Natural Flowing Rivers are Best Illinois has a longer border with the Mississippi River than any other state. The Mississippi is one of the longest rivers in the world, and it is an essential part of our national heritage. Problem: Man-made Navigation and Flood Control Projects Our big rivers have suffered over a century of […]
Pollinators & Monarch Butterflies
Embrace the Dandelion to Protect Our Pollinators We rely on pollinators like bees and butterflies to give us the food we need to live. The iconic black and orange monarch butterfly, for example, has long captured our imagination. Their unique annual migratory journey from Mexico across the Midwest to Canada and back and their noble […]
Habitat Restoration & Land Conservation
A Healthy Ecosystem Relies on Abundant Habitat A healthy ecosystem includes diverse species all living in an interconnected system or life. Illinois is home to over 50,000 different species including 400 bird, 200 fish, and 60 mammal species. Forests along rivers in Illinois are home to more overwintering bald eagles than any other state outside […]
Invasive Species
Native Species Must be Protected A century ago, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal was hailed as an engineering masterpiece. Built to carry sewage and ships, the canal created an artificial connection between the Great Lakes basin and the Mississippi River Valley – two ecosystems that evolved separately for millennia. Today the canal has become […]
Regenerative Agriculture
A Healthy Land Means a Healthy Ecosystem Food production and conservation can go hand-in-hand. Problem: Business As Usual Threatens Water Quality and Degrades Soil Illinois is dominated by corn and soybeans. These crops are planted every year with the use of large quantities of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, (in combination with genetically modified seeds), […]
