Oak Corners
Creating Habitat
Re-establishing Prairie
Restoring Oak Woodlands
Up until the 1980s, the area near the intersection of Naylor Road and Carthage road was an open landscape of rolling hills dotted with few trees and grazing cattle. But when farming activities ceased around 1984, the open landscape and sun loving prairie plants disappeared. Without fire or grazing, the area was taken over by cherry trees and invasive honeysuckle.
Images from 1939, 1970 and 2025 show the dramatic increase in trees in the former prairie pasture once grazing ceased.
While we love oak and hickory woods, the majority of the Oak Corners site is a not a healthy woodland but rather a fallow pasture overgrown with Osage orange, mulberry, black cherry, and invasive honeysuckle. Clearing the young, weedy trees and thick underbrush is the first step to restoring a healthy ecosystem. Logging can be a messy operation but the long-term benefits outweigh the short term mess.
Our Objectives:
- Retain oaks and hickories across the site and remove invasive honeysuckle
- Create critically needed habitat for grassland birds, rare prairie plants, and pollinators
- Restore an open woodland where light-starved oaks can grow and thrive
The Future:
Over the coming years, Friends of Nachusa Grasslands will be investing heavily in Oak Corners. Our love and care will transform this degraded area into a beautiful landscape and rich habitat.
- A local logger will clear young trees and underbrush. Nachusa staff and volunteers will clear stumps and residual slash.
- Thousands of pounds of seed from 100+ species of native wild flowers and grasses will be collected by volunteers and staff and sown across the area
- Frequent prescribed fire will be used to keep the area open, healthy, and diverse
- Persistent boots on the ground effort will keep invasive, damaging plants in check
To learn more about healthy oak woodlands - Let the Sun Shine In
For more information - [email protected]