Agencies
Services
Nature Preserve Area
2
County
Lake
Location And Access
In the northern portion of the Village of Lake Barrington at the southeast corner of Roberts and River Roads.
Description
Farm Trails North occupies the east central portion of an elongate deep kettle filled with deposits of Grayslake Peat. The steeply sloped ridges of the Fox Lake Moraine border the area. It is part of an extensive wetland which extends to the Fox River. Small remnants of graminoid fen and calcareous sedge meadow communities lie on the borders of a shallowly flooded marsh. Indian grass, big bluestem, and several sedges dominate the fen with grass-of-parnassius, Ohio goldenrod, small fringed gentian and edible valerian also present. The sedge meadow is dominated by tussock sedge with bluejoint grass, Joe Pye weed and turtlehead frequent. The marsh is dominated by cattails and small duckweed with the shallower portions having sharply increasing plant diversity. The wet to wet-mesic prairie is dominated by Eurasian grasses and contains scattered colonies of native mesic prairie and savanna plants. Baltimore checkerspot, a remnant restricted butterfly, depends on the turtlehead found here. Glossy buckthorn is a problem in the fen. Prescribed burning and some restoration activities have been undertaken by volunteers.
Ownership
Citizens for Conservation
Dedicated
November 1993
Size
20 acres
Topographic Quad
Barrington
Topo Map
For Further Information
Contact: Citizens for Conservation, P.O. Box 435, Barrington, IL 60011 (708-382-7283)
1/2009 - R. Heidorn