GALENA – Some land asks to be left alone.

Some asks to be restored.

Across Jo Daviess County, protected prairies, forests and wetlands are becoming both a refuge for wildlife and places where people can rediscover the value of open space.

Making it all possible: The Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation. Established in 1993, the nonprofit protects roughly 1,500 acres throughout the rolling landscape of Jo Daviess County; preserving land, water, wildlife habitats and indigenous cultural sites while connecting the public to nature through recreation, education and research.

For Jillian Jablonski, the foundation’s senior director of land stewardship, its mission is more than just owning land. Her work focuses on ecological restoration and long-term management, helping preserve and rebuild the species and ecosystems that once defined the region.

“We are a conservation land trust, so our primary focus is preserving, protecting and restoring natural communities throughout northwest Illinois,” Jablonski said. “It’s all about conserving, restoring and protecting all of these resources that we have. Some of our preserves have remnant oak savannas or remnant prairies. They’re part of the original ecosystems that were here and have been unchanged, and they are pretty rare and pretty special. We need to protect those areas from being degraded.”

The foundation’s restoration work includes rebuilding native ecosystems and improving habitat quality for fish, birds, pollinators and other wildlife, while also providing practical benefits such as flood control and agricultural pollination support. At Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve south of Galena, land once primarily pasture has been reseeded with locally sourced native plants to help restore its historic landscape.

“Casper Bluff was mostly pasture, and when we acquired the property most of it was seeded with locally sourced native seed to essentially recreate this natural community,” Jablonski said. “It’s about conserving these remnant, original populations that we may have. It’s conserving native species that we have through the restoration of properties, and it’s also taking a broader lens not just at the land itself, but to the fish and wildlife that require a certain level of quality habitat.”

The nonprofit also stewards sites with Indigenous significance, including burial mounds and ceremonial grounds, while partnering with the Ho-Chunk Nation to ensure culturally appropriate care. Those relationships help reconnect tribal communities with ancestral lands throughout the Driftless Region. In addition, the foundation maintains an education and outreach branch that visits schools and hosts events connecting residents with local ecosystems and environmental stewardship.

Jablonski said the work benefits more than wildlife.

“It’s good for us as humans,” Jablonski said. “Having green space is incredibly beneficial for many reasons. There’s a mental health aspect of just being out in nature, and just being able to go on a walk. When Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation was first formed, there was a pretty minimal amount of public land to access and to get out to recreate in the county. We’re able to offer a great number of outdoor recreation trails and spaces for people spread throughout the county.”

In Galena, Buehler Preserve offers visitors an uncommon mix of habitats along the Galena River, east of its historic downtown. The preserve’s location, where river and land, meet creates a unique ecological corridor that attracts wildlife not often found elsewhere.

“You get a lot of different wildlife species that you might not have otherwise,” Jablonski said. “There are birds that you are more likely to see around river corridors, and there are beavers that build lodges somewhere in the area. In the spring, we have a Frog Walk out there because there are a lot of wetland areas, and we have kids who go out and look for frogs. At Buehler, you have this interface between the land and the river, and it’s special for that reason.”

Casper Bluff blends scenic overlooks with deep cultural history. The site contains a series of Indigenous burial mounds, including the last remaining Thunderbird effigy mound in Illinois, shaped like the powerful spiritual figure found in Native cosmology. The site also features Mississippi River views, and will host insect educators and scientists from the Field Museum on July 25 for a presentation showcasing insect collections.

The foundation works alongside the Ho-Chunk in stewarding Casper Bluff, preserving the mounds and educating visitors about the people who once inhabited the land.

“These are essentially the equivalent of cemeteries, and we manage those to be culturally sensitive,” Jablonski said.

Horseshoe Mound, another Galena-area preserve, is best known for its panoramic views, which include views from the top of its bluff that reach as far as Iowa and Wisconsin. The preserve includes a council ring overlook with built-in seating and serves as a popular destination for astronomy enthusiasts, including its annual Meteors on the Mound event held around the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in mid-August.

Big Sky Preserve near Stockton is the foundation’s largest preserve at roughly 900 acres and includes the Valley of Eden grassland habitat. The preserve has become a success story for restoring declining bird populations in the region. Its location near the Mississippi Flyway also makes it a prime stopover for migratory birds.

“One of the best stories of Big Sky is the grassland bird population,” Jablonski said. “Valley of Eden is an important bird area specifically because grassland birds, and there is a very healthy population of Henslow’s sparrows, bobolink and a bunch of other grassland bird species that were in significant decline until not too long ago. Their populations are starting to rebound and level off; bobolink populations are still a big concern nationwide. You can go into the grasslands there and there are grassland birds everywhere.”

Near Warren, Rutherford Refuge contains one of the county’s last remaining sedge meadows, along with a diverse blend of wetland, creek, prairie, woodland and savanna. The preserve is undergoing ecological restoration while showcasing seasonal wildflowers and hosting an annual spring wildflower walk each May.

Schurmeier Teaching Forest south of Elizabeth offers a quieter experience, with wooded walking trails and informational signs that create a self-guided educational tour focused on local flora.

Wapello Land and Water Reserve, south of Hanover, combines restored prairieland with archaeological significance. The site preserves Native cultural history while also supporting rare species’ habitats, including the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee.

Also near Hanover, Witkowsky State Wildlife Area is operated jointly with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and features 10 miles of trails. The property contains remnants of the former Hanover Earth Station, once an AT&T satellite communications facility active during the 1970s and 1980s that handled long-distance telephone calls via satellite.

Galena Gateway Park, operated in partnership with the City of Galena, offers visitors scenic glimpses of the city while serving as another example of the foundation’s collaborative stewardship work throughout the region.

Most preserves are open to the public year-round and offer hiking, wildlife viewing and educational opportunities. Exceptions include Mąą Pįį, also known as Good Earth, and Keough Effigy Mounds, both near Galena. Good Earth hosts occasional public events, while Keough is currently undergoing maintenance. Mąą Pįį (pronounced “mon-pee” in the native Ho-Chunk language) features multiple burial mounds, restored prairie, and ongoing forest and woodland restoration, while also serving as a traditional fasting site used to facilitate solitude, spiritual reflection and connection with nature. The site will host an open house June 20.

The foundation relies entirely on donations, memberships and volunteer support rather than tax dollars. Community members can contribute financially, purchase memberships to stay connected with the organization’s work, or volunteer during preserve workdays and restoration projects.

Foundation executive director Steve Barg said that donor and volunteer support has allowed the organization to preserve and maintain spaces that might not otherwise exist as public destinations in Jo Daviess County.

“For 33 years, our nonprofit foundation has dedicated itself to preserving and caring for unique natural areas in northwest Illinois,” Barg said. “Since Jo Daviess County lacks a tax levy to establish and maintain parks and recreational spaces, JDCF fulfills this role without the use of local tax funds. Beloved locations like Casper Bluff and Horseshoe Mound exist solely due to the generosity of over 1,000 donors and volunteers who support us.”

Those efforts, Jablonski added, ultimately ensure residents and visitors alike have nearby places to experience nature, wildlife and quiet outdoor recreation.

“I like being able to have these spaces to enjoy,” Jablonski said. “It’s an element to the joy and happiness of where I live, and have areas where I can go out and get outside, hear birds, see wildlife and experience nature close to home, and are well maintained. Being able to see how our preserves support healthy populations of wildlife species and sustaining them is so important.”

In preserving prairies, wetlands, forests and culturally significant landscapes, the foundation has built a network of spaces that serves both ecological and human needs. It is protecting what makes Jo Daviess County naturally distinct while ensuring future generations can experience it for themselves.

“In this area, it’s so special to have these places,” Jablonski said. “We’re in a beautiful area.”

More information

The Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation operates the following preserves in Jo Daviess County:

• Buehler Preserve, 102 Jefferson Street, Galena

• Big Sky Nature Reserve and Valley of Eden Bird Sanctuary, 5557 South Massbach Road, Stockton

• Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve, 870 South Pilot Knob Road, Galena

• Galena Gateway Park (jointly operated with the City of Galena), 9300 Powder Hill Road, Galena

• Horseshoe Mound Preserve, 1679 Blackjack Road, Galena

• Keough Effigy Mounds Land and Water Reserve (currently closed to the public), 1683 North Cross Road, Galena

• Mąą Pįį (Good Earth) Preserve (open only for special events), 1221 North Ferry Landing Road, Galena

• Rutherford Refuge, 9532 East Twin Bridges Road, Warren

• Schurmeier Teaching Forest, 147 East Reusch Road, Elizabeth

• Wapello Land and Water Reserve, 8642 state Route 84, Hanover

• Witkowsky State Wildlife Area (jointly operated with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources), 4518 South Blackjack Road, Hanover

Find it on Facebook, go to jdcf.org or call 815-858-9100 for more information.