The 887-acre Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton is home to an impressive variety of wildlife and is one of the Forest Preserve District’s most popular preserves. This project involves crews removing aggressive plant species from 550 acres of the preserve, which threaten the 545 native plant and 238 wildlife species that live there, some state-endangered, threatened, or rare. The aggressive plant species keep sun and water from reaching the grasses, wildflowers, and oak and hickory seedlings that grow here. As a result, the variety of plants and animals is declining.

The work is a board-certified master plan project, furthering the Forest Preserve District’s mission to preserve the flora, fauna and scenic beauty of DuPage natural areas.

Status

Project complete. Restoration work has been completed. Crews may return periodically to monitor the site and perform follow-up maintenance, including hand removal of invasive plants, prescribed burns and other management activities needed to support the long-term success of the restoration.

Funding

The $2,300,000 project will be funded through the Forest Preserve District’s yearly appropriated construction and development funds.