Natural Land Institute

THE NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PRESERVING NATURAL LAND.

LAND PRESERVATION - PROTECT NATURAL AREAS THROUGH ACQUISITION OR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. WHEN NLI HEARD THAT THE RUMAGE FAMILY WAS SELLING A 357 ACRE FARM, LOCATED ALONG YALE BRIDGE ROAD IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ABUTTING OUR 40 ACRE LOST FLORA FEN PRESERVE, AND IT HAD 1.5 MILES OF RACCOON CREEK RUNNING THROUGH IT, WE CALLED THE FAMILY RIGHT AWAY. A GRANT FROM THE ILLINOIS CLEAN ENERGY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, AND SUPPORT FROM NLI DONORS ALLOWED US TO CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY IN JUNE OF 2021. THERE ARE A WIDE RANGE OF PLANT COMMUNITIES PRESENT AT THE RUMAGE FARM AND LOST FLORA FEN, NOW CALLED LOST FLORA FEN ON RACCOON CREEK. THE CREEK MEANDERS THROUGH THE EAST SIDE OF THE FARM, FED ON SITE BY A NUMBER OF SEEPS AND SPRINGS. IT IS PART OF A WATERSHED THAT EXTENDS WELL NORTH OF THE ILLINOIS-WISCONSIN BORDER. THE LOST FLORA FEN'S HIGH QUALITY SEDGE MEADOW AND WET PRAIRIE COMMUNITIES CONNECT CONTIGUOUSLY WITH THE RUMAGE FARM PROVIDING A CONNECTED LANDSCAPE. TO DATE 91 SPECIES OF INSECTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND MORE THAN 100 SPECIES OF BIRDS ARE KNOWN TO USE THE HABITAT, INCLUDING MANY WARBLERS, GRASSLAND BIRDS, WETLAND BIRDS SUCH AS SANDHILL CRANES, AND OCCASIONALLY WHOOPING CRANES DURING MIGRATION. A NEW BIRD MONITORING PROGRAM INITIATED THIS YEAR REVEALED NESTING BOBOLINKS, DICKCISSELS, EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, AND OTHER GRASSLAND ASSOCIATES. RESTORATION ACTIVITIES IN THE COMING YEARS WILL AIM TO RESTORE ADDITIONAL HABITAT FOR THESE BIRDS BUT WILL ALSO ADD HABITAT FOR INSECTS, BATS, AND MANY OTHER ANIMALS ACROSS ITS ALMOST 400 ACRES. NEARLY 1 MILES OF RACCOON CREEK CONTAINS A NUMBER OF FRESHWATER MUSSELS INCLUDING PIMPLEBACKS, THREE RIDGE MUSSELS, WABASH PIGTOES, GIANT FLOATERS, FATMUCKETS, PLAIN POCKETBOOKS, AND BLACK SANDSHELLS. FRESHWATER MUSSEL DIVERSITY IS AN INDICATOR OF STREAM HEALTH.THE ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES COMMISSION, AT THEIR MAY 11, 2021 MEETING, DEDICATED 98.93 ACRES OF THE NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE'S BURR OAK VALLEY PRESERVE AS AN ILLINOIS STATE NATURE PRESERVE AND NATURE PRESERVE BUFFER. THE QUALIFYING FEATURES FOR DEDICATION AS A NATURE PRESERVE ARE 4 STATE-LISTED PLANT SPECIES AND 1 FEDERALLY LISTED INSECT. A GRADE C DRY DOLOMITE PRAIRIE IS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT FEATURE. THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR THE COMMISSION ESTABLISHING THE BURR OAK VALLEY NATURE PRESERVE IS TO PROTECT THE HIGH-QUALITY DRY DOLOMITE PRAIRIE AND ITS INHABITANTS AS THERE ARE ONLY AS MANY AS 140 ACRES OF SUCH HABITAT LEFT IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.NLI NOW HOLDS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO PROTECT THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THE 16-ACRE CASPER CREEK NATURAL CEMETERY. CONSERVATION VALUES INCLUDE NATURAL COMMUNITIES, WATER QUALITY, RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL USES, AND OPEN SPACE FOR SCENIC ENJOYMENT. NLI'S EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE PROPERTY WITH A CONSERVATION EASEMENT WAS FUNDED BY THE BRUBAKER CHARITABLE TRUST. THE JO DAVIESS CONSERVATION FOUNDATION OWNS THE LAND AND DONATED THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP FUND FOR NLI TO MONITOR AND DEFEND THE EASEMENT IN PERPETUITY. THE SITE IS A NATURAL AREA WITH MESIC UPLAND FOREST, COOL-SEASON GRASSLAND TO BE PLANTED IN PRAIRIE, AND STREAM. THE NATURAL CEMETERY WILL ALSO BE USED FOR NATURE OBSERVATION, BIRD WATCHING, HIKING, AND CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING. NLI ADVOCATED FOR THE PROTECTION OF BELL BOWL PRAIRIE, LOCATED AT THE CHICAGO ROCKFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. AIRPORT EXPANSION PLANS INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT ON THIS PRAIRIE, A PORTION OF WHICH IS AN ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITE (INAI) THAT HAS NOT ONLY HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE TO ROCKFORD FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF CAMP GRANT AND THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, BUT HOSTS A SIGNIFICANT NATURAL DRY GRAVEL PRAIRIE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. IT IS ONE OF THE FEW OF THESE LEFT IN ILLINOIS AND MANY MIGRATORY BIRDS REST THERE ON THEIR JOURNEY, ATTRACTING BIRDERS FROM ACROSS THE MIDWEST. NLI'S FOUNDER, GEORGE B. FELL, FOUGHT TO PROTECT THIS PIECE OF OUR HISTORIC ILLINOIS LANDSCAPE AND AT ONE TIME SAVED IT FROM THE BULLDOZERS. THE ENTIRE PRAIRIE IS 25 ACRES, WITH 4.88 ACRES LISTED AS THE INAI. THE NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE AND ITS MANY PARTNERS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF STEWARDING THE BELL BOWL PRAIRIE. IN 2021, THE RUSTY PATCHED BUMBLE BEE, A FEDERALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES, WAS OBSERVED ON THE PRAIRIE. NLI PARTICIPATED IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE IDNR AND THE ILLINOIS ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTION BOARD. NLI HOPES THE CONSULTATION PROCESS LEADS TO WORKING WITH ALL PARTIES TO ALTER THE FOOTPRINT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND BELL BOWL PRAIRIE CAN BE SAVEDIN DECEMBER, NLI PURCHASED WHITE WOOD RIDGE, 55 ACRES IN CARROLL COUNTY ADJACENT TO MISSISSIPPI PALISADES STATE PARK. THE LAND HAS STEEP RAVINES AND WAS PURCHASED BY A GRANT FROM THE ILLINOIS CLEAN ENERGY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND GENEROUS DONORS.

NYGREN WETLAND PRESERVE - RESTORATION OF 721-ACRE PRESERVE AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE ROCK AND PECATONICA RIVERS. FAMILY NATURE ADVENTURES WAS AN ONLINE SUMMER EVENT IN 2021. ALONG WITH EARNING A JUNIOR NATURALIST BADGE AND CERTIFICATE, THOSE WHO EARNED A BADGE HAD THEIR NAME PUT INTO THREE DRAWINGS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PRIZES. WE PROVIDED NATURE-THEMED ACTIVITIES AS A WAY FOR KIDS TO GET OUTSIDE AND EARN A JUNIOR NATURALIST BADGE. WE INVITED OUR PAST LEARNING STATION HOSTS TO CREATE A VIDEO OF THEIR ACTIVITY. MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE WATCHED A TOTAL OF 14 DIFFERENT VIDEOS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. HONONEGAH HIGH SCHOOL HONORS BIOLOGY STUDENTS USED NYGREN WETLAND PRESERVE AS AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WHERE THEY STUDIED THE WATER QUALITY OF RACCOON CREEK, THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE PRESERVE, OBSERVED PRAIRIE ECOLOGY AND DID A MACROINVERTEBRATE STUDY.WILDLIFE MONITORING WAS CONDUCTED BY VOLUNTEERS FOR BLUEBIRDS, AMPHIBIANS, BATS, DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES AT NYGREN WETLAND PRESERVE. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS MONITOR BIRDS USING THE EBIRD APP TO ESTABLISH DATA ABOUT BIRDS AND MIGRATION AT THE NYGREN WETLAND. AT THE NYGREN WETLAND PRESERVE, NLI CONTINUES RESTORATION EFFORTS, GROWING AND PLANTING PLUGS FROM OUR GREENHOUSE INTO THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY TYPES AT THE PRESERVE. WE ARE ESTABLISHING A DIVERSE RANGE OF SPECIES IN OUR FLOODPLAIN THAT ARE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THE INVASIVE REED CANARY GRASS AND PROVIDE HABITAT FOR OUR NATIVE FAUNA.

RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRESERVESWILLIAM & GAYLE KEEFER NATURE RESERVE. DONATED TO NLI BY GAYLE KEEFER IN 2017 AND LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF THE VILLAGE OF ROCKTON, THE KEEFER NATURE RESERVE IS 37 ACRES OF DIVERSE LANDSCAPES AND HABITATS. FROM OLD RIVER ROAD YOU CAN SEE A STEEP BLUFF THAT IS HOME TO NUMEROUS OAK TREES AND IN THE SPRING IS COVERED BY CUT-LEAVED TOOTHWORT (CARDAMINE CONCATENTA). HIDDEN FARTHER BACK INTO THE PROPERTY ARE THREE OLD LIMESTONE QUARRIES. ALL OF THIS IS SURROUNDED BY DENSE WOODLAND THAT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK THROUGH. BUCKTHORN AND HONEYSUCKLE ARE BOTH NATIVE TO EUROPE AND ASIA AND ARE THE TWO MAJOR INVASIVE SPECIES ISSUES ON THIS PROPERTY THAT WE ARE WORKING TO REMOVE. WE STARTED BY USING A FORESTRY MOWER TO CLEAR BRUSH AND SMALL TREES ALONG THE PROPERTY BOUNDARY. AS OUR RESTORATION ACTIVITIES PROGRESS, NEW INTERIOR HIKING TRAILS TO VIEW THE RARE CHINQUAPIN OAK HABITAT, OAK SAVANNA RESTORATION, AND PRAIRIE RESTORATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO EXPLORE. RESTORATIONS CONTINUED AT SILVER CREEK WOODS AND LIND- MCGEACHIE PRESERVES WHERE INVASIVE BRUSH CLEARING HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY FOCUS. NLI STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND AMERICORPS SERVICE MEMBERS ALSO TENDED TO WILSON PRAIRIE, HARLEM HILLS PRAIRIE, BEACH CEMETERY PRAIRIE, AND HOWARD D. COLMAN DELLS NATURE PRESERVES. NIEMAN MARSH, IS LOCATED JUST EAST OF PECATONICA AND IS HOME TO MANY PLANTS AND ANIMALS THAT ARE RARE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. THE KING RAIL (RALLUS ELEGANS), ONE OF THE RAREST MARSH BIRDS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS, CAN BE HEARD CLUCKING AND "K-KERRRING" IN THE SEDGE MEADOW AND SHALLOW MARSH HABITATS PRESENT ON SITE. IN COORDINATION WITH ILLINOIS DUCKS UNLIMITED, NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE AND OTHER REGIONAL PARTNERS ARE PARTICIPATING IN A GRANT AWARDED BY THE U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE THROUGH THE NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT (NAWCA). THE PORTION OF THE AWARD ALLOTTED TO NIEMAN MARSH WILL BE USED TO RESTORE HEALTHY WETLAND HABITAT MORE SUITABLE FOR THE SUSTAINED UTILIZATION OF THE SITE BY THE KING RAIL AND OTHER RARE WETLAND SPECIES, SUCH AS AMERICAN BITTERNS, OCCASIONAL YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT BUTTERFLIES, AND BAND-WINGED MEADOWHAWKS, A SPECIES OF DRAGONFLY CLASSIFIED AS IMPERILED IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. RESTORATION ACTIVITIES WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF NIEMAN MARSH THROUGH THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES, CONTROLLED BURNING, AND COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS OF MANY NATIVE PLANTS THAT GROW IN WET PRAIRIES, SEDGE MEADOWS, AND MARSHES

THE SUMMER FAMILY NATURE ADVENTURES PROGRAM WAS HELD AS A HYBRID VIRTUAL EVENT THAT RAN FROM JUNE 23 AUGUST 11. PARTICIPANTS WATCHED A NATURE OR ARTS THEMED VIDEO ON THE NLI WEBSITE AND THEN WENT OUTSIDE FOR THE SUGGESTED ACTIVITY IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD OR A NEARBY PARK. IT WAS ALSO A WAY FOR KIDS TO EARN A JUNIOR NATURALIST BADGE. THIS FREE AND UNIQUE PROGRAM PROVIDED 14 DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. "OAKTOBER" - NLI PARTICIPATED IN THE STATE-WIDE OAKTOBER BY PROMOTING A HIKE THROUGH THE ROLLING HILLS OF BURR OAK VALLEY PRESERVE TO CELEBRATE ALL TYPES OF OAK TREES AND THEIR HABITATS. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS PROMOTED THE CONSERVATION@HOME PROGRAM THROUGH SITE VISITS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE AND SEVERSON DELLS NATURE CENTER CO-SPONSORED THE 10 WEEK SERIES OF HIKES THAT WERE LED BY AREA EXPERTS THROUGHOUT APRIL, MAY AND JUNE. JOINING THE WILDFLOWER WALKABOUT IS A GREAT WAY TO SEE AND LEARN ABOUT OUR AREA'S NATURAL HISTORY, NATIVE PLANTS, AND ANIMALS. HIGHLIGHTS THIS YEAR INCLUDED SEEING WHITE TRILLIUM, CHECKING FOR SNAKES UNDER BOARDS, STANDING UNDER THE STATE'S LARGEST TREE, A SCENIC VIEW OF THE KISHWAUKEE RIVER, A REMNANT DOLOMITE PRAIRIE, GREAT BLUE HERONS, WILD LUPINE, A PAINTED TURTLE, MONARCH CATERPILLARS, AND HILL'S THISTLE IN FULL BLOOM.VIRTUAL BOOK DISCUSSION PROGRAM - NLI LAUNCHED A BOOK DISCUSSION PROGRAM IN JANUARY TO DISCUSS THE BOOK ISHMAEL BY DANIEL QUINN. IN MARCH, THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA: ANATURAL HISTORY OF FOUR MEALS BY MICHAEL POLLAN WAS DISCUSSED. IN APRIL, CHRISTINE SWANBERG HOSTED A DISCUSSION ON NLI'S POETRY AND PROSE ANTHOLOGY, NATURAL VOICES: CELEBRATING NATURE WITH OPENED EYES. NLI PARTNERED WITH ROCKFORD PROMISE WHICH PROVIDES PROMISING SCHOLARS FROM UNDERSERVED SCHOOL DISTRICTS FULL-TUITION COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. ROCKFORD PROMISE ALSO SUPPORTS THOSE SCHOLARS WITH ROBUST COMMUNITY MENTORSHIPS, STRONG ACADEMIC ADVISING AND MEANINGFUL SOCIAL CONNECTIONS TO ENSURE THEY EARN THEIR DEGREES AND JUMPSTART SUCCESSFUL CAREERS. WITH SUPPORT FROM OUR DONORS, NLI PROVIDED TWO PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIPS THIS YEAR TO ENCOURAGE THE SCHOLARS TO PURSUE DEGREES IN NATURAL RESOURCES DISCIPLINES, FROM ECOLOGY TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, BOTANY TO ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY.NLI WELCOMED TWO AMERICORPS MEMBERS TO OUR LAND STEWARDSHIP STAFF IN 2021NLI HELD FALL PRAIRIE HARVEST DAY, ON OCTOBER 2, AT NYGREN WETLAND PRESERVE. INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS COLLECTED SEEDS FROM NATIVE PRAIRIE WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES. THE SEEDS WILL BE USED IN FUTURE PLANTINGS AT NLI PRESERVES.