• Conservation,  Upper Sangamon

    Charlotte & Dan Brady Nature Preserve

    bluebells in brady woods

    The Land Conservation Foundation has great news to announce! On January 26, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission gave final approval for the dedication of our Brady Woods property in western Champaign County as a Nature Preserve. Dedicating land as a Nature Preserve is the greatest protection land can be granted in Illinois.  Brady Woods protects a biologically diverse stretch of the Sangamon River and associated forest. The preserve is on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory for outstanding aquatic resources, especially freshwater mussels. It is now the Charlotte and Dan Brady Woods Nature Preserve. Join us in celebrating this exciting accomplishment.  Brady Woods is a showcase for spring wildflowers—bluebells in particular,…

  • Education,  Upper Sangamon

    Celebrate Mudpuppy Day January 30

    Our popular Mudpuppy Festival is on hold this year, but we’re still honoring the Sangamon River’s coolest creature! The city of Monticello has proclaimed Saturday, January 30, as Mudpuppy Day. To celebrate, our new Kids page offers fun family activities, including Scavenger Hunt Bingo for our Bruce Hannon Levee Trail, and a beautiful coloring book, Mandy’s Prairie Home.

  • Native plantings at Lincoln Trail Homestead SP — Help is Needed!!

    Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park

    Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial will be closing its gate on November 1st.  Our greatest wish is that you have enjoyed the park this season and have many happy memories spent there.  The park offered a very nice alternative for handling Covid-19.  Many improvements were made to improve the park however we have one more project that must be completed before the park closes for the winter. Money from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation’s Stewardship Challenge Grant allowed us to purchase 100 native plants to be planted throughout the park.  Unfortunately the nursery just delivered the plants at this late date.  Due to the lateness of the delivered…

  • Tree Plantings at Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial

    ‘Parkway” tree planting this Friday, October 9th, starting at 9:00 AM. Planting in the park will begin at 9:00 AM on Saturday, October 10th Saturday, October 3, was the beginning of a very busy week at Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial.  A dedicated group worked Saturday morning removing more bush honeysuckle throughout the park.  It was the last Restoration Day of a very successful season of eliminating this invasive plant. This coming Thursday, October 8, 68 trees will be delivered to the park. 20 of the trees will be planted in “islands” along the Lincoln Memorial Parkway.  If you recall, two years ago, with the assistance of the…

  • Restoration Work Day – Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park

    We’ll be removing bush honeysuckle and general park maintenance. Please wear gloves and a mask. As always, we appreciate any amount of time you can give. There have been so many improvements made with the removal of bush honeysuckle and this will be our last opportunity this year. To the many volunteers who have given their time to improve this beautiful park as the site of Abraham Lincoln’s family first home in Illinois, we are so grateful.