Detweiller Woods

Description

Detweiller Woods occurs on steep, dissected bluffs overlooking the Illinois River on the west edge of the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division. Extensive high quality mesic and dry-mesic upland forest cover deep ravines, steep slopes and ridges. Mesic upland forest, found in ravines and on side slopes, is characterized by red oak, sugar maple, basswood, bitternut hickory, pawpaw and black walnut. Lush wildflowers blooming here in spring include dutchman's breeches, Virginia bluebells, hepatica, yellow bellwort, snow trillium and Soloman's seal. Schreber's aster inhabits some forest slopes. Dry-mesic upland forest, found on ridgetops and upper slopes, is dominated by white oak and red oak, with occasional shagbark hickory, shadbush, chinquapin oak and black oak. This large forest offers crucial habitat for forest-dwelling, area-sensitive songbirds such as wood thrush, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, scarlet tanager, brown creeper and veery. Two small glacial drift hill prairies lie on south-facing upper slopes and harbor native grasses and wildflowers such as little bluestem, big blue stem, lead plan, purple prairie clover, rough blazing star and yellow false foxglove.