But even more important, heightening public awareness of nature leads to more active participation in conservation and restoration efforts. National Historic Landmark One of Chicago Wilderness' major demonstration projects is the Glenview Park District's The Grove National Historic Landmark. The goal of this project is to restore 110 acres of oak woodlands, prairie and savanna ecosystems and to develop a protocol with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for restoration of herpetofauna. The principal investigator is Stephan Swanson, director of The Grove. A unique aspect of The Grove is its available detailed natural history records, which date back to 1836.
Early records show that the landscape was open grasslands with groves of huge oak trees.
The existence of such presetdement information is immensely valuable for biodiversity restoration. Woodlands, prairies and wetlands are being restored at the site and dense non-native plants like European buckthorn and garlic mustard removed. Controlled burns will be reintroduced to prepare the soil for seeding with native plants. Great egret at the Glenview Park District's The Grove, where a major restoration project is underway, funded by Chicago VWfefefness. An aphrodite military visits a black-eyed suson in the Chicago Wilderness.