P r airie P ages

by Susan L. Post
THE ILLINOIS STEWARD 13
“I woke with a surprise and delight. I was in the midst of a prairie! A world of
grass and flowers stretched around me, rising and falling in gentle undulations,
as if an enchanter had struck the ocean swell, and it was at rest forever….
How shall I convey to you an idea of a prairie?”
Eliza Steele, 1840, while traveling by stagecoach from Chicago to Peoria

Miss Steele traveled the Illinois prairies 3 years after the self-scouring plow
had been introduced. Illinois prairies would soon after never be the same! While
Illinois has fewer than 2,200 acres of prairie remaining today, these pieces can
provide a glimpse of what she must have experienced. What follows are accounts
of eight prairie preserves where one can experience the prairie, have a glimpse
into the past of Illinois, and gain insight into the idea of a prairie landscape.

Prairie Directions
Ayers Sand Prairie Nature Preserve, Carroll County
From Savanna, at the junction of Routes 52 and 84, take Route
84 south 2.7 miles to Airport Road. Then turn and go east (left)
0.5 mile. The preserve is north of the road.
Doris Westfall Prairie Restoration Nature Preserve,
Vermilion County
The preserve is located on the south boundary of Forest Glen
Preserve that is 7 miles northeast of Georgetown. From the junc-
tion of Route 1 and a blacktop road (1200N) in Westville, turn
east on the blacktop and follow it east and south for 5 miles.
Then turn and go east 1.8 miles to the entrance of the preserve.
Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve, Monroe County
The preserve is located along the Mississippi River bluffs near the
town of Fults, about 25 miles south of Belleville. From the south
end of Fults, take Bluff Road (a blacktop) southeast 1.6 miles to a
small parking area and a preserve sign. The preserve is on the left.
Goose Lake Prairie, Grundy County
From Morris, take Route 47 south across the Illinois River about
0.7 mile to the blacktop road known as Pine Bluff–Lorenzo Road.
Turn east (left) and travel 6 miles to Jugtown Road. Turn north
(left) to the entrance.
Harlem Hills Nature Preserve, Winnebago County
From the intersection of Route 251 and Windsor Road on the
north side of Loves Park, turn east onto Windsor Road and go
1.3 miles to a “T” that Windsor Road forms at Forest Hills Road.
Turn north (left) on Forest Hills Road and go 0.1 mile to Flora
Drive. Turn east (right) on Flora Drive and go another 0.1 mile.
The preserve is on the south side of the road.
Loda Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Iroquois County
In Loda, turn off Route 45 onto Jefferson Street (210N) and go
west 0.3 mile, then north 0.6 mile to Pine Ridge Cemetery. The
preserve is north of the cemetery. Do not enter the cemetery.
Follow the access road to the southeast corner of the cemetery
and walk the path outside the east-cemetery fence, north
to the preserve.
Revis Hill Prairie Nature Preserve, Mason County
From Kilbourne, go north 0.5 mile on Route 97, turn and go east
(right) on a blacktop road (700N) for 7.5 miles to 2630E. Turn
right and go southeast 0.5 mile and bear left on a gravel road.
The preserve is on the northeast (left) side of the road.
Twelve-Mile Prairie, Effingham and Marion counties
The best places to view this prairie are along Route 37 from
Edgewood to Alma. The prairie is along the railroad line.

14 SPRING 2009
 Revis Hill Prairie Nature Preserve—An Illinois River Prairie
Revis Hill Prairie is named
after James A. Revis, an
early pioneer in Mason
County. The area is part
of the north valley wall
of the Sangamon River,
which rises 250 feet above
the mile-and-quarter-wide
floodplain of the river. The
predominant soil is loess
(windblown silt) over gla-
cial till, but there are also
some fine-sand deposits
and gravel outcroppings.
Hill prairie is the domi-
nant plant community
found on the rolling land
and steep slopes. Forests
dominated by oaks are
present in the ravines
between the bluffs. Revis is the largest hill prairie complex in Illinois.
“I am standing on top of Revis Hill Prairie with a group
For those who persevere in the uphill struggle through woods
of intrepid butterfly aficionados. We are with Skipper
and brambles, the view of the river valley alone is worth the trip;
Field Manual authors James Sternburg and James
but hill prairies have other rewards. In late summer and early
Wiker, seeking the elusive Ottoe skipper. Revis is the
autumn, forbs such as blazing-star, goldenrods, asters, and gerardia
only site in Illinois
mingle with the orange–brown stems of the grasses—little bluestem
where this diminutive
and prairie dropseed.
yet delightful skipper
But the jewel of the fall is the scented ladies’ tresses orchid, which
may still reliably be
casts its heady scent on the wind, detected long before the plant
found. Purple prairie
can be seen, nestled in the grasses. This orchid belongs to the genus
clover and leadplant
Spiranthes, the name being derived from the Greek and meaning
are in full bloom—
coiled flowers, alluding to the spiral arrangement of the blossoms.
the latter laden with
Although we associate orchids with spring and with wet areas, this
its purple blossoms
species has taken advantage of the hill prairies and occupies the most
and orange pollen. The visiting bees look as if they are
severe habitat of any of our native orchids. It also blooms later than
wearing puffy, orange leggings. A second-instar prairie
any other Illinois orchid, beginning in mid-September and continu-
walking stick, a dog face sulphur,
ing sometimes until early November.
an adult ant lion, and a Horace’s
In addition to over 160 plant species, some unusual animals found
dusky wing are
here are the western hognose snake, western slender glass lizard, Ottoe
admired and pho-
skipper, Arogos skipper, and gorgone checkerspot. While orange and
tographed. As we
clouded sulphurs may be abundant, look closely at any yellow or
watch the tops
orange butterfly, as both sleepy orange sulphur and dog face sulphur
of the fading
butterflies are here as well. Diapharomera vellii, the prairie walking
pale purple cone-
stick, was rediscovered at Revis in 1990, 70 years after the last one
flower, we get
was seen anywhere in Illinois.
lucky—an Ottoe
Hill prairies continue to exist in Illinois, largely because of their
skipper!—a real
inaccessibility. Threats to these unique habitats include encroachment
treasure of Revis and one James
of the surrounding forest (historically kept at bay by fire), pasturing
Sternburg had not witnessed in his
of livestock, and homesite development. Despite this, hill prairies
80-plus years of butterfly studies.”
are still around and can provide anyone with an afternoon of heart-
Susan L. Post, June 21, 2006
stopping exercise, followed by absolute solitude—your reverie broken
only by the soft, ever-present winds and the high-fives as you and
your companions celebrate finding a true hill prairie gem. THE ILLINOIS STEWARD 15
 ion Nature Preserve
Doris Westfall Prairie Restorat
On August 10, 1972, Doris
Westfall wrote to INHS botanist
Robert A. Evers about beginning
a prairie restoration project:
“And now another project—
we are ready to begin a prairie
restoration project and we will
appreciate your help. We plan
to do a small one first—perhaps
5 acres east of the Nature Cen-
ter at Forest Glen. It is an old
field with a drainage pond and
much foxtail at present. But
I think it will lend itself well
to restoration.” The “seeds” of
Doris’s interest in prairie res-
toration were “planted” when
she attended an Audubon-
Robert J. Reber

sponsored field trip to a

prairie restoration at Morton
Arboretum. Doris began
studying and seeking out prairie plants. She wanted to create a “prairie
by construction” that would consist only of seed from plants that once
“On April 16, a fire break was disked around our grew wild in Vermilion County. She began to bring in “found” prai-
original planting, and we burned off an addi- rie plants to the conservation district meetings where she was asked,
tional two acres to the northeast. This area was “Westfall, what are you doing bringing all those weeds in here?”
hand-seeded and In the spring of 1973, the first planting was made. The area had been
then harrowed. scraped bare, to the topsoil. The first planting was in rows, with each
Blackbirds descend- labeled and mapped on paper. The seeds of 30 native prairie species were
ed on the area mixed with sand, hand-broadcast, and lightly harrowed. A nurse crop of
in large numbers oats was also sown, and the area was “strawed” to help retain moisture
and stayed several and prevent excessive blowing of seed and soil. During the summer grow-
days. We wondered
Marilyn F. Campbell

ing season, the area was constantly hand-weeded; and by September, the
if any seed would “first fruits” of their work were seen—three Indian grass plants bloomed.
remain to germi- By the next year, the first prairie coneflowers bloomed.
nate and grow! What began as a garden of 30 species is today 40 acres of what prai-
On July 10, 1974, the first Prairie coneflowers rie may have looked like in Vermilion County. In 1987, INHS botanist
bloomed in the original planting area and garden Ken Robertson visited the restoration, where he was pleased to see over
plot. We feel that Prairie coneflower is great for 110 species, including the partially parasitic Indian paintbrush and false
the morale of restoration workers—it is attractive, toadflax, and the difficult-to-establish ladies’ tresses orchid. Twenty-five
grows quickly, is easy to recognize, and gives lots years after the first planting, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
of encouragement!” honored her work by dedicating her “prairie by construction” as the
Doris Westfall and
Doris Westfall Prairie Restoration Nature Preserve, the first prairie re-
Marilyn F. Campbell,
construction in the state to receive this status.
The Prairie in Vermilion
The Doris Westfall Prairie Restoration Nature Preserve harbors
County, 1991
119 native plant species and numerous animals. Plants include purple
prairie clover, shooting star, Indian paintbrush, Michigan lily, porcupine
grass, and compass plant. Two plants that occur only in the reconstruction
Marilyn F. Campbell

and nowhere else in the county are the state endangered royal catchfly
and the state threatened queen-of-the-prairie. Doris Westfall’s dedication
Marilyn F. Campbell

and successful effort offer hope that creating native habitat is feasible and
can have an important role in the natural landscape of Illinois.
16 SPRING 2009
 Harlem Hills Nature Preserve—A Gravel Terrace Prairie
Within the second-largest city of the state, you are able to
experience the illusion of nothing but hill after hill, each cov-
ered with prairie grasses and forbs. The city of Rockford is
located in a region of rolling topography drained by the Rock
River. If you were to look at the soil of the area, you would
find not the deep, fine-particle soils of areas to the east and
south but glacial till and outwash—a mixture of sand, gravel,
and dolomite, with only a thin layer of soil on top. On a
topographical map, the city looks as if it resides on a lion’s
paw. These knuckles were originally gravel terrace prairies, and
all but one of them—Harlem Hills—have succumbed to the
ever-growing city.
Harlem Hills Nature Preserve is situated on gravelly soils
deposited by Pleistocene glaciers. The soils are calcareous,
with a high pH; and conditions are often bone-dry due to the
well-drained soil and the slope of the land that usually faces
south or west. Harlem Hills is not only the state’s best exam-
ple of a gravel prairie but also the largest, containing 67%
of the state’s remaining gravel prairies.
This dry, gravel prairie is dominated by grasses—little
bluestem, northern dropseed, and side-oats grama—but it is
the forbs, especially the small spots of color poking through
the dry, brown grass that make a visit worthwhile. Pasque
flowers are the first flowers to bloom, sometimes as early as
mid-March. A close inspection of the flower reveals a kit-
tenlike covering of soft hairs to help protect the plant from
the wind and cold. Prairie smoke’s rose-colored spheres
appear about 2 weeks later. After the pasque flower and
prairie smoke have set fruit, a procession of color follows.
Striking displays of cream wild indigo, hill prairie Liatris,
rough Liatris, and pale purple coneflower may tumble over
the terraces. A final search in early fall will reveal prairie gentians,
“Periodically, the grass-covered gravel terraces are
sky blue blooms hidden among the drying herbage. Whether it
invaded by pink-and-purple-clothed armies. Early spring
is a large, fat, yellow-and-black bumblebee trying to pollinate
brings the fuzzy lavender of pasque flowers, low to the
the spheres of prairie smoke, a goldfinch riding the winds on a
ground and protected from the cold. By early summer,
compass plant, great spangled fritillaries nectoring on Liatris, or
hundreds of pale purple cone-
a common wood nymph always landing just ahead in the grass
flowers erupt and flow down
and never letting you get close enough for pictures, a short stroll
the terraces like pinkish purple
through Harlem Hills Nature Preserve is a once-in-a-lifetime
lava. Summer’s end is signaled
experience that can be had at any time and by anyone with the
by the bright pink of Liatris,
desire to see an all but vanished segment of the Illinois landscape.
each concealing brilliant yellow
spiders in their tall, pink spikes.”
Susan L. Post, June 30, 1993

THE ILLINOIS STEWARD 17

 Goose Lake Prairie
Goose Lake Prairie is a
habitat of wildflowers,
tall grasses, and relent-
less prairie winds—once
home to the bison, wolf,
prairie chicken, and
otter. Amid the golden
grasses, one can feel the
vastness of the prairie
and be touched by the
past. Today, abundant
numbers of rabbits,
muskrats, deer, and
small rodents substitute
for the fauna of old.
Glacial erratics scattered
in the area are evidence
of the geologic history.
These boulders were not
formed in Illinois but
were brought here from the north by glaciers more than
“YELLOW!!! Goose Lake is yellow with acres of bidens, 10,000 years ago.
rosinweed, and goldenrod. This year, the prairie is short: Goose Lake itself no longer exists; it was drained be-
Even I am taller than the big bluestem. fore the turn of the century for farming and to mine the
But while the vegetation is ‘diminutive by underlying clay. In its day, the lake that extended some
prairie standards,’ I still can’t see what’s 1,000 acres often was covered so thickly with geese and
around the next bend. So my trip is one ducks that the water was not visible. Today, what remains
of discovery and surprise! Two species of is a series of ponds and marshes, outstanding examples
garden spiders grow larger by the day, of a once-common habitat—the prairie pothole.
their not-so-invisible webs outlined with Goose Lake Prairie may be defined as black soil prairie,
feathery milkweed seeds. A sedge wren the typical prairie that dominated much of Illinois, yet
sings on a stem, while a black rat snake here, one can experience the classic stages of a prairie. A
slithers across the trail a step ahead. At visitor can pass from aquatic to semi-aquatic habitats, to
dusk, I’m at a wet, to moist, to dry prairie types during a single day of
prairie pothole exploration. During different seasons, discover how the
watching a sora prairie changes, from the diminutive prairie violet on a
rail feed as it gentle spring day to the reddish brown of big bluestem,
moves in and out harsh against the snow during an early February cold snap.
of the mist and Eliza Steele wrote, “We rode through a perfect wilder-
shadows. The ness of sweets, sending forth perfume, and animated with
prairie never myriads of glittering birds and butterflies. It was in fact, a
disappoints.” vast garden covered with soil as hard as gravel.” This could
Susan L. Post, September 9, 2000 be Goose Lake Prairie.

18 SPRING 2009
 Twelve-Mile Prairie–A Gray Prairie
Twelve-Mile Prairie is a dry-mesic
(moist) prairie along a railroad line from
Edgewood in Effingham County to Alma
in Marion County. It is a series of rem-
nants that grow on a layer of clay, several
inches below the surface, giving this type
of landscape its name, “gray prairie.” The
National Road crossed the original prai-
rie in Effingham County. Until drainage
ditches were dug, the original Twelve-Mile
Prairie was relatively flat and drainage
between the streams was poor, resulting
in the flatlands being very wet, except
in the summer (dry season), when giant
cracks would appear in the clayey soil.
Either the lack or abandonment of
cultivation has helped maintain native
prairie vegetation in this region of
Illinois. During the spring, the grasses
(big bluestem and cord grass) are just
beginning to green up. Look for spider-
wort, phlox (both prairie and woodland),
blue-eyed grass, wild hyacinth, shooting
star, wild geranium, and hoary puccoon.
The really observant may find a gray
treefrog or a pink, nymphal katydid.
Summer vegetation is typical for tall-
grass prairie—blazing-stars, prairie dock,
compass plant, milkweeds, and the
shrubby New Jersey tea, a favorite nectar
plant of diminutive hairstreak butterflies.
Along roadside ditches, rose pink (a type
of gentian) may be found. Summer is also “A quilting bee had been held, as in times when the
the time to look for the large prairie cicada. ladies of the prairie would gather together and quilt.
Many times, as soon as you step out of Only the pattern was done in wildflowers of various
your vehicle, you can hear them—they pastel hues, all on a background of green, represent-
are large and loud, like a miniature B-52! ing the new grasses and leaves. Prairie phlox in delicate
One entomologist has compared the sport pinks; shooting star, its pastel
of chasing prairie cicadas to that of hunt- blossoms resembling flustered
ing quail. rooster combs; spiderwort—its
During autumn, the prairie is golden, three petals in deep blue–violet
from goldenrods hiding camouflaged crab and occasionally a bright red–
spiders, their legs outstretched to “wel- violet. The pinks, purples, and
come” their prey, to rosinweed and sunflowers sporting giant whites were knotted together
garden spiders swaying in the ever-present wind. Brown tridents with the yellow–orange arches
of rattlesnake master harbor thistle-down-decorated spider webs, of hoary puccoon. The quilt of
their makers balancing like tightrope walkers, patiently waiting. spring was nearly complete.”
During any season, look for box turtles, and in the wet areas Susan L. Post, May 7, 1982
crayfish; their messy mounds give only a hint of the resident.
Crayfish frogs may be present during early spring.

THE ILLINOIS STEWARD 19

 Ayers Sand Prairie Nature Preserve
“Finally!!! An Olympia marble butterfly on sand cress,
hanging on as the cress waves back in forth in the
cool, spring winds. I can even see the pink overwash on
its wings. This is the way to see a life-list butterfly—up
close and not moving, and on its host plant!!”
Susan L. Post, May 6, 2007
20 SPRING 2009
Mention sand prairie in Illinois and you immediately think
of Mason or Iroquois counties in Illinois, not the unglaciated
northwest part of the state. Ayers Sand Prairie is part of the
sand prairies of the Hanover–Oquawka region, located in
northwestern Illinois along the Mississippi River. The sand
prairies of this region occupy an expanse between the bluffs
on the east and the Mississippi River on the west. This area
was once the western edge of the Wisconsinan Glacier, where
sand was deposited by its meltwaters. As water was shed from
the glacier’s edge, copious streams and long flows of glacial
outwash poured down the channel ways. All that remains of
the glaciers, today, is the sand.
When you pull up to Ayers, you notice it is an unusual
oasis, situated between fields of corn and potatoes and an
airport. The area has a rolling topography of small dunes
and blowouts (areas of open sand caused by wind erosion).
During May, the edges of the dunes are rimed with bird’s foot
violet—all shades of purple—from almost white to a deep
violet. Although there are no trails, one can meander about;
but to make sense of this prairie, it is best to tour with local
biologist Randy Nybor. He will interpret every aspect of the
landscape; and even during a cold, blustery May day, you will
linger, spellbound by the fountain of information and afraid
you will miss an important tidbit.
Walking with Randy,
I learned that Ayers Sand
Prairie was the state’s 50th
Nature Preserve, dedicated
in 1974. The preserve
has 39 species of grasses
and sedges, which help
stabilize the dunes and
blowouts. Beach heather, with its yellow flowers, is the same
plant found on the dunes of Cape Cod, with Ayers about as
far west as you will find this plant. And the preserve’s ornate
box turtles are about as far east as they are found. The male
Olympia marble butterfly I had observed had spent the win-
ter as a chrysalis and was staking claim to his territory as he
patrolled for a female. I even found out that were I to visit
the preserve in July, the dunes would be cloaked with the
magenta blooms of wine cup.
 Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve
To most people, prairies
are flat grasslands. It is not
the topography, however,
that distinguishes a prairie,
but the vegetation. Prairies
growing on pronounced
slopes are called hill prai-
ries. Located high on a
west-facing bluff overlook-
ing the Mississipppi River,
Fults Hill Prairie is one of
those special prairies.
This prairie is part of
the old French land grants,
the boundaries of which
were at right angles to the
bank of the Mississippi
River. These boundaries
were common in St. Clair,
Monroe, and Randolph
counties. The prairie is
located on a bluff that trends northwest to southeast; and like “The rocky hills jutted out to the
others in the vicinity, the bluff is tall, towering over 300 feet highway, the white rock reflecting
above the bottomlands. The bluff is made of limestone, and the hot afternoon sun. Relief was
a blanket of loess caps the bedrock. given only when you passed an
There are two types of vegetation at Fults—the slope supports open cave. Where the trees and
a deciduous forest; and during spring, phacelia blankets the slopes. viney plants were able to grow,
The other type of vegetation is prairie, and while hill prairie bota- columbine littered the rocks, with
nist Robert A. Evers called the prairie “not rich in species. It is the its brilliant, orange–red blossoms
rare or semi-rare species that make this hill prairie important.” dangling on a graceful curved
To explore this prairie, use the 200 wooden steps to climb stem. On top of the hills were the
upward. At the top, you wind your way through overlooks and hill prairies; here, new shoots of
woods; and within a mile, you come out onto the prairie. Little the prairie clovers and grasses
bluestem, Indian grass, and big bluestem are the dominant grass- covered the hillside with a fresh
es. The purples of leadplant, purple prairie clover, purple cone- green. The delicate white blossoms
flower, vervain, and the yellows of puccoon and coreopsis break of the white, blue-eyed grass
up the green carpet, depending on the season. There is no “official broke the pattern of green forbs.
trail” to explore, just narrow “goat paths” that lead to moments Dangerously clinging on the rocky
of discovery. In the spring, look for the white form of blue-eyed overhangs, coreopsis and vervain
grass, a diminutive relative of the iris. In the fall, the pink blos- grew, adding much-needed color
soms of autumn wild onion grace the path. If you look down, you to the harsh rocks.”
might discover a tiger beetle with a green head and a red–brown Susan L. Post, May 9, 1982
body. These are called splendid tiger beetles and occur only along
Illinois’ western edge and in far southern Illinois. In open, sunny
areas, look for gatherings of nectaring butterflies—checkered
white, dainty dwarf, buckeye,
pearl crescents, and monarchs.
If the season is right, you could
wonder through a veritable
small storm of them dancing
around your feet.

THE ILLINOIS STEWARD 21

Loda Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve–
A Black Soil Prairie
Emily Dickinson said “to make a prairie, it takes a bee.” For
Pine Ridge Cemetery Prairie (called Loda), it is has been The
Nature Conservancy, Grand Prairie Friends, and volunteer
stewards. Loda Prairie is a 3.5-acre remnant of virgin, tallgrass
prairie in east-central Illinois. Prior to becoming a nature pre-
serve in 1983, it was part of a 10-acre cemetery for the town-
ship of Loda. The prairie was located in the northern third of
the cemetery and was never platted for burials but was used
as a potter’s field. Thirteen indigents are buried there, the last
in 1951. The only maintenance was mowing once or twice a
year. It was never cultivated or pastured.
In 1976, Natural Area Inventory biologists visited Pine
Ridge Cemetery as part of their statewide search for prairie
remnants. Imagine their surprise when they discovered at the
back of this country cemetery was 3.5 acres of virgin prairie!
Ironically, at about the same time, the cemetery had run out
of space; and the prairie would soon be platted for burials
and “maintained.” Negotiations followed, and a viable solu-
tion (a land swap) was worked out. The Nature Conservancy
purchased 5 acres of adjacent farmland and gave it to the
cemetery association to take care of their expansion needs.
Over 130 species of prairie plants are found here: from
shooting star, downy phlox, and yellow star grass in the
spring; to rattlesnake master and compass plant in the sum-
mer; to prairie blazing-star, asters, and goldenrods in the fall.
A small population of eastern prairie white-fringed orchid
may be found here. This orchid, listed as endangered in
Illinois and on the federal threatened list, is one of the few
orchids characteristic of the prairies of the central United
States. Although once described as “a blanket of white on
the moist low prairie,” at present there are fewer than
60 populations in the United States.
In 2007, Grand Prairie Friends purchased 9 acres of land
“I saw a prairie today.
adjacent to the preserve. Their goal is to introduce native vegeta-
Unlike earlier visitors, tion on the additional land to act as buffer between the high-
I can’t use ‘sea of quality prairie and the adjacent farmland. Beginning this winter
grass,’ although it was in with the planting of 70 species on 3.5 acres, this reconstruction
constant motion. It was more will be one to watch. After all, you have a template right next
like an island—actually, a long door as to how it should look.
finger—scrunched between corn
and a cemetery. Although small, it wasn’t ‘dead,’ Susan L. Post is the staff writer for The Illinois Steward and a sci-
but very much alive; the soil teamed entist with the INHS. Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Michael
with ants, a profusion of rattlesnake R. Jeffords. Illustrations by Lynn Hawkinson Smith.
master grew up a small slope,
accompanied by New Jersey tea and
leadplant. The meadowlarks and blackbirds
sang to the swallowtails, and fritillaries
skimmed silently from blossom to blossom.”
Susan L. Post, June 15, 1986

22 SPRING 2009