Connecting Prairies

Thanks to donors, Conservation District staff connected two fragmented sections of prairie at Sand Creek Conservation Area, located a couple miles south of Decatur, IL. By removing a line of undesirable tree species and invasive plants in 2018, staff now have easy access to a field of cool season grasses. This begins the process of transitioning that grassy field into native prairie habitat, like the one adjoining it. This reduces the number of invasive plants, removes them as seed sources, and benefits grassland birds that require large expanses of prairie to move and find food.