The Liberty Prairie Conservancy leads the effort to defend and restore the Liberty Prairie Reserve. Located in the heart of rapidly developing Lake County, the Liberty Prairie Reserve shelters 3,000 acres of tallgrass prairie, wetlands, oak savannas, rolling farm fields and forest. This rare convergence of ecosystems, well within the sprawling reaches of suburbia, is an unexpected oasis of natural beauty.

As a network of protected properties that includes farmland, private residences and publicly owned open space, the Reserve is unique. It is home to 13 threatened or endangered plant and animal species and encompasses three Illinois Nature Preserves, which provide the state’s highest level of legal protection for ecologically significant land.

As steward of the Liberty Prairie Reserve, the Conservancy works with elected officials, private property owners and corporations, and it collaborates with local and regional organizations on environmental, transportation and growth issues. The Conservancy’s programs include Summer in the Prairie (an outdoor environmental program for children), school field trips, a prairie curriculum for elementary students, an ecology monitoring program, seminars on native landscaping and land management, internships, the Prairie Pedal (an annual bike ride that attracts over 600 cyclists), bird watching, and naturalist-led walks.

Under the leadership of the Liberty Prairie Conservancy, volunteers and professionals labor to safeguard the Reserve’s existing ecosystems and to make lasting improvements. Some of the projects already underway include:

The Liberty Prairie Conservancy is not funded by tax dollars and depends on members and friends for support. By joining or volunteering for the Conservancy, you can help to preserve a rare piece of our scenic and ecological heritage. For information about the Liberty Prairie Reserve, please call them at 847-548-5989.