The Kenney Addition to the Lind-McGeachie Preserve Preservation Project is a 32-acre Project Area on a 36-acre parcel addition that is part of a larger complex of protected lands in Rockford Township, IL. Natural Land Institute is seeking to preserve the forest, creating substantial conservation and community benefits including carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat and open space protection. The surrounding land is facing a continued threat of urban expansion from the City of Rockford.

The Project has dry-mesic upland oak-hickory forest consisting of shagbark hickory, ironwood, and various oak species, while the wet-mesic floodplain forest is predominantly maple, hackberry, green ash, burr oak, and American elm. The property is zoned Agriculture; preservation of the Project is important as urban wooded lands are becoming increasingly fragmented and rare in Winnebago County due to urban development pressures and agricultural development. The Natural Land Institute plans to protect the Project area in perpetuity, generating community health benefits, preserving bird and wildlife habitat, and expanding open space recreation opportunities for underserved communities.

This project is part of the Chicago Region Carbon Program (CRCP) and complements other tree planting and preservation projects in the seven-metro counties supervised by the Chicago Region Trees Initiative. Projects in the 2023 CRCP cohort include:

• Old Mill Forest
• Camp Lakota Woodland

More information soon.

More information soon.