The Nachusa Grasslands shows the effectiveness of the Nature Conservancy

  Nachusa Grasslands owned and operated by the Nature Conservancy
  photo by Ted Nelson

The Nachusa Grasslands are living proof of the effectiveness of the Nature Conservancy and their strategy of conservation. When a charitable donation is made the giver hopes that the gift is put to the best possible use. It can be difficult to measure this as there are always questions about how much of the donation gets to the source and is the money that is offered going to what is important to the donator. 

This is why the Nature Conservancy is a great non-profit because donations made to this organization go towards the purchase of land that is set aside for nature and conservation. It is even possible to eventually visit these parcels of land and enjoy the outdoor experience that these saved areas create. Therefore the charitable donation gives back in the form of outdoor natural enjoyment.

The Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove, Illinois is a perfect example of this formula. It is owned and operated by the Nature Conservancy and it is a 2,800 acre tallgrass prairie located approximately two hours west of Chicago near DeKalb, Illinois. Starting in 1986 the Conservancy has restored the tallgrass prairie in the area with countless hours of volunteer work and the grasslands can now be enjoyed by the public for free, although donations and volunteer work are still needed and appreciated.

The grasslands have taken on a somewhat local cult status lately thanks to a series of photographs taken this winter showing a golden eagle attacking a white-tailed deer. Who would think that something so exciting and wild kingdomlike would occur in the prairie state only two hours from Chicago? For pictures of this exciting encounter click here.

There is a small parking lot just north of Franklin Grove, Illinois where it is possible to hike into the prairie. There is a mowed trail that goes up over a hill, but then almost immediately peters out. Once the trail ends it is possible to explore the acreage cross-country. There are several old farm roads that can be picked up throughout the grasslands that make it easy to explore the park.

  There are woods too in the Nachusa Grasslands
  photo by Ted Nelson

Due to its remote location there are relatively few visitors to the area. Even on a pleasant Saturday afternoon my car was the lone vehicle in the parking lot and only three other visitors were visible over a mile away.

Thanks to charitbable gifts made by previous Nature Conservancy contributors and the thousands of hours spent by volunteers that have restored the prairie it is now open for adventure.  Donate today to the Nature Conservancy so that they can set aside land for nature that we and our children can enjoy tomorrow.

For directions from Chicago use this map in conjuction with directions on the Nachusa Grasslands website:

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