Progress and Ambition in Illinois

Fresh Water, Farming & Family: Leadership and Vision

From flooded fields to crop loss during droughts, farmers are on the front line of many of the impacts of climate change. That’s why The Nature Conservancy is working with the agricultural community—fostering innovations in technology, collaborating with producers to use resources more efficiently and promoting policies that enable sustainability. 

Read about our work to help nature thrive while feeding the world.

At Dogtooth Bend, a peninsula in southern Illinois where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers converge, years of flooding have taken a significant toll on local farmers. Guided by a belief that solutions are possible, we are helping farmers leverage federal dollars to improve freshwater flows and secure financial stability for their families.

Read more about Dogtooth Bend and other areas of the country where TNC is restoring floodplains.

Bison Rising: Nachusa Grasslands, Present and Future

TNC has worked to restore Nachusa Grasslands since the 1980s. There are many indicators of success—recovery of several species including bison, hundreds of engaged volunteers, and increased understanding of how to restore native prairie.

Recent points of pride include:

• The construction of a new visitor and research center, made possible by generous supporters after a devastating fire.
• Relocating bison from the Nachusa herd to Indigenous lands as part of our growing efforts to work alongside and in support of these communities and their goals.

From the Halls of Influence to the Fireline: Women Leading the Way

It is diversity that makes nature work. That truism also applies to conservation. The Nature Conservancy’s work is best advanced when diverse teams, partners, and local communities are working together to better understand and protect the planet. That’s why in Illinois, we are lifting up the vision, innovation and hard work of the women who are changing the face of conservation.

One Key Strategy: More Women in Fire 

Many forests and grasslands need fire to trigger cycles of renewal and to reduce fuel loads. TNC has promoted and expanded the use of prescribed fire for decades. Today, as damaging wildfires become more frequent and more severe in the face of climate change, we see significant demand for skilled professionals who know how to manage fire. TNC is working to bring more women to the fireline in Illinois and beyond.

The Illinois-Belize Connection: Local to Global Conservation

After the Amazon, Mesoamerica's Maya Forest is the largest remaining tropical rainforest in the Americas. In 2021, the Nature Conservancy and a coalition of partners conserved 236,000 acres of the Maya Forest in Belize that harbors an incredible array of wildlife including 400 speices of birds - a success that has significance for our local bird populations. 

Our land conservation work around the world not only protects wildlife habitat, but also helps in the global effort to combat climate change. Whether in Belize or Illinois, when forests, grasslands and other natural systems are removed, the carbon they store escapes into the atmosphere.