In spring 2022, The Nature Conservancy-Emiquon, working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, planted 27,000 trees across 62 acres near Lewistown. In early 2024, a team of five volunteers from the Master Naturalist program received training in geolocation and mapping to monitor the plantings. They assessed six plots covering 60 trees across ten species and found 51 living and nine dead, giving an 82% survivorship rate; assuming two missing trees survived, the estimated rate rises to 86%. The volunteers noted challenges, navigating tall weeds, finding tiny saplings, but appreciated the chance to see the project's ecological payoff: young oaks and other species establishing themselves. The monitoring continues with planned follow-ups at one, five, and 10-year intervals to ensure long-term success.
Learn more about the Master Naturalists in Fulton County.
