A new kind of conservation initiative seeks to restore the threatened Kishwaukee Fen Nature Preserve in the Village of Lakewood on Sunday, Oct. 17. Three acres here are among the most important rare habitats in Illinois but this 30-acre nature preserve has been overrun by 27 acres of invasive reed canary grass, buckthorn, and other malignant species.
Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, founded in 2020 to rally support for the state’s protected natural areas, is now launching a major recruitment effort to grow its ranks and muster a corps of volunteers to steward the sites in a race against invasive species and climate change.