Wetland Restoration

Restoration of native Illinois landscapes is sometimes seen as returning the landscape to pre-settlement conditions, looking back at the way things were. But restoration is really about protecting our future with an environment that supports and enhances our needs and lifestyles.

Ecological restoration offers direct, practical benefits to our quality of life by:

• Increasing the diversity of plants and animals,
• Stabilizing soil and preventing erosion,
• Improving the quality and increasing the quantity of water,
• Providing recreational opportunities, and
• Making the landscape more beautiful,
• Raising surrounding property values.

Many of our wetland, woodland, and prairie communities are fighting for survival. Many have been divided into smaller and smaller parcels, and invasive plants have been allowed to run rampant. As the native plants disappear, so do butterflies, frogs, birds and many other forms of wildlife that rely on them for survival. As we repair these areas, snow and rainwater are pumped back into the ground, ensuring long-term access to clean water. Carbon is captured and kept out of the atmosphere where it is a main cause of global warming with its unpredictable effects.

Follow the links below to see a snapshot of Openlands’ restoration work throughout the region:

• Prairie Creek Savanna
• Dellwood Park West
• Des Plaines River Conservation Area
• Lake Renwick East
• Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve
• Long Seep Run Nature Preserve
• Mola Tract
• Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve