Big Jump Prairie
Open to visitors every day
Big Jump Prairie is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy at Nachusa Grasslands. The Nature Conservancy is a private, non-profit charitable 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. To support the local community, Nachusa pays property taxes on this land.
NACHUSA RESTORES HABITAT Nachusa Grasslands consists of large remnant prairie, woodlands and wetlands being reconnected through habitat restoration, creating one of the largest and most biologically diverse grasslands in Illinois.
kitten tails
BIG JUMP PRAIRIE
The site contains significant rare species: kitten tails (Synthyris bullii), Hill’s thistle (Cirsium hillii), and fameflower (Phemeranthus rugospermus). To keep these rare species alive the land has needed good management that includes a modest amount of grazing, frequent fires and some weed removal.
Nearly the entire property has escaped the plow and is either prairie or degraded wetland and oak savanna. Dotted throughout the property are native plants such as lead plant, false toadflax, prairie petunia, bur oak, columbine, copper-shouldered oval sedge and sand milkweed.
The rolling landscape has several small wetlands at the bottoms of the deeper swales as well as dolomite cliffs with ferns and other special plants overlooking Babbling Brook. Add the rolling hills and huge bur oaks rising from the prairie, and this unit is truly a beauty. |
HISTORY
1950-1980: Sheep grazed in the middle prairie pasture early in this time-period. The west pasture had not been grazed since the 1960s when it became part of the Lost Nation subdivision for a while before Frank Orland purchased it. 1980-1990: The narrow east field was in row crops, which accounts for the lack of native plants there. 1991-2010: Bob Donaldson grazed his cattle on the property. There is a spring up by the road which had concrete added to pool water for cattle to drink. 2010: The Nature Conservancy purchased this land from Frank Orland to became part of Nachusa Grasslands Preserve. The Orland family owned the tract for over 40 years and wanted to see the land remain undeveloped. Nachusa was excited that the land contained substantial amounts of unplowed rare prairie and oak woods. 
MANAGEMENT
Management of the tract has included thinning brush, removing pine plantings, creating fire breaks, implementing prescribed fire, planting prairie grasses in a crop field, and weed control. The low intensity prescribed fire runs across the unit and slowly opens the landscape, bringing sunlight to the ground to support the regeneration of oaks and the ground layer plants of the oak woods. This helps support wildlife like ornate box turtles, turkey and many species of birds. VOLUNTEERS Working hand-in-hand with staff, stewards collect native seed, remove introduced species, restore wetlands, and use prescribed fire to care for the land. There are many ways to help—from land stewardship to tours, research, fire crew, and more. LEARN MORE |
