Help conservation efforts in Coral Woods near Marengo

Submitted by MCCD

Now is the time to make a difference in your community by participating in the “Planting for Tomorrow” reforestation program at McHenry County Conservation District’s Coral Woods Conservation Area near Marengo.

Individuals, families, schools, church and Scout groups are encouraged to sponsor the donation of a tree that will go toward Phase II of the program, replanting a 10-acre section in the 775-acre site.

Donations for the fall 2012 planting will be accepted until Monday, April 30. A variety of oak and hickory seedlings, three foot tall, will be planted for a fee of $30 per tree, $75 for three trees or $100 for five trees.

To make a donation, call (815) 338-6223 or download a form from the website, www.MCCDistrict.org/ge-planting-for-tomorrow.htm. All fall donors are invited to participate in the tree planting scheduled for Friday, April 27, at Coral Woods Conservation Area.

Coral Woods Conservation Area is one of the largest remaining wooded areas in McHenry County, hosting 775 acres of red, white, and bur oaks, as well as sugar maple trees. Yet, as a result of over a century and a half of intense land use, the once vast 3,000-acre woodland has been reduced to a fraction of what it was.

The “Planting for Tomorrow” program is designed to help Coral Woods to continue its natural process of regeneration.

“This program allows the public to get involved and contribute to the greater role of conservation, while also ensuring that the remaining woods will exist for generations to come,” said Wendy Kummerer, communications manager.

For more information, call (815) 338-6223 or visit www.MCCDistrict.org.