April 9 Sierra Club meeting

April 9 Program:  Canebrakes make a comeback

 

Giant cane is a native bamboo species that once occupied hundreds of thousands of acres throughout the southeastern and south central United States, including southern Illinois. However, due to agricultural land clearing, altered fire regimes, overgrazing by domestic livestock and flood control projects, giant cane currently occupies only 2% of its historic range.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to restore giant cane riparian buffers in the Cache River basin to mitigate disturbances including agricultural runoff.. Giant cane may soon see a resurgence with help from researchers at Southern Illinois University.

Presenter Amanda Nelson recently earned her Phd in forest hydrology at SIU.  She currently works as a research scientist at Little River Research and Design in Carbondale.  She has a strong background in limnology, stream ecology, and aquatic entomology.

Free and open to the public!  Thursday, April 9 at 7 pm

216 East Monroe (Green door off the alley), across from Rockhill Baptist Church

Ample free parking off Monroe Street between Washington and Marion.