COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Working With the Community
It’s important to the Conservancy to allow continued, but controlled, public access to the land. Community events and special public projects foster education and exchange and serve as demonstrations to others regarding their own land. By application, individuals and groups, including classes, are invited to use the land to their interests in safe and sustainable ways.
For more than 50 years, the Ogle County Trail Riders Association’s “Stronghold Ride” chose the Acreage as its location to encamp and ride on the land for one weekend a year. This organization was open to all and regularly exceeded 200 riders. The outing gave the public an opportunity to ride on “The Stronghold”.
The Foundation looks to continue the tradition of activities similar to the “Stronghold Ride”, precisely the type of “natural”, non-degrading use it wishes to encourage, and develop other public use activities, including high school or college “inventory of the land” tours focused on geology, flora and fauna.
Farming and Natural Preservation
Another important element of preservation that the Conservancy is working on is building a partnership with the farming community. Working to preserve and replant the natural wildlife on the outlying land surrounding crops.
We have compiled detailed lists of the indiginous flora and fauna on the land. Using this information each season to take the necessary steps to keep the native plant species on the land while cleaning up any invasive ones that may have found their way into the region over the years.
Together we’ve overseen controlled burns in the pasture and woodland natural areas throughout the area. These prescribed fires act to suppress the invasive species located in the natural area and are useful to increase both sunlight to the soil, and recycle nutrients to stimulate growth.
Education Opportunities
Kickapoo Mud Creek Conservancy has worked closely over the years with the Agriculture and Natural Resources program through the University of Illinois Extension. We encourage the use of the land for educational purposes, be that using the Kickapoo Center as a meeting space for grade school, high school and college groups, or for tours of the prairie focused on the different aspects of the land such as flora and fauna, geology, and land preservation.
Please contact us for more information on educational opportunities at the Conservancy.
