Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division in the northeastern portion of Cook County and the Village of Skokie. It is open to the public from sunrise to sunset.
Description
Harms Flatwoods Nature Preserve consists of high-quality northern flatwoods and mesic upland forests. The northern flatwoods community is considered imperiled globally (G-2). Northern flatwoods are typically associated with poorly drained uplands on glacial moraines from the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Division. The Grade B northern flatwoods on site are characterized as having excellent canopy composition with big trees dominating the overstory. These overstory trees included white oak, swamp white oak, red oak, and burr oak. There is also a good diversity of shrubs like winterberry, swamp rose, black ash, and several species of Viburnums. Some conservative herbaceous species associated with the communityn type are swamp goldenrod, green dragon, lady fern, purple spring cress, white grass, great blue lobelia, sensitive fern, and northern bog violet. The mesic upland forests have ideal moisture conditions and exhibit a dense overstory with shade-tolerant species in the understory. Dominant or characteristic species include sugar maple, red oak, basswood, blue beech, and bitternut hickory. The site additionally contains cultural community undergoing restoration to mesic upland or dry-mesic upland forest.
Ownership
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Dedicated
March 2017
Size
102 acres
Topographic Quad
Abingdon
For Further Information
Visit the Forest Preserve District of Cook County Website or Contact the INPC
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686