‘Conservation takes action’: How volunteers restored 589 acres at Palatine forest preserve

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle visited Palatine on Tuesday to praise the work of dozens of volunteers who’ve restored hundreds of acres at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve to their natural state.

Their efforts, Preckwinkle said, restored almost double the amount of land that’s been lost to expansion of O’Hare International Airport.

“We know that it's not enough to simply acquire land and keep it from being developed,” she said. “To make the preserves amazing places where nature thrives, conservation takes action.”

In 2005, the conservation group Openlands launched a project to counter the loss of 280 acres of wetlands due to airport expansion. Part of the project included Deer Grove East, about 20 miles from O’Hare but within the same Des Plaines River Watershed.

In two decades of work funded by the O’Hare Modernization Mitigation Account and performed by many organizations, about 589 acres in Deer Grove have been restored — including 41 acres of wetlands — with 400 native plant species and 25 bird species.

Restoration efforts included restoring water flow and fixing drainage issues, invasive species removal, native seeding and planting, the use of prescribed burns and interpretive signage to engage the public.

“Having access to open spaces is critical to our quality of life,” Preckwinkle said. “Everyone can benefit from some time out in nature and everyone is welcome to our preserves.”

The $5.1 million Deer Grove project cost has been offset by $10.6 million in short-term economic impact, according to Openlands. Long term benefits are expected to reach $44 million.