Who We Are

Many visitors to our preserves come to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, or to observe wildlife in a native surrounding. Even when they are leashed, dogs disrupt native wildlife habitats and patterns. Many wild animals are sensitive to the very presence of dogs in their environment. 

Many people are afraid of dogs, especially children. Your dog may be the friendliest animal on the face of the earth, but other people don’t know that.

Click here for more information on our no dogs policy

Many of our native plants are dwindling in number as human activity diminishes or destroys their environments. The prairies are a good example; they used to cover millions of acres in the midwest, but now there are only a few areas where they can be seen. Accordingly, many of the plants that grew in them are now rare in the wild. Picking native wildflowers and other plants only hastens their demise. 

Prior to 1830, when central Illinois was tall grass prairie and savanna, fire was a natural part the ecosystem. Fires set by lightning and Native Americans kept the prairies from becoming brushlands and forests. 

Fire benefits native plant growth by burning off dead accumulated plant material. Fire kills the above ground parts of shrubs and small trees. Prairie plants grow more vigorously when built-up plant materials and shade are removed.

Prescribed burning is carefully planned and controlled to manage natural areas such as prairie, oak savanna, and oak woodlands. It is conducted only under safe conditions. If you wish to assist ParkLands Foundation on a prescribed burn, contact our Land Steward for more information.

If ParkLands did not exist, the preserves where you are hiking today would not exist. They would almost certainly have been developed and dotted with private homes by now. 

Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every citizen has access to the simple pleasure of walking in the woods, watching birds and mammals, seeing wildflowers in season, taking photographs and learning about our natural heritage. A key to ParkLands progress is a broad base of support through dues-paying members and a strong active membership is essential for our continued success. If you and your family wish to continue to see it succeed, we encourage you to become members of ParkLands Foundation.

The “hat” shape of the logo characterizes the outline of the Mackinaw River watershed, which drains ~730,000 acres of land in Central Illinois.  The colored stripes represent layers of our environment; the base brown color for soil, green for plants, blue for water, and red for wildlife.