Prairie/Wetland restoration in Plainfield, Ill., Will County. Partners funds will be used to purchase plant material or seeds for up to three acres of a phase I prairie restoration by two private landowners. The landowners are undertaking an ambitious project to restore up to 40 acres of their property along Lily Cache Creek. This will include aggressive control of invasive brush (especially buckthorn) in a wet prairie remnant in the floodplain, and creation of mesic-dry prairie in the immediately adjacent upland (currently an agricultural field).

Wetland Plants at Schaumburg High School, Cook County. Partners funds will be used to purchase and install wetland plugs as part of an ongoing eight acre wetland restoration/education project located on the grounds of the Schaumburg High School. Other activities associated with this project have included removal of invasive woody species.

Springbrook Nature Center Native Shrubs, Itasca, Ill., DuPage County. Partners funds will be used to purchase and deliver native wetland shrubs as part of a larger restoration project involving up to eight acres of wetland and riparian habitat along Springbrook Creek, Itasca, Ill. Other activities associated with the larger project include invasive species removal and management. Shrubs planted through this agreement will help replace cover and food previously provided by invasive woody species.

Longview Meadow Native Shrubs, Long Grove, Ill., Lake County. Partners funds will be used by the Lake Forest Park District to purchase and deliver native wetland shrubs. The shrubs will be planted to replace up to 1.5 acres of cover and food formerly provided by invasive woody species removed during prior phases of a larger restoration project involving up to 10 acres of wetland and riparian habitat along Indian Creek, Ill. There is a known heron rookery on site.

Wetland Plant/Seed Purchase, Wilmington, Ill., Will County. Partners funds will be used to purchase wetland plants and seeds as part of a two-acre restoration of a shallow floodplain marsh along Forked Creek. The project is being undertaken by a private landowner who already has restored substantial upland habitat (woodland and grassland) and recently opened his property for a day-long open house ?wildlife habitat demonstration? for other private landowners. Partners on other phases of the project include the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Sand Prairie-Savanna Enhancement near St. Anne, Ill., Kankakee County. Partners funds were used to purchase appropriate native seeds to augment seeds placed on a two acre sand prairie-savanna restoration project. The landowners had previously seeded a mesic prairie mix provided by the Illinois DNR. That seed mix provided little diversity, and did not include many native species found on similar soils nearby. The landowners intend to plant the seeds after a prescribed burn planned for next spring. The site is located less than 0.3 mile from the Iroquois River, and the landowners have documented numerous migratory bird species in the prairie and savanna.

Aspen control at Sweet Fern Meadow Land and Water Reserve, Hopkins Park, Ill., Kankakee County. Partners funds will be used to purchase herbicide to treat up to five acres of invasive quaking aspen and bigtooth aspen now forming a thicket within a high-quality wet meadow-sand savanna complex in Pembroke Township, Ill. The landowner will contract the cutting of aspen trees, and will apply the herbicide to cut stumps herself (she is a licensed Illinois Applicator).

Wetland Restoration at Subat Forest Preserve, near Yorkville, Ill., Kendall, County. Partners funds will be used by the Kendall County Forest Preserve District to create, restore and/or enhance up to 10 acres of shallow wetland. The formerly farmed wetland will require construction of a low berm, some removal of drainage tile, and seeding with appropriate native species to enhance its value as breeding and loafing habitat for migratory birds.