The Callaway Nature Preserve is located in Rockford, Illinois. Situated in an modest neighborhood with old trees, it is the home that Eddie and Jennie grew up in.
The property has a 1/4 acre backyard and the neighboring houses have many large deciduous trees. An old railroad line once ran through the back border of the yard, and the land is sloped still from it.
Over the years, the backyard has evolved through the hard work on The Birdfreak Team. We planted many native plants including cupplants, coneflowers, brown-eyed susans, cardinal flowers and more. At one time there was a large vegetable garden, but the growing trees soon shaded it out and the area was repurposed with native plants.
While we don’t work on the preserve much anymore, it still retains its wildness.
In 2008 the Callaway Nature Preserve became a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. #98,168
The number of birds sighted on the Callaway Nature Preserve? 114 species
