A glimpse of the unique forest of white oak and black maple with very open ground layer.
On September 2, 2025 the Natural Land Institute (NLI) closed on the acquisition of 20.5 acres of land that protects a remnant of old growth forest near the Pecatonica River. The property is a long, narrow triangle along the north side of Blair Road including a bit bordering Best Road on its east side, one mile northwest of the Village of Pecatonica. The land is across the road from the Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve and together protect a complex of natural land and preserve the rural character of this area. There are few public rural roads that remain a tunnel through the forest like this portion of Blair Road.
The land was purchased from ArnetaReining whose family has lived on the land since 1947. Arneta wanted the land “left like it is for nature” and added if her “folks had been alive at this time, they would have liked to have seen this”.
Upon seeing the land for the first time, Alan Branhagen, NLI’s Executive Director, said “My first reaction was the forest is really exceptional with its mix of Black Maple and White Oak like I’ve seen nowhere else, and the lack of invasive species was astonishing.”
The forest is very unique in its composition containing a continuous stand of Black Maples mixed with White Oaks and Northern Red Oaks, with some Black Walnuts and Hackberry along its eastern edge. It protects nesting habitat for several birds on the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan including Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker, Acadian Flycatcher, and Wood Thrush.
The forest is also unique in that it has virtually no invasion by invasive shrubs (bush honeysuckles, buckthorn and burning bush) that have swallowed up the understory of most of our local woodlands. Initial assessments of the site’s flora include carpets of Wild Geranium, both species of Wild Leeks, Virginia Bluebells, Sweet Joe Pye-weed and Short’s Aster. The site includes an inordinate showing of fungi “mushrooms” and the undisturbed nature of the forest with associated living soils full of fungi might be responsible for its invasive-free look.
All photos by Alan Branhagen unless otherwise noted.
Black maples and some chokecherries can be seen in this view.
Alan Branhagen with large black maple. Photo by Zach Grycan
Zach Grycan, NLI’s Director of Stewardship, stands next to a large Northern Red Oak.
Wild blue lettuce with sweat bees on the flowers.
Zach Grycan looking down at Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica).
Wild leek (Allium tricoccum)
Chicago wild leek (Allium burdickii) flowers and goes to seed earlier than the wild leek species.
White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda)
A shaggy mane type of mushroom (fungi)
Shelf mushroom (fungi)
Shelf mushroom on a tree trunk (fungi)
View of the underside of a Mushroom (fungi)