Successes

Supporters of the Macon County Conservation Foundation have funded dozens of natural area restoration projects on hundreds of acres of Macon County prairies, wetlands, and forests. In addition, they’ve made many educational and recreational opportunities possible.

Education-Related Successes

  • Designed and constructed the permanent EcoCenter exhibit in Rock Springs Nature Center
  • Created the Rock Springs-Fairview Bike Trail
  • Funded the transportation costs for 10 school buses of local students to take field trips to Rock Springs Nature Center
  • Contributed $40,000 towards EcoCenter exhibit renovations in 2021

Natural Area Restoration

Just because an area looks natural, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s high quality habitat for wildlife.

Natural area restoration is the ongoing process of improving natural areas, so that they better support the needs of native plants and animals. This often involves removing exotic species of plants, which provide less than optimal food and shelter, and replanting areas with native wildflowers and trees.

Seeding Willow Branch
2015-2016

After a successful fundraiser and matching grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation in June 2015, Conservation District volunteers and staff were able to restore part of Willow Branch Conservation Area in Macon, Illinois.

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Removing Exotic Plants
Friends Creek 2017

In 2017, the Conservation Foundation funded the removal of about four acres of invasive species that were encroaching onto the prairies of Friends Creek Conservation Area, near Argenta, IL.

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Connecting Prairies
Sand Creek 2018

Thanks to donors, Conservation District staff connected two fragmented sections of prairie at Sand Creek Conservation Area, located a couple miles south of Decatur.

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Entrance Restoration
Rock Springs 2020

With assistance from the Macon County Conservation Foundation, the entrance of Rock Springs Conservation Area began natural area restoration in 2020.

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Seeding 24 Acres
Fort Daniel 2020

Thanks to generous supporters, the Macon County Conservation Foundation supplied $20,000 of seeds for planting 24 acres of prairie at Fort Daniel Conservation Area.

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