Friends' Nature Restoration Communities

Few people today have glimpsed true Illinois: the unbroken land that first met the eyes of European settlers 150 years ago. But stand in a cemetery prairie and you might find yourself experiencing a portal through time.

In cooperation with many agencies, Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves have readied tools, plans, and authorizations to do the “eco first aid” that will save these areas from loss by neglect. Friends are launching a month-long marathon of cemetery prairie eco-restoration workdays across the northern half of the state to care for these irreplaceable sites.

Calling all nature lovers, action-takers, people who like to work together to make change: all are invited to join in to cut brush that shades out prairie plants at Temperance Hill Cemetery Prairie

Few people today have glimpsed true Illinois: the unbroken land that first met the eyes of European settlers 150 years ago. But stand in a cemetery prairie and you might find yourself experiencing a portal through time.

In cooperation with many agencies, Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves have readied tools, plans, and authorizations to do the “eco first aid” that will save these areas from loss by neglect. Friends are launching a month-long marathon of cemetery prairie eco-restoration workdays across the northern half of the state to care for these irreplaceable sites.

Calling all nature lovers, action-takers, people who like to work together to make change: all are invited to join in to cut brush that shades out prairie plants at Broughton Cemetery Prairie

Nestled in the confluence of the Des Plaines, DuPage, Illinois, and Kankakee Rivers, are a patchwork of remnant prairies that have survived against all odds in the Four Rivers area of Will & Grundy Counties. What was once an uninterrupted landscape of prairie as far as the eye could see, is now a constellation of fragmented sites whose survival hangs in the balance. Home to countless threatened and endangered species, this imperiled ecosystem needs our help. Although these sites have the highest legal protections in the state, they are not spared the degradation that comes from insufficient management resources. Volunteer support can make a life-or-death difference that no land owner or government agency can do alone.

The Four Rivers Peregrines will be a new volunteer steward community dedicated to restoring and preserving the remnant prairies of Will & Gundy Counties. Modeled by two communities of “The Peregrines” in the Chicago area, the Four Rivers Peregrines will travel to ecologically important prairies to do targeted restoration work.

Might you be inspired to make a difference for nature near you? Everyone has a role to play - learn to chop brush, collect seeds from native plants, and become intimately familiar with the landscape and help provide the specialized care needed to save these prairies for future generations.

All are welcome - no experience necessary.

What to wear:
Long sleeves and pants in natural fibers like cotton or wool and close-toed shoes you don't mind getting dirty. Work gloves will be provided, but feel free to bring your own.

What to bring:
Yourself & your friends! All tools will be provided.