Nature Foundation donation directs $104,500 to preserve projects

From wetland restoration to a water bottle filling station, The Nature Foundation of Will County’s donations to the Forest Preserve District continue to enhance the preserves and visitor experiences.

Foundation Executive Director Tara Neff presented a check for $104,500 to the Forest Preserve Board at its July 9 meeting.

The donation will support the following projects and programs:

• $50,000 from the Foundation’s wetland restoration fund for wetland and upland buffer restoration work at Hickory Creek Preserve.
• $40,000 from the Citgo Caring For Our Coast program for Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve restoration work.
• $10,000 from a ComEd Green Region program grant for work at Dellwood Park West and Lockport Prairie East Preserve.
• $1,000 from the Will County Land Use Department’s Resource Recovery and Energy Division to install a water bottle refill station and drinking fountain at Sugar Creek Preserve.
• $3,500 for booklets and hiking medallions for the Woods Walk challenge, which begins Sept. 1.

The preserves provide physical and mental health benefits to visitors, Neff said. But they also protect the environment. Forest preserves protect biodiversity, store carbon to regulate the climate, filter stormwater to prevent flooding and improve air quality.

“Protecting (the preserves) isn’t just about beauty,” Neff said. “It’s about safeguarding the very systems that keep us healthy.”