Challenge Grant Is a Success!

Orland Prairie, May 22, 2019

“Today you can stand anywhere on the 23-acre plot and see all the way across it in any direction. Previously, the woody invasives blocked the view. Now the prairie species will have space and sunlight to bloom and thrive.”  

--Mike Carr, Orland Prairie Steward

​​By Dee Hudson
Nachusa Grasslands Steward

​Asian honeysuckle and autumn olive brush were quite thick throughout a 23-acre plot of Nachusa’s Orland Prairie. Ten years of mowing and burning these invasives had little effect, as the shrubs kept resprouting. As long as these invasive shrubs remained, the native plants were suppressed. In order to help restore Orland Prairie, Friends of Nachusa Grasslands applied for a stewardship grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. The objective of the Community Stewardship Challenge Grant Program of the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation is to encourage increased community participation in the care of natural areas and wildlife habitat managed by non-profit organizations in Illinois. 

Native plants struggle to thrive within this thick patch of invasive autumn olive and honeysuckle brush.

The grant provided support to Friends of Nachusa Grasslands in a several ways:
​A Cash Donation Match Challenge

• If Friends of Nachusa raised $7,000 from individual donors, the grant would match the dollars 3 to 1.
• Result: In 2018 Friends raised the full $7,000 and was awarded $21,000 from Clean Energy Community Foundation.

Saturday workday volunteers

Volunteer Stewardship Challenge

• Once Friends of Nachusa logged 400 volunteer hours on habitat care for the grant project site, they would receive additional grant money.
• ​Result: After completing 400 volunteer stewardship hours, Friends of Nachusa Grasslands recently received an additional $4000 in grant money.

​“The 400+ hours of volunteer labor have really changed the trajectory of the target area for the good. It’s been a pleasure to work with a group of people, both regular and new volunteers, on a big project for the last 18 months.”

— Mike Carr, Orland Prairie Steward

Social Media Challenge

• Friends of Nachusa was challenged to log 100 volunteer hours promoting the grant project site and stewardship work days on social media.
• ​Result: With this final blog the Friends Social Media team concludes 100 volunteer hours used to publicize this project, earning an additional $2,000 grant money from the Foundation.

Facebook & Twitter social media posts

Equipment Purchase

• The Foundation would reimburse up to 80% or $5,000 (whichever was less) of equipment purchases during the 18-month grant period.
• Result: Friends of Nachusa purchased a skid loader grapple for Nachusa Grasslands and was reimbursed $3,577 by Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.

Grapple

​Come see Orland Prairie! Join steward, Mike Carr, as he leads a tour of the project site at Nachusa Grasslands’ Autumn on the Prairie on Saturday, September 21, from 2:45 to 4 pm. See the areas newly-cleared of dense brush and enjoy the young plants moving into the bare ground.

BEFORE PHOTO: May 9, 2018

AFTER PHOTO: May 16, 2019. Notice the invasive brush is missing and it's easy to see across the 23-acre land.

​Friends of Nachusa Grasslands would like to thank Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for motivating and supporting our organization in this invaluable effort.
 
@illnoiscleanenergycommunityfoundation
#CSgrantsIL #NAicecfdn