_{From left to right are Foundation Executive Director Tara Neff, Forest Preserve Deputy Director Adam Oestmann, Forest Preserve Board Vice President Destinee Ortiz, Forest Preserve Executive Director Tracy Chapman, and Forest Preserve Board and Foundation Board members Julie Berkowicz, Elnalyn Costa and Dawn Bullock. (Photo by Cindy Wojdyla Cain)}

The Nature Foundation of Will County’s quarterly donation to the Forest Preserve District totaled $50,125.

Tara Neff, the Foundation’s executive director, presented the Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners with the check on Dec. 11.

“The Nature Foundation’s mission is to support everything you love about the Forest Preserve District,” Neff said.

She said the Foundation backs the District as it protects and restores critical wildlife habitat, provides information so people can appreciate the natural world, and offers accessible recreational opportunities that improve physical and mental health.

The donation included:

• $5,000 from Nicor Gas to help the Forest Preserve’s conservation department remove invasive species at McKinley Woods. The work will improve the viewshed and biodiversity at the site.
• $20,000 from Union Pacific Railroad and $5,000 from Constellation Energy for stewardship activities at the 315-acre Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve. “This supports the Forest Preserve District’s broader conservation goals by protecting the investment in past restoration work and expanding habitat management into high-priority areas,” Neff said.

The Foundation also supported “The State of Water: Our Most Valuable Resource” exhibit at Four Rivers, which runs through Jan. 7, as well as the fabrication and installation of interpretive signs at Riverview Farmstead Preserve, Joliet Iron Works Historic Site and Isle a la Cache Museum.

And Foundation donors provided funds to purchase a drinking fountain for Hidden Lakes Trout Farm and a new bicycle rack for Isle a la Cache preserve. Both items will be installed in 2026.

Neff noted that the Foundation has launched a year-end fundraising drive with the theme “You Need Nature – Nature Needs You.” The goal is $65,000, and donations so far total almost $43,000. To join the campaign, visit the foundation’s website and click the "Donate Now" button.