Bull Valley,
United States of America
Preserving Thompson Road Oak Woods will protect mature bur oak, white oak, and shag bark hickory trees and help enhance water quality for Boone Creek, a high-quality, cold-water creek considered one of Illinois’ true ecological treasures. By restoring a functioning wetland system to the property, the natural areas will better filter and manage the water that eventually flows into the creek.
The site also has nearly five miles of private equestrian trails that will be preserved and incorporated in the future park as mixed-use trails. This will expand the use of these trails beyond horseback riding to include hiking, walking, snowshoeing, trail running, and other non-motorized activities.
Preserving the forest will also conserve habitat for a wide diversity of bird species, including ovenbird, eastern towhee, brown thrasher, wood thrush, and norther flicker – all species that need woods and/or shrub habitat to thrive. An accessible public viewing area will also be created along Thompson Road for wildlife viewing, including the seasonally resident sandhill cranes.
This project is part of the Chicago Region Carbon Program (CRCP) and complements other tree planting and preservation projects in the seven-metro Chicago counties.