The Prairie

In the 1980’s the voters of Libertyville Township agreed to fund the purchase of open spaces within the township borders and to maintain them as open. The land purchased under this program falls into four categories: simply left as open space growing wild; leased to farmers; used for recreation as a soccer complex; and restored to native prairie.

Separately the state of Illinois has maintained a 47-acre reserve of land called the Liberty Prairie. In the 2000’s extensive work was done to remove invasives and improve the native plantings by volunteers and the Liberty Prairie Conservancy. Adjacent to this prairie is Oaks Openings to the north and west, and Independence Grove to the east. Crushed stone paths suitable for hiking and cycling extend from the Wisconsin border to the north and Cook County (Chicago) to the south. In all there is over 3,300 acres of restored prairie and 12 miles of paths in this immediate area.

Around 2012 Libertyville Township began to keep a path mowed for easier access from our neighborhood to the open spaces. In 2015 enough open space funds were available to enhance that path to the crushed stone used elsewhere. This quarter-mile connection added a bridge to also connect with the nearby Timber Creek neighborhood. The bridge was needed to minimize disturbing the wetlands along Bull Creek.

Bull Creek Spur trail under construction in 2015.

Prairie Photo Album Here is a photo album of the changing scenes on the Liberty Prairie. It’s a slide show of photos at the link below. Just click on the first photo and work your way through them all. It’s fun!

One of the bigger problems we face as homeowners in keeping our properties looking attractive is managing the invasive species which can hurt the appearance. But how do we know which are the invasive species? The Morton Arboretum has recently released a series of YouTube videos to help with identification and control. Titled Invasive Plants of the Chicago Region, you can click on the link to learn more.