Expanding Lost Flora Fen: Land Acquisition Fundraiser

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Your donation in any amount will allow us to acquire this critical and sensitive area.

No act of generosity is too small to make a difference.

The acquisition of this extremely significant property will allow NLI to add 357 acres to the critically sensitive Lost Flora Fen. Approximately 1.5 miles of Raccoon Creek meanders through the property, fed on site by a number of seeps and springs. This area is home to many threatened and endangered species and is located 3.7 miles upstream from the Nygren Wetland Preserve. With over $1.5 million in hand from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and others, we only need to raise $200,000 to acquire this significant property. Your gift will help protect this area for future generations.

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$200000 Goal

$3399

Total Raised

Champions

Help me raise money for Natural Land Institute to expand the critically sensitive Lost Flora Fen.

Your donation in any amount will support acquisition of 357 acres of land that is adjacent to Lost Flora Fen in northern Winnebago County and protects 1.5 miles of Raccoon Creek that feeds into Nygren Wetland Preserve located 3.7 miles downstream.

Become a Champion

About the Land

creek with curvy tree

This property, adjacent to Natural Land Institute's Lost Flora Fen, is a key acquisition identified in the NLI Raccoon Creek Watershed Protection Plan. It is identified as a "Critical/Sensitive Area" for "Priority Acquisition" in the Greenways Plan for Boone and Winnebago Counties and is also identified in the Strategic Land Conservation Plan of the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County. The property is located on Yale Bridge Road, west of Williams Tree Farm.

Raccoon Creek

Approximately 1.5 miles of Raccoon Creek meanders through the property, fed on site by a number of seeps and springs. It is part of a watershed that begins well north of the Illinois-Wisconsin border and drains into the Pecatonica River after going through the Nygren Wetland Preserve.

Bird Population

Over 100 species of birds are known to utilize the habitat north of Yale Bridge Road, including many grassland and wetland birds. Some of the many species include warblers, nesting Bobolinks, Sandhill Cranes, Barred Owls, and Alder and Willow Flycatchers.

Plant Communities

There is a wide range of plant communities present at this unique property, from forest to wetland. Like the adjacent Lost Flora Fen, several of the plant species are threatened, endangered or rare.

Dragonflies, Butterflies, Bees and Bugs

To date 38 species of dragonflies have been identified at the adjacent Lost Flora Fen. One of those species, the Band-winged Meadowhawk, is classified as "imperiled in the state because of rarity, with only 6-20 individuals recorded." Butterflies found at the neighboring Lost Flora Fen total 33 species, including the Silver-bordered Fritillary and the Dion Skipper. Twenty species of insects have been identified, including the Broad-winged Bush Katydid, as well as several bee species including the Half-black Bumble Bee.

Your Gift Will Make a Difference!

The closing for this property is set for later this spring, so it is critical that NLI secure the funds for this acquisition in the next two months! Your donation in any amount will allow us to acquire this critical and sensitive area.

This acquisition will significantly expand the adjacent Lost Flora Fen and will give us direct access to it. Your donation will also help protect the health and integrity of the very important Raccoon Creek. With over $1.5 million in hand from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and others, we only need to raise $200,000 to acquire this significant property.

Thank you so much for doing your part to protect the quality of preserved land in Winnebago County and provide habitat for all the creatures, big and small!