A DAY IN THE LIFE OF DATA COLLECTION For five months from October 2022–March 2023, monitoring efforts focused on Wright Woods, Grainger
100 square meters, about as large as an Olympicsize trampoline.
Woods Conservation Preserve and MacArthur Woods
The group then paired off to follow two protocols:
Forest Preserve (all in Mettawa). Located near the Des
tree canopy monitoring and shrub monitoring.
Plaines River in southeastern Lake County, these preserves
For the former, teams identified and measured
contain high-quality flatwoods and upland forests.
every tree inside the plot with a DBH higher than
Sandacz and Klick invited our environmental educators, including Jen Berlinghof and Eileen Davis, to help collect data. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Klick, Sandacz and two educators ventured into the woods in search of
10 cm, or about 4 inches. They also took notes on each tree’s health. For shrub monitoring, the pairs counted the numbers and sizes of species found within a 5-meter radius from the post.
monitoring plots. They toted pounds of gear: measuring
“In practice, both protocols involved Ken and Dan
tapes, metal posts, iPads and a tall, yellow-and-orange
carrying a meter tape and walking in a slow circle,
tool called a Bad Elf.
measuring plants and calling out stats,” Berlinghof
“The Bad Elf locates GPS coordinates,” Berlinghof said. “It reminded me of Gandalf’s staff from The Lord of the
said, “while Eileen and I recorded data on iPads into our in-house database.”
Rings.” When the group arrived at the correct area, they
After sampling 9–12 plots per day, the group
used the Bad Elf to pinpoint the center of each plot and
followed Sandacz and the Bad Elf out of the woods,
pounded a metal post into the ground. Each circular
their minds—and the Forest Preserves’ database—
plot, randomly selected through mapping software, has
loaded with new information.
Forest Phrases CANOPY: Top layer of a forest that contains leafy tree crowns. Provides
FLATWOODS: Woodlands with flat, dense clay and poor drainage. In spring and fall, small depressions fill with water to create breeding habitat for amphibians and insects.
food and shelter for squirrels, owls,
MAST YEAR: Year when oaks produce
butterflies and other animals.
a bumper crop of acorns. Animals can’t
DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT (DBH): Measurement of a tree’s diameter about
eat all of them, helping ensure some acorns will germinate into new trees.
4.5 feet off the ground. Approximates
UNDERSTORY: Lower layer of a forest
the tree’s age.
between the ground and the canopy
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: Essential benefits and products of nature that
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a 17.8-meter radius. This ensures the plot covers
where shrubs, herbaceous plants and young trees grow.
make human life possible, such as
UPLAND FOREST: Forest with canopy
clean air, fresh water and food.
trees and well-drained soils.
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