If you visit our Mission, Vision, and Values page, you’ll see one of our strategic goals: help create communities where conservation is embraced as a core value.
Recently, I received a beautiful reminder that this goal is actively coming to life. Lisa Hjorth, a member and donor of The Conservation Foundation in Naperville’s Atwater development community, reached out to share that residents were beside themselves with excitement. This spring, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, along with two baby colts, have been spotted strolling through the neighborhood and its natural areas — just in time for American Wetlands Month.
Sandhill Cranes used to be quite uncommon in our area due to the loss of habitat, especially wetlands. They are now on the come-back trail and we are seeing more of them as they adapt to our changing landscape and find refuge in our forest preserves and restored wetlands.
Eight years ago, the former Country Lakes golf course was redeveloped into the Atwater community. As part of our Natural Areas Assurance Program, The Conservation Foundation has been involved in the ecological management of its 90 acres of wetlands and natural areas from the very beginning. Watching a vibrant, shared community of humans and nature spring up from what used to be an abandoned sterile golf course has been incredibly gratifying.
Lisa and her husband, Larry, have become amazing advocates for connecting their neighbors with what they call their “other-than-human neighbors.”
Residents first spotted a single Sandhill Crane in March of 2020. The following year, a nesting pair successfully raised a colt that migrated with them that fall. While pairs have nested every year since, none of the colts have survived the season. This year, the neighborhood is fervently hoping the trend turns around.
The cranes have completely captured the community’s heart. The neighborhood WhatsApp group constantly buzzes with sightings, videos, and photos. One neighbor even published a book of poems that she wrote based on the observations outside her window, while another retired neighbor shared:
“On Monday, the cranes walked by on the sidewalk like any other individuals enjoying a stroll around the block. They have become a part of our neighborhood, a part of our family. They are so beautiful.”
As Lisa puts it, living near these prairies and wetlands is “mystical, magical… and humbling.” Lisa says “every day there is something awe-inspiring to experience.”
This is exactly what we work for: people and nature living in harmony. We are seeing similar community engagement at the Winchester Glen in Carpentersville, another similar property where we manage the natural areas within a planned development.
Both people and wildlife need places to thrive. With the right planning and partnerships, conservation-minded developments can enhance the quality of life for everyone. This is the true embodiment of our identity as a “reasoned voice for conservation.”
Your support and the enthusiasm of advocates like Lisa and Larry allow us to be at the table when these developments are planned, constructed, and managed for the long haul. Thank you so much for profoundly impacting the lives of local residents — and their non-human neighbors!