NATIVE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION
History of the Restoration Site
--Evolution of Illinois Native Ecosystems
--Local Natural and Human History
Role of Buffer Sites in Preserving Biodiversity
Project Goals and Purpose
Restoration Strategy and Methods
Site Biodiversity
Education and Outreach
Project Participants
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History of the Restoration Site The buffer site on 10 Hickory lane is an historic remnant of the once vast savannas and praries of the Chicagoland region whose origins date back to the retreat of the last glacier some 15,000 years ago. Pre-settlement oaks stand on the property, shading the intermittent stream which drains into the Wolf Road Prairie Harrier Marsh. The headwaters to Salt Creek in Cook County begin at this stream known as the Middle Fork. 
photo by Susan Van Horn In pre-historic times, this watershed originated a distance away in DuPage County. Today, because of development, roads and loss of open space, the watershed is greatly diminished. It now begins just upstream of the recovery site on the eastern slopes of the 275 acre Hinsdale/Sexton Landfill. Prior to Save the Prairie Society ownership, the grounds on the five acre property were maintained as mowed turf grass -- and the site comprised one of twelve properties known as Hickory Lane Estates on the western border of Wolf Road Prairie. |
