Project Update

Wetland Restoration Project
at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve (updated 9/3/08)

Project History

One of the few remaining native prairies in DuPage County thrives on the north side of St. Charles Road in Glen Ellyn. The 29-acre Churchill Prairie is the second largest native prairie in the county and was named an Illinois Nature Preserve in 1993. Sedge meadow, wet prairie, mesic prairie, shrub prairie and prairie restoration communities can be found at this site. Hundreds of native plant species have been recorded here, including several rare plant species.

Changes in recent years have resulted in the fragmenting of the site from historic connections with surface and ground water hydrology systems. One of the effects of this fragmentation is that reed canary grass has formed dense monocultures and is spreading in to the adjacent higher quality sedge meadows.

Project Funding

This project was partially funded by a $33,000 grant from the Northeastern Illinois Wetlands Conservation Account (NEIWCA), which finances projects that restore, enhance or replace functions of degraded wetland habitats in northeastern Illinois. The Natural Resource Management crew will contribute considerable time and materials (totaling $41,000 of in-kind services) to the project as well.

Project Overview

The goal of this wetland enhancement project is to eradicate the monoculture of reed canary grass in the wet prairie and sedge meadow areas and subsequently seed and plant desirable native species.
This work will begin with three herbicide applications in 2008 and 2009. District crews have begun to remove invasive woody species. The planting and seeding will occur in Spring 2010.

Project Images