Habitat Improvement Program
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Habitat Improvement Program works to create ecological conditions that sustain and preserve native plant and animal communities in the county's prairies, wetlands and woodlands. District staff and volunteers work to clear invasive vegetation, propagate native plant species and, in some cases, reintroduce native wildlife in order to maintain the biodiversity of some of the county's high-quality open spaces.
What methods are used in the Habitat Improvement Program?
Restoration efforts replicate natural forces that have been eliminated or reduced over the past century. The natural-resource-management tools that are used as part of this program greatly depend upon the specific goals of each site. Prescription fire may be used at a prairie to give native grasses and forbs the advantage over nonnative, fire-intolerant species. Brush clearing may be used at a woodland where highly invasive buckthorn dominates the understory. Other methods include:
- Planting thousands of native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers to restore the plant diversity that once existed
- Reintroducing wildlife species of special concern
- Returning native shoreline vegetation to help prevent streambank erosion
- Educating the public about the function and importance of natural communities
Why improve our natural habitats?
In the early 1800s, DuPage County was a land of open prairies, wetlands and savannas.These areas teemed with wildlife and attracted explorers and settlers alike. As the land became more populated, settlers began to farm the rich black soils that resulted from prairie development.Through these early farming practices, the land was overturned, and the fires, so important to prairie, wetland and woodland ecology, were halted.The landscape began to change.
Today, the District has acquired nearly 25,000 acres of open spaces, but these lands have had to respond to a magnitude of frequent change over the past 150 years. Through the introduction of exotic species, alterations in drainage and habitat fragmentation, native plants and animals have been disappearing from DuPage County.The effects of these changes need to be reversed in order to ensure a biologically diverse area for future DuPage County residents.
Why do forest preserves exist?
The Illinois Downstate Forest Preserve Act of 1913 states that forest preserve agencies: "Acquire lands... for the purpose of protecting and preserving the flora, fauna and scenic beauties... and to restore, restock, protect and preserve... such lands together with their flora and fauna, as nearly as may be, in their natural state and condition..." The District's restoration efforts are designed to fulfill this mandate.
Community Involvement
Natural Resource Management Volunteers
Each year, hundreds of dedicated DuPage County citizens volunteer at the preserves to restore native prairie and woodland communities by collecting and planting seeds, cutting brush and helping to remove undesirable, invasive, weedy vegetation. Other projects include conducting plant and animal surveys, monitoring wildlife populations and taking photographs to document work efforts. District volunteers play an important role in restoration efforts by providing dedicated hands and the expertise needed at the grass-roots level. For more information on how you can join these efforts, call Volunteer Services at (630) 933-7681.
Teacher and Student Involvement
The District’s Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center offers hands-on field-study programs for teachers and their students. These fun, age-appropriate educational programs help students develop an awareness of their global and local environments.
Biodiversity Workday (grades 4 and up)
Students think globally and act locally during a three-hour program that features an overview of biodiversity followed by a hike and a restoration-focused work session.
Plant a Tree? Plant a Habitat! (grades 4 – 6)
Students learn about wetlands, prairies or savannas by planting trees, grasses and forbs. This program offers activities about biodiversity, followed by restoration work.
Stream Monitoring (grades 5 and up)
Students learn how to measure the water quality of local streams by searching for insects and other invertebrate species with varying degrees of tolerance to pollution.
For more information about these and other programs that help children understand their role in the environment, call Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center at (630) 850-8110.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5000, Wheaton, IL 60189-5000
email: forest@dupageforest.com (630) 933-7200 Fax: (630) 933-7204 TTY: (800) 526-0857