Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve (Photo by Anthony Schalk) The Nature Foundation of Will County received a $40,000 through CITGO’s Caring for Our Coast environmental improvement initiative to fund restoration work at a forest preserve that is home to some of the rarest habitat and species in Illinois and even the world. Funds will be used to complete vital restoration work to protect and enhance habitat for endangered and threatened plant and animal species found at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, which is near CITGO’s Lemont refinery. Romeoville Prairie is part of the Des Plaines River preservation system and includes dolomite prairie, one of the rarest habitats in the world. Nearby Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve is also home to the globally rare habitat. Dolomite prairie is a grass and wildflower habitat that grows in thin soil over dolomite bedrock, said Nick Budde, ecology coordinator for the Forest Preserve District. It is rare because it requires a highly specific combination of geology, hydrology, soil and disturbance. “The Des Plaines River corridor in Will County happens to provide that combination particularly well,” Nick said. “The Des Plaines River Valley literally cuts through an area where Silurian dolomite bedrock is exposed or lies very close to the surface.” Only about 140 acres of dolomite prairie exist in Illinois, and it is found only in the northern part of the state, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Because of the uniqueness of the habitat and the species it protects, Romeoville Prairie is designated as a state nature preserve. The state identifies these areas, which can be publicly or privately owned, as important for protecting the state's natural heritage as well as threatened and endangered species. Illinois’ state nature preserves are home to more than 20% of all endangered species present in the state, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “Ecological management is needed to maintain and enhance the habitat quality and the conditions required by these endangered or threatened dolomite-restricted species,” Nick said. Restoration work funded by the grant focuses on controlling invasive species, Nick said, adding that the work will be completed in fall 2026. Dolomite prairie is particularly vulnerable to invasive species, altered hydrology and the accumulation of thatch and woody debris. “These changes can reduce native plant diversity, alter ecological processes and eventually transform open prairie into shrubland or woodland,” Nick said. This is the second consecutive year we’ve received funding from CITGO for restoration work at Romeoville Prairie. “Budgets can only fund so much work. Grants like these help accelerate the amount ecological management the Forest Preserve District can complete in any given year,” said Tara Neff, the Foundation’s executive director. The Nature Foundation was one of 15 nonprofit groups to receive this year’s grants, which totaled $620,000. Since 2014, CITGO has awarded more than $9.8 million through Caring for Our Coast. CITGO’s commitment to the initiative has helped fund more than 19,767 acres of habitat restoration in Illinois and along the Gulf Coast. Investments like these help preserve our natural and cultural heritage, ensuring future generations experience the same beauty, biodiversity and environmental benefits these natural areas provide.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is inviting educators to spend a day learning about Native peoples’ history and contemporary culture in a professional development workshop aligned with Illinois teaching mandates. The workshop, titled Towards Just Learning Environments: Teaching and Learning With and About Native Peoples, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Oct. 13, and the cost to attend is $20 per person. Educators can earn 6 CEUs for completing the workshop. The Nature Foundation is providing financial support to bring the session to the Forest Preserve District. The daylong professional development includes discussion and conversation aimed at helping educators teach about Native peoples’ culture and way of life through both historical and contemporary viewpoints as required by state law and Illinois learning standards, said Jen Guest, a facility supervisor for the Forest Preserve District. The program is intended for both formal and informal educators, including classroom teachers, school administrators, library personnel, naturalists, environmental educators, zoo and museum staff, and homeschool educators. “It’s an opportunity to learn more and find resources that help support the state’s curriculum,” Jen said. The workshop will be led by Native educators from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. Instruction and discussion will focus on key concepts in the state’s learning standards. These include topics such as Native American relocation, self-determination, tribal sovereignty and tribal treaties. Additional topics include the contributions of Native Americans to their nations and to the United States as well as information about the large urban Native American population in Illinois. The Chicago area is home to the largest urban Native community in the Midwest, with individuals from more than 150 different Nations, Jen said. Historically, education about Native nations has focused on the past, but one point of emphasis in the workshop will be contemporary Native Americans. “We need to remember and recognize that these are living cultures and there are Native people all around us,” Jen said. “There are Native people in our programs, visiting our museums, in our schools, in the lessons we are teaching.” Educators will also learn how to incorporate First Voice perspectives in their lessons. First Voice focuses on the idea that Native people share their own stories and information about their culture, Jen said. “It’s very important that Native people are telling their own stories,” she said. “While they may not all be cultural experts, they carry a deep connection to their traditions, and many are willing to share with those who want to learn.” During the workshop, participants will enjoy a catered lunch, which The Nature Foundation is funding. Including a communal meal for participants to enjoy together was intentional, Jen said. “Having a meal together is an important part of community and sharing experiences. That is central to many Native cultures,” she said. “Sharing food together and having conversation and nourishment, whether that’s mind or body, is an important part of it.” Hosting the workshop is a way for the Forest Preserve District to continue its commitment to building a relationship with the Native community and being a place to share Native voices. “It’s important to us because we want to have the opportunity for people to learn and also for Native people to share stories about their people,” Jen said. “Indigenous allyship is something that we are continuously working on.”

The Nature Foundation of Will County has been awarded a $10,000 grant to fund restoration work that will protect globally rare and endangered plant species and enhance habitat for vital pollinators. The grant will fund habitat restoration work on 59 acres at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Lockport Prairie East Preserve and the adjacent Dellwood Park West, which is owned and managed by the Lockport Township Park District. It was awarded by the Green Region Grant program, which aims to help northern Illinois communities plan, expand and restore open spaces. It is administered through a partnership between ComEd and Openlands. Both Lockport Prairie East and Dellwood Park West are home to rare dolomite prairie habitat and several endangered and rare plant species only grow in this specific habitat, said Chris Hanley, restoration ecologist for the Forest Preserve District. The restoration work will help support leafy prairie clover (Dalea foliosa), which is federally and state endangered, and slender sandwort (Minuartia patula) which is state endangered. The site also supports a variety of pollinating insects. In 2024, a federally endangered insect was spotted at Lockport Prairie East, the first time the species had been spotted in the Will County preserves in many decades. The discovery underscores the importance of controlling and removing invasive species to support the diverse native plant species that make this such a high-quality natural area. The grant will fund herbicide treatments and prescribed fire to remove invasive plants, Chris said. The final step of the project is supplemental seeding. Work began this year and will continue through winter 2027. “Funding from grant programs such as these is extremely helpful and important to the work we do,” Chris said. “They help to ensure we are protecting our highest quality and most sensitive natural areas and allow us to expand our management footprint.” Because Lockport Prairie East and Dellwood Park West are contiguous, the site is treated as one project area. Restoration work is completed under a cooperative agreement with the Lockport Township Park District, with the Forest Preserve overseeing land management and the Park District providing financial support. “This collaboration is key to protecting the federally listed species that make Lockport Prairie East and Dellwood Park West their home,” Chris said. The Forest Preserve District received Green Region Grants twice previously. In 2018, it received the grant for tallgrass prairie restoration at Prairie Bluff Preserve, and in 2014 the grant funded trail and habitat enhancements at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve. Through grants such as these, The Nature Foundation helps the Forest Preserve District stretch its dollars — and its impact. These additional funds help the Forest Preserve protect these high-quality natural areas for future generations to enjoy.