Baber Woods Nature Preserve

As a part of its 50th anniversary celebrations The Nature Conservancy in Illinois is proud to feature places around the state that were protected by the organization and its partners.

Many of these places are now owned and managed other organizations and agencies, each of whom plays an important role in the continued health of Illinois' most important natural areas.

Illinois Projects

Nachusa Grasslands

Indian Boundary Prairies

Beyond Illinois

The Great Lakes

The Great Rivers Partnership

Introduction
Prior to European settlement, Native Americans employed fire to attract and trap animals grazing across a vast savanna that stretched across Illinois. Dotted with scattered patches of oak and hickory, the grasslands and other native habitat slowly faded away as the population increased and regular burning subsided. Over the years, a thick forest of sugar maple and other woodland vegetation dominated the former savanna – making it a distant memory throughout most of the region.

Today, the 59-acre Baber Woods Nature Preserve, located in Edgar County in southeastern Illinois, is of the best remaining remnants of the oak-hickory forests that once characterizing this landscape. Originally acquired by the Baber family in 1835, the property remains virtually undisturbed after more than a century of minimal use. In order to ensure it remains that way, the family generously donated Baber Woods to The Nature Conservancy in 1974.

Natural History
The transformation from a savanna with scattered stands of oak and hickory – to a thick, forested landscape of sugar maple and other vegetation – significantly decreased the diversity and variety of wildlife residing across east-central Illinois. However, while sugar maples have overtaken most of the region’s original forested habitat, white oak and hickory still preside over Baber Woods. The property also boasts black oak, ash, elm and walnut, and a rich diversity of wildflowers and ferns.

Today
Still part of The Nature Conservancy’s portfolio of nature preserves, Baber Woods has undergone significant restoration in recent years. In an effort to recapture some history, the Conservancy has been working with the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and Eastern Illinois University to remove sugar maples and invasive vegetation, and institute long-term monitoring at the property. The restoration will not only preserve diminishing habitat, but will also recapture an important part of Illinois’ natural history.

Links
Embarras Volunteer Stewards
Illinois Department of Natural Resources