The restoration project at the Carl and Myrna Nygren Wetland Preserve provides us the unique opportunity to protect significant plant and animal diversity on a large scale.  Restoration of more than 700 acres of wetlands, prairies, forests and savanna will increase precious habitat for a broad array of plant and animal species.  It will ensure that the genetic diversity of local species – some threatened and endangered – will continue to thrive.

In its configuration as a farmed wetland, this area has been able to function as a safe haven for a small number of beavers, muskrats, turkeys, ducks, and geese.  Thousands of migratory waterfowl use the area as a stopover site, particularly in years when spring flood waters cover the land.  Cordgrass, sedges, cone flowers, cup plants, prairie dock, and ironweed persist in a few isolated spots.   We will restore the habitat red fox, bald eagles, badgers, and other animal species depend upon for their survival.  Amphibians, reptiles, and aquatic life will flourish again, and we are optimistic that perhaps even river otters and ermine will return to the land.

The Nygren Wetland will also serve as a significant repository for local diversity of plant species found within northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.  Native seeds have been collected from surrounding lands and planted on the Nygren Preserve, enhancing the protection of local and regional diversity.  This initiative is critical to long-term protection of those plant and animal species unique to our region.  Protection of diverse species proves our dedication to future generations by allowing the opportunity to learn from and be enriched by the natural world.

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