Following more than 10 years of restoration efforts at Waterfall Glen, about 50 kinds of native plants bloom there in the summer and 20 different species of birds have moved into the area, said Wayne Lampa of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. Sometimes, part of the problem is simply identifying and mapping areas in need of preservation and restoration. An important ongoing project that addresses this issue is called the Greenways Plan which was co-authored by Openlands Project and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Greenways are corridors of open land that follow the course of rivers, railroads, utility lines or other natural or human pathways. Examples include bike trails, streams flanked by forest preserves, and the parks stretched along Chicago's lakefront.
Greenways provide great places for recreation, such as bicycling, hiking, canoeing, and fishing.
Home to many plant and animals, greenways offer protection from flooding and natural filters that trap pollutants before they reach waterways. The Greenways Plan identifies 1,600 miles of greenways in northeastern Illinois and establishes the priorities that guide Openlands Project's work on greenways. Because of all the units of local government in northeastern Illinois, there haven't been many opportunities for them to come together and think about the green infrastructure. Openlands will establish special protection and management for the stream corridors. The group is also working to secure protection for a greenway corridor between Calumet Park on Chicago's South Side and the Shabonna Woods Forest Preserve and the West Fork of the DuPage River.