Think of oak savannas as the cousin of oak forests. The major difference is the amount of shade.

Oak savannas are open, with only 10% to 50% of the forest floor shaded by canopy. This mixture of sun and shade also creates a gradient of moisture in the soil, leading to a spectacular diversity of plants. These plant communities are naturally maintained by fires, which kill other plant species that might otherwise compete for resources.

Sugar maples, for instance, love shade but can’t tolerate fire. Without periodic fires to keep young, fast-growing maples in check, oak savannas are destined to become deciduous woodlands.

‍

Before European settlement, several areas of the country were covered in oak savannas. At one point, 50 million acres of savanna spanned the Midwest alone. But as cities and suburbs grew, and natural fires were suppressed, savannas were destroyed. Today, only 30,000 acres of midwestern oak savannas remain. This is approximately 0.06% of the original acreage, making them one of the most endangered habitats in the world.

‍

We are helping this vanishing ecosystem by converting 6 acres of farmland into a native oak savanna. In what was once a row-cropped field, we began by planting a diverse mixture of savanna wildflowers and grasses. We then planted more than 30 oaks of various species, as well as an assortment of 30 or so other savanna tree species, including hazelnut and American plum. When restoration is complete and the savanna is mature in three or so growing seasons, it will be the only oak savanna in the county.

“It's been exciting to see the wildflowers and trees we planted in 2022 thriving, especially because this habitat will be beneficial for endangered species such as the Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis)."

– Olivia Espinoza, Associate Director of Conservation

‍

‍