Reservation Woods, located in Kendall County, is that almost-mythical “Hundred Acre Wood” popularized in Winnie the Pooh and other stories.
Renowned Illinois ecologist Dick Young felt that it was the highest-quality woods in all of Kendall County. These 100 or so acres have been surrounded by farm fields, broken from the prairie sod, for more than a century, with housing developments creeping up on two sides more recently. They are not choked with honeysuckle and buckthorn or crowded with garlic mustard like so many of our other woodlands are.
 |
 |
|
Photo by Ray Silva
|
A fall trek amongst these sheltering oaks and hickories
makes you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time, and in spring, it’s a symphony of bluebells with a deafening frog chorus. Having been virtually untouched and unspoiled all these years, Reservation Woods provides vital habitat for wildlife, and a true connection to the past and the
natural heritage
of Kendall County.
natural heritage
of Kendall County.
Reservation Woods been divided over the years into small parcels with a variety of owners.
Thanks to the generosity and foresight of our members and donors, we have previously helped preserve about 25% of Reservation Woods.
Thanks to the generosity and foresight of our members and donors, we have previously helped preserve about 25% of Reservation Woods.
And we are elated to announce that in just the past month, we have been able to purchase two more properties, totaling 10 additional acres!
It will happen piece by piece, but longterm, the vision is for all of Reservation Woods to be protected and in the care of the Kendall County Forest Preserve District for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. The 200+ acre Henneberry Woods Forest Preserve is right next to it, and together the two are a substantial tract of wild land, a haven for people and wildlife.
______________________
In Kendall County as in all of our region,
preserved natural areas have provided a safe place for us all to
lose our worries and find our sanity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
lose our worries and find our sanity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those natural areas were there for us
because of visionary leaders and loyal donor support that
ensured their preservation.
ensured their preservation.
Your gift to the Strengthening Our Foundation $75K Challenge will ensure we continue to preserve lands like Reservation Woods
so that whatever challenges await our future generations, they will have nature to turn to,
as we in 2020 have.
so that whatever challenges await our future generations, they will have nature to turn to,
as we in 2020 have.
