Walk #1: Ken and Deb Behnke residence The native garden of Ken and Deb Behnke is about a quarter acre suburban yard. The hillside yard consists of about 75% to 80% native plants among several habitats. They have a rain garden, a prairie garden, a shade garden and an easy […]

Come explore a variety of habitats on our five-acre property. We have been working to restore our oak woods for over 30 years, adding additional native forbs and woody species every year. More recently, we have established three large prairie gardens, each with a different composition. The oldest of these […]

Jim May & Nan Seidler residence Jim May (renown storyteller and author) and Nan Seidler (talented visual artist) live in Alden Township along 1300 feet of the Nippersink Creek headwaters. The land includes a restored prairie, a remnant shagbark hickory woods, and sustainable farmland and pasture. The restored prairie contains […]

Walk #1: Judy Woodson residence I was so fortunate 5 years ago to find my new home next to a Land Conservancy natural wetland. However, I couldn't see into the wetland because of buckthorn and thistle. My yard also, contained three islands of non native shrubs and garden perennials--Stella de […]

Walk #2: McHenry County Planning & Development Administrative Center, host Scott Kuykendall, Water Specialist In 2011, McHenry County converted areas of conventional turf grass near the entrance of the McHenry County Administrative Building to native plant species as part of xeriscaping and rain garden demonstration projects. The intention of the […]

Twin Creeks Conservation Area, host Ders Anderson The Twin Creeks tour will visit the protected conservation areas within the Twin Creeks development. Openlands purchased the development property which stalled during the 2008 recession, and immediately transferred strategic acreage to the McHenry County Conservation District so that it could connect separate […]