Nachusa Grasslands

The Nachusa Grasslands is a restored tallgrass prairie near Franklin Grove in Lee County and Ogle County, Illinois. It is managed by The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers.

History

Most of northern Illinois was tallgrass prairie at the time of statehood in 1818. In the ensuing century, the vast majority of this prairie was plowed up for arable farmland. A Nature Conservancy planning process, aimed at building a restored tallgrass prairie ecosystem in Illinois, commenced in 1985; the first major land acquisition, of , occurred in 1986. More acreage has been added to create the current open space of .

Bison reintroduction

The Nachusa Grasslands planning process called for running up to 100 American bison (''Bison bison'', also commonly known as "buffalo") on approximately of the preserve. Thirty bison were released on the Nachusa Grasslands in October 2014. The bison were added to the approximately 700 species logged at the prairie. In April 2015, free-range bison calves were born, adding to hope that the Nachusa herd could be managed so as to be self-sustaining. , 14 calves have been born at Nachusa.

Visitor center

The preserve's visitor center includes nearby trailheads, a pavilion with interpretive signage, self-composting restrooms, and a potable water supply.''Nachuse Visitor Center Receives Architecture Award'' ''The Nature of Illinois'' Magazine Published by the Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy Spring 2021 edition Page 6 In 2021 it won an architecture award from the
American Society of Landscape Architects. Attributes included fulfilling its mission without overpowering the surrounding landscape and that "the facility draws visitors into an interpretive rich shelter framing distant views telling the story of the vast prairie beyond"

February 2020 fire

In February 2020 a fire destroyed the site's pole barn along with much of the equipment used to care for the preserve. ''Building Nachusa Foreward'' ''The Nature of Illinois'' Magazine Spring 2021 edition Page 3 Published by the Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy The replacement plans include expansion to allow more space for convening volunteers, partners, scientists and community leaders.

References

{{Reflist, refs=
{{Cite news , last=Esarey , first=Sharman , url=http://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-21/news/vw-416_1_prairie-plants , title=New Prairie Created From Ground Up , date=October 21, 1989 , work=Los Angeles Times
{{Cite web , url=http://www.nachusagrasslands.org/ , title=Friends of Nachusa Grasslands , access-date=2020-01-03
{{Cite news , last=Gregory , first=Ted , url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-bison-return-illinois-met-20141006-story.html#page=1 , title=After a century, bison return to Illinois , date=October 6, 2014 , work=Chicago Tribune
{{Cite news , last=Gregory , first=Ted , url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/pets/ct-baby-bison-20150406-story.html , title=Baby bison is Illinois' first in nearly two centuries , date=April 8, 2015 , work=Chicago Tribune
{{Cite news , last=Gregory , first=Ted , url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-bison-baby-births-met-20150702-story.html , title=Illinois bison busy as rabbits, prairie ambassadors , date=July 3, 2015 , work=Chicago Tribune
{{Cite news , last=Gregory , first=Ted , url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-bison-births-20150920-story.html , title=Native bison roam again on restored prairie west of Chicago , date=September 20, 2015 , work=Los Angeles Times

Protected areas of Lee County, Illinois
Bison herds
Grasslands of Illinois
Nature Conservancy preserves
1986 establishments in Illinois
Protected areas established in 1986