BNSF grant helps breathe life into Will County’s oldest preserve
The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s first and oldest preserve is getting spruced up just in time for a Centennial Celebration marking the Forest Preserve’s first 100 years.
Thanks to a $5,000 grant from the BNSF Railway Foundation secured by The Nature Foundation of Will County, a portion of Messenger Woods Nature Preserve will benefit from additional habitat restoration.
The grant will fund invasive species control as well as selective thinning of the tree understory, said Nick Budde, ecology coordinator for the Forest Preserve District. Thinning the understory will help improve the availability of sunlight on the forest floor, promoting a healthier woodland.
“The goal of this project is to enhance native plant diversity and improve natural regeneration processes and ecosystem health,” Nick said, adding that the grant funds will add to previous restoration work at Messenger Woods.
Messenger Woods is the oldest Will County preserve, dating back to 1930, just a few years after the Forest Preserve District formally organized in 1927. The preserve was originally 144 acres, but today it has grown to 549 acres.
The preserve’s habitat includes high-quality remnant woodlands as well as Spring Creek and its tributary. It was dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1994, which affords it higher levels of protection.
State nature preserves are identified as being important to protect threatened and endangered species as well as Illinois’ natural heritage. In the case of Messenger Woods, the designation recognizes the land’s rich woodlands and diverse plant life in the spring, Nick said.
Because it is an old-growth woodland, the preserve is home to many mature oak and maple trees with large canopies that shade the ground below. In the spring, the forest floor becomes carpeted with ephemeral wildflowers, including Virginia bluebells and white trillium, Nick said. It’s also home to a diverse range of woodland birds and amphibians like the spotted salamander.
The work funded with the BNSF grant is scheduled to be completed by June 2027. It is part of the Forest Preserve District’s efforts to improve the quality of life in Will County, both for its residents and the native flora and fauna.
“Grant funding allows the Forest Preserve District to expand these efforts and accelerate habitat restoration across its preserves,” Nick said. “The outcomes are fundamental to the District’s ecological management goals.”
The BNSF Railway Foundation supports educational, cultural and other worthy programs through grants and volunteering. Since 2000, the BNSF Foundation has contributed more than $240 million to communities it serves.
“We are so grateful for corporate partners like BNSF Railway that invest in communities to help improve quality of life,” said Tara Neff, The Nature Foundation’s executive director. “With their funds, we help expand the District’s restoration, recreation and environmental education work throughout the year.”
