Friends of Nachusa Grasslands
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Nachusa Grasslands Restorations

The Restoration Process

Since 1986, Nachusa crew members and volunteers have been reconnecting remnant prairie, woodlands, and wetlands through habitat restoration to create one of the largest and most biologically diverse grasslands in Illinois. Most new Nachusa plantings transform agricultural fields to prairie, although several projects involve restoring degraded savannas, woodlands, and wetlands.
Grassland restorations require research and planning; seed collection; site preparation; planting; and management.
Research and Planning: Ascertaining the soil types, hydrology, topography, and sun exposure of the target area helps determine the types of species that will flourish in the planting. Restoration plan example: West Holland Savanna Restoration Plan

Seed Harvest: Seed collection at Nachusa Grasslands usually begins in May and ends in November. Deciding if a particular species is ready for harvest is a complex task, so the stewards and staff confer frequently on when and where to collect seeds. We harvest over 200 native species, mostly by hand using scissors or snips, and then dry, mill, and store them in preparation for planting.

Fire and Additional Site Preparation: If a cornfield is being restored to prairie, the stalks are often mowed after the harvest is complete. Then the site is burned to remove the rest of the stubble. If appropriate, drainage tiles are removed and scrapes are bulldozed to create wetlands. Sometimes, the soil is also disced or harrowed to give the seeds good contact with the ground and a better chance to germinate.
Picture
Planting: Sowing is usually done in the late fall or early winter after the seeds have been mixed according to the soil conditions of the site. For mechanical planting, we pull pendulum and drop spreaders behind tractors, trucks, or UTVs. The seeds are poured into a hopper, which evenly distributes them over the field. Hand planting involves tossing, raking, or stepping in seeds, depending on the area being restored and the types of seeds. Often, overseeding of restorations takes place for several years after the initial planting in order to fill in gaps and increase species diversity.

Weed and Brush Management: Native plantings are usually very weedy during the first few growing seasons. Although some agricultural weeds will diminish on their own, many invasive species, such as sweet clover, reed canary grass, red clover, and birdsfoot trefoil, must be removed to prevent crowding out the desired species. In addition, plantings are usually burned annually for the first several years to help control weeds and stimulate native species growth.

For savanna and woodland restorations, woody plants, including Asian honeysuckle, multiflora rose, autumn olive, buckthorn, box elder, black cherry, and elm, are also cleared. Until a restoration is fully established, intensive weed and brush management is necessary to keep undesirable plants from taking over the site.

Check the Stewardship Unit Planting Histories page for links to restoration records for most of Nachusa's plantings and the Stewardship Resources page for information on various restoration strategies.

Fall of 2016
Nachusa's crew spread 6,106 pounds of seed across the floor in preparation for mixing. The mix includes 162 different species that were collected from May through November. 
2021 Mixing Seed
The restoration technicians demonstrate how they prepare a mix of native seeds for planting. Beginning in May and ending in November, they have harvested over 200 native species, mostly by hand using scissors or snips, and then dry, mill, and store them in preparation for planting.

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8772 S. Lowden Road  (mailing address)            
2075 Lowden Road (Visitor Center)           
Franklin Grove, IL 61031

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  • Home
  • About Friends
    • Mission, Leadership, Objectives, and Financials
    • Friends Annual Meeting 2024
    • Endowments
    • Heritage Heroes Initiative
    • Friends Annual Reports
    • Newsletters >
      • PrairiE–Update (email)
      • A Prairie Calling (print and digital)
    • Commenting Policy
  • Plan Your Visit
    • Hours & Parking
    • Directions and Map
    • Visitor Center
    • Pet Policy
    • Public Bison Tours
    • Bison Viewing
    • Hiking >
      • Hiking Guidelines
      • Hiking Destinations
      • Guided Hikes
      • Stone Barn Savanna Tour
      • Visitor Center Trail
      • Scavenger Hunt
    • Autumn on the Prairie >
      • Yearly Festival
    • What's In Bloom?
    • Exploring Nachusa Grasslands on Your Own
    • Things to Do
    • Places to Eat and Stay
    • Local Sites to Visit and Explore
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Thursday and Saturday Workdays >
      • Workday Signup
      • Workdays – November to February
      • Volunteer Workday Safety Protocols
      • Leader Workday Safety Protocols
      • Steward Workday Tips
    • Workday Email List
    • Volunteer Recognition
    • Docents
  • Stewardship
    • Nachusa Stewardship
    • Restorations
    • Planting Histories >
      • Stewardship Unit Planting Histories
      • Planting Histories in Chronological Order
    • Weed Reports
    • Native plant resources
    • Volunteer Stewards
    • Groups and Committees
    • Available Units
    • Controlled Burns
    • Prescribed Fire Recruitment
    • Restoration Publications
    • Stewardship Resources >
      • Seed Collection Guides
      • Invasive Plant Management
      • Invasive Identification
      • Monitoring
      • Resource Links
  • Science
    • Science at Nachusa Grasslands
    • Science Symposium 2025
    • 2025 Science Symposium Abstracts
    • Science Grants >
      • Science Grants 2025
      • Science Grants 2021 to 2024 >
        • Science Grants 2024
        • Science Grants 2023
        • Science Grants 2022
        • Science Grants 2021
      • Science Grants 2016 to 2020 >
        • Science Grants 2020
        • Science Grants 2019
        • Science Grants 2018
        • Science Grants 2017
        • Science Grants 2016
      • Science Grants 2011 to 2015 >
        • Science Grants 2015
        • Science Grants 2014
        • Science Grants 2013/2012/2011
    • Potential Research Topics
    • Scientific Publications
    • Anderson Science Award
    • Science Videos
    • Become a Community Scientist >
      • About Community Scientists
      • Butterfly Monitoring
      • Calling Frog Monitoring
      • Dragonflies & Damselflies
      • RiverWatch
  • About Nachusa
    • General Info
    • Nachusa Staff
    • Prairie Smoke Annual Reports
    • Plant Inventory >
      • Common Names
      • Genus Species
    • Animal Inventory >
      • Amphibians
      • Birds
      • Bison Bison >
        • Bison
        • Bison Babies Broadcast Videos
      • Fish
      • Insects
      • Mammals
      • Other Arthropods
      • Reptiles
    • History
    • Jobs
    • Hunting
    • Geology >
      • Geology Part 1
      • Geology Part 2
      • Geology Part 3
    • Websites of Interest
  • Teacher Resources
    • K-2nd grades
    • 3rd-5th grades
    • 6th-8th grades
    • High School
  • BLOG AND MEDIA
    • Nachusa Blog
    • In The News
    • Photo Gallery >
      • Spring Photos
      • Summer Photos
      • Autumn Photos
      • Winter Photos
    • Videos
  • Contact Us / FAQs