Farm to Floodplain: For over 80 years, farmland at Emiquon in Illinois has been manipulated to remain dry. In 2007, the Nature Conservancy shut down pumps turning 7100 acres into a wetland that attracts thousands of waterfowl and Bald Eagles.
Read more about this project in Jason’s Journal (Jason is the Deputy Director of the Illinois River Program)
Boone County Illinois conserves new land: The Boone County Conservation District recently acquired 80 acres of new land from two separate adjoining land owners. The site will be called the Piscasaw Fen Conservation Area. The site is along a riparian corridor and contains both woodland and wetland habitats. The acquisition was funded by grants from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, the Grand Victoria Foundation and Chum’s Foundation.
Organization of the year: The Nature Conservancy in Illinois has been named Organization of the Year at the 2008 Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet for 50 years of extraordinary contributions.
