Hi, and welcome to our new media space where we will occasionally be posting blogs and other informative tidbits related to nature and the environmental restoration services we provide. To get us started we wanted to share some general information about our company.
Who Are We?
Tallgrass Restoration, LLC (TGR) has been specializing in the installation and continued maintenance of native habitats for over 20 years. Our diverse and experienced staff are dedicated to the restoration and improvement of natural communities throughout the greater Chicago region. We have worked with a large variety of land owners that range from small private residences all the way up to large state owned preserves and natural areas. We are well equipped to manage any size parcel of land, and capable of working with homeowners, corporations, local governments, and land managers.
What’s Our Staff’s Experience?
Our Project Management staff pulls together over 60 years of combined experience dealing exclusively in natural communities found in this area. We have experience managing the on-the-ground stewardship of all types of natural communities which includes all local varieties of woodlands, wetlands, and prairies. Our unique field staff is comprised of individuals with the skills, knowledge, experience, and desire to manage all of the projects they are involved in. Each of our field crew members are fully capable of engaging with the public on site and capable of clearly describing the work they are performing and the intended restoration or management goals.
What Equipment Do We Use?
We have a large variety of specialized equipment intended to effectively manage invasive and exotic species while causing the least amount of impact to the environment possible. All of our herbicide applicators are trained and licensed in the proper use and transportation of pesticides, and take care not to apply any more than is necessary for adequate control of weeds. We have a variety of backpack sprayers, wicking tools, and boom sprayers that can be utilized for any application project. We also utilize several different tools for mowing primarily annual or biennial weeds when herbicides are not necessary. Most often we selectively mow weeds with hand held weed whips, or on a rare occasion, hedge trimmers. For larger projects, we have tractors capable of pulling mowers up to 15’ wide, RTV’s which can pull 5’ wide mowers and rubber tracked, low ground pressure skid steers with front mounted mowers that can work in most areas. All machinery is cleaned of cutting debris after each use so as not to transplant unwanted plant material between sites.
What Are Our Burn Qualifications?
For prescription burning, we have several IDNR Certified Prescribed Burn Managers capable of handling small burns nestled in heavily populated neighborhoods or larger more complex burns for public entities and community associations. Each burn is approached separately and treated as a unique event. Our burn staff have all completed the Chicago Wilderness prescription burn crew member training, or have completed the S130 & S190 training through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. All burns follow a site-specific burn plan, and all local authorities are notified of our intentions before any burning occurs. As safety is of the utmost importance, training and experience are invaluable on any burn. Additionally, proper protective burn gear, suppression equipment, and communication devices are utilized on all projects.
We hope this introduction to Tallgrass helped you understand more about us, and we look forward to providing you with more information on the natural world through our new media space.