Subat Forest Preserve’s diversity of habitat a natural wonder in Kendall County

The Kendall County Forest Preserve District maintains an archipelago of more than a dozen natural properties spread across the county, providing ample space for visitors to enjoy nature’s wonders.

Among them is the Subat Forest Preserve, which covers about 71 acres along the west side of Eldamain Road in Plano, between Schaefer Road on the north and River Road on the south.

Subat’s natural spaces include oak-hickory forest, restored prairie and marsh and fen wetland areas.

Kendall County Grounds and Natural Resources Division supervisor Antoinette White says the Subat preserve is special.

“Subat has a large diversity of habitat in a small area,” White said.

A walk through Subat’s restored prairie grassland features a variety of flowering plants.

“It’s nice that the prairie blooms out in stages,” White said, meaning there always is something colorful for visitors to see.

During a recent walk along through the cut-grass pathway that provides visitors with wide-open views of the preserve, nature was indeed blooming.

There is the wild bergamot plant, also known as bee balm, with its light purple or lavender flower which produces a nectar that is irresistible to bees, butterflies and other insects.

Then there is the gray headed coneflower, featuring the cone in the center of the bloom and bright, canary yellow petals.

Bumble bees buzz about the scene, but leave human visitors alone as they flit from flower to flower.

Other plants of note include rosinweed, which produces a bright yellow flower, and the compass plant, which White said can be used like a compass.

“The plants orientate their leaves so they are not directly facing the sun,” White said.

Yet another is the beautiful Queen Anne’s lace, which despite its delicate appearance, White describes as a hearty plant.

The forest preserve district is working to make Subat’s wonders more accessible and enjoyable for all.

A $1.4 million project includes a multiuse trail, reconfigured parking area and access improvements from Eldamain Road.

The project’s centerpiece will be the Subat Nature Center pavilion, a three-season facility designed to showcase educational exhibits and provide site interpretation focused on the preserve’s wildlife and habitat areas.

The parking area will accommodate school buses and a wetland boardwalk is to be constructed under the plan.

Work on the project is expected to get underway in spring 2024.

Funding for the project comes from an $800,000 bequest by the late John and Mary Subat, from whom the forest preserve district purchased the property in 2001, along with a $600,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

A separate portion of the property was donated to the district by The Conservation Foundation.