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Places We Protect

Indian Boundary Prairies

Illinois

A butterfly flying over blazing star flowers in a prairie.
Indian Boundary Prairies Butterflies thrive in the native habitat found at Indian Boundary Prairies. © Travis Kuntzelman

The rare black soil prairie, sand prairie and sedge meadow at Indian Boundary Prairies provide a paradise for pollinators.

Overview

Description

Indian Boundary Prairies, a cluster of five prairie remnants just south of Chicago, comprise the largest remaining example of high-quality grassland in Illinois and one of the best in the Midwest.

With this great diversity of plant and animal life, the Indian Boundary Prairies are a sort of biological “ark” for the future—a living flotilla of hope for the inhabitants of Illinois' once vast prairie community. Because of their importance, a portion of the Indian Boundary Prairies has been named a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

For more information, or to schedule a tour, contact Debra Williams, Community Engagement Specialist, at 708-825-9369.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The preserve headquarters is located at 3454 West 155th Street, Markham, Illinois.

Hours

Dawn to dusk.

Highlights

Visitors can enjoy natural communities that include black soil prairie, sand prairie and sedge meadow. More than 250 species of plants, more than 750 insect species, 13 amphibian and reptile species and more than 90 bird species can be found at Indian Boundary Prairies.

Explore our work in Illinois

Photos from Indian Boundary Prairies

The Indian Boundary Prairies are the largest remaining example of high-quality grassland in Illinois and one of the best in the Midwest.

Dropseed Prairie Signage in a grassy field.
Children looking at a turtle at the Awe of Nature festival.
Closeup of rattlesnake master wildflowers scattered across a grassy prairie.
Four adults ride bikes on a tree-lined path.
A Henslow's sparrow.
A prescribed burn in progress.
A vibrant orange Regal Fritillary butterfly perched on a flower.
Closeup of vibrant red-orange flowers swaying in a grassy prairie.
The moon appears above trees and open prairie.
A volunteer removing invasive brush in a prairie.
Dropseed Prairie Signage in a grassy field.

Dropseed Prairie: Prairie plants abound in the Dropseed Prairie Nature Preserve nestled within the Indian Boundary Prairie Preserve. © Karl Gnaedinger/TNC

Children looking at a turtle at the Awe of Nature festival.

Wildflowers: The Awe of Nature Festival is organized by Indian Boundary Prairie staff every year in October. © Cristina Rutter

Closeup of rattlesnake master wildflowers scattered across a grassy prairie.

Rattlesnake Master: Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a common wildflower found in Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Indian Boundary Prairies. © Timothy S. Long

Four adults ride bikes on a tree-lined path.

Bike the Preserves: Participants ride Bike the Preserves bicycles at the Awe of Nature Festival, a partnership festival of TNC's Indian Boundary Prairies Preserve (IBP). © Joshua Lott

A Henslow's sparrow.

Henslow's Sparrow: The state-threatened Henslow's sparrow is one of many birds that frequent Indian Boundary Prairies. © Mike McDowell

A prescribed burn in progress.

IBP Prescribed Fire Program: Prescribed fire is an important tool used to protect the habitats at Indian Boundary Prairies. © Emilie Pfeiffer

A vibrant orange Regal Fritillary butterfly perched on a flower.

Regal Fritillary: Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) on butterfly milkweed. © Karl Gnaedinger/TNC

Closeup of vibrant red-orange flowers swaying in a grassy prairie.

Paintbrush Prairie Flowers: Wildflowers bloom in a variety of vibrant colors at Indian Boundary Prairies in Markham, Illinois. © Cristina Rutter

The moon appears above trees and open prairie.

Moonlit Prairie: Grasses and full moon in Paintbrush Prairie, Indian Boundary Prairies. © Timothy S. Long

A volunteer removing invasive brush in a prairie.

Volunteer Work: Indian Boundary Prairies hosts several volunteer events with partners annually to help with habitat restoration efforts, like removing invasive plants in Paintbrush Prairie. © Timothy S. Long

Support Our Work in Illinois

You can help us do important conservation work in the Indian Boundary Prairies and beyond.

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Preserve History

In 1971, the Gensburg brothers donated 60 acres to TNC to launch the preserve. Fifty years later, the Indian Boundary Prairies are still collaboratively managed between TNC and Northeastern Illinois University. Altogether, the Indian Boundary Prairies have expanded to approximately 468 acres (358 acres managed by The Nature Conservancy) and reside within the municipalities of Markham and Harvey, border the city of Midlothian and are positioned around two major highways. This placement of the prairies surrounded by community offers unique challenges and opportunities for the promotion of the intersection of people and nature and the connection of managed prairie sites with the local communities, in addition to grassland restoration.

Visit

  •  

    Plants

    Natural communities include black soil prairie, sand prairie and sedge meadow. Indian grass, little bluestem and big bluestem are common, with cord grass, bluejoint grass and sedges dominating the wetter swales. Unusual plants found here are small sundrops and narrow-leaved sundew. More than 250 species of plants thrive at the prairies, including the endangered eastern prairie white fringed orchid.

    Animals

    Indian Boundary Prairies are an important sanctuary for butterflies and other animals that require large expanses of high-quality natural area. More than 750 insect species are known to inhabit the prairies, including the Acadian hairstreak, bunchgrass skipper and dreamy dusky wing butterflies. The smooth green snake, eastern milk snake and 11 other species of amphibians and reptiles are found here. Ninety-seven bird species have been recorded, including the Virginian rail, lesser and great yellow legs, savanna sparrows, sandpipers and the state-threatened Henslow's sparrow. The Indian Boundary Prairies are critical habitat for other birds, such as the bobolink and eastern meadowlark. Gray foxes have denned on the prairie for several years.

  • TNC’s Indian Boundary Prairies is made up of five distinct remnant and restored prairie sites and is located in Markham, Illinois.

    Visitors are welcome to explore the following four areas:

  • While visiting, staff recommends that you wear comfortable shoes, apply sunscreen and take precautions against ticks.

    There are no bathroom facilities or drinking fountains, so visitors are encouraged to bring water and pack out what they bring in to help keep our preserve clean for other visitors. 

    The use of Other Power Driven Mobility Devices (OPDMD)s (utility vehicles, ATVs, Segways, golf carts, etc.) on this property has been assessed in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. OPDMDs are prohibited.

  • Indian Boundary Prairies has season-based volunteer opportunities with three main needs throughout the year:

    • Spring/Summer: invasive species management including spraying and pulling invasives plants.
    • Late Summer: seed collection and processing.
    • Fall/Winter: prescribed fire. We provide free fire training to interested volunteers with the expectation that they sign up for several prescribed burns that season. The training window has closed for 2024, but we can add interested volunteers to our waitlist for future opportunities.

    To volunteer for one of these seasonal opportunities at Indian Boundary Prairies, please contact Daniel Misch (daniel.misch@tnc.org).

Current Conservation Work

Stewardship staff work tirelessly year-round to improve the prairie so both plant and animal life can thrive. Work is performed through invasive plant species control, woody brush removal and wetland re-creation. Controlled fires are a critical management tool used to maintaining healthy grassland communities that TNC stewardship staff are incorporating into the landscape. The resulting wetland and prairie ecosystems not only provide valuable habitat for wildlife such as the monarch butterfly and migratory bird species, but also help minimize negative environmental impacts such as flooding in the surrounding communities.

Awe of Nature Festival 2023 (1:30) The Awe of Nature festival is a celebration of community, where connecting people to people and people to nature is the central theme. Held each year at Midlothian Meadows, the festival explores our connection to one another and nature through a variety of activities and experiences.

Primarily located within the city of Markham, or the “Prairie Capital of the Prairie State,” TNC is working to become an active member of the community by partnering with local education, religious and business representatives. The Indian Boundary Prairies serve as a resource to the local community by providing a living laboratory that introduces and invites people to embrace the concept of connecting people and nature in a personal way. Recently established annual programs and events include The Youth Environmental Thinkers paid internship program, the Awe of Nature Festival and Prairie Day.

For more information, or to schedule a tour, contact Debra Williams, Community Engagement Specialist, at 708-825-9369.

Connecting People to Nature

Youth Internship Program The Youth Environmental Thinkers program welcomes young interns every summer to explore the relationship between people and nature. © Lia Montgomery
Touring the Prairie TNC staff provide guided tours of Dropseed Prairie and other habitats at Indian Boundary Prairies. © Ashley Young, ASHX Brand
Family Events Children enjoy the family-friendly activities at the annual Awe of Nature Festival. © Joshua Lott
Youth Environmental Thinkers The Youth Environmental Thinkers (YET) 2024 cohort. © Debra Williams
Removing Invasive Brush Removing invasive species is a vital part of stewardship efforts at Indian Boundary Prairies. © Emilie Pfeiffer
Community Events YET interns and TNC staff attend the Markham Community Tree lighting every year. © Yolanda Richards
Habitat Restoration Removing invasive brush and plants is an important part of stewarding the prairies at Indian Boundary Prairies. © Shane Tripp

Find More Places We Protect

The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 1,500 preserves covering more than 2.5 million acres across all 50 states. These lands protect wildlife and natural systems, serve as living laboratories for innovative science and connect people to the natural world.

See the Complete Map

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