Illinois Audubon Society to open new wildlife sanctuary

AMBOY, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Audubon Society is nearly doubling its preservation efforts in northern Illinois with the purchase of nearly 400 acres of wetlands.

Sauk Valley Media reports (http://bit.ly/2oUJAt2 ) the organization bought the land in Amboy for $2.1 million. It's located about two miles from the Amboy March Nature Preserve, a 302-acre property established in 2012.

The new site will be dedicated as the Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary on June 4. The event will include a presentation and guided hikes.

Deb Carey is site steward and an Audubon board member. She says the Amboy preservation areas include savannas, prairie and meadows that are home to an estimated 197 species of birds and more than 400 plant species.

Carey says it's "a spectacular natural area."

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Information from: Dixon Telegraph, http://www.saukvalley.com