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Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary: A local nature classroom

August 4, 2026

By Roberta Clifton, Extension Master Naturalist, serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and TazewellOff the beaten path, but only 30 minutes from our capital city of Springfield, in Loami, Illinois, is a wonderful place I found in 2015. Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature stop that offers everything from...

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Meg Ray

May 29, 2026

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By Sarah Smith, Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master NaturalistUtilizing the 2025 Conservation@Home Kickoff event at Pleasant Prairie Nursery as a catalyst, Meg Ray has quickly gained momentum in her C@H journey. Almost immediately following the event, she had her yard certified,...

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Elwood Wildlife Preserve creates a long-lasting ecosystem for wildlife

February 18, 2026

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By Ed Coleman, Extension Master Naturalist, serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesIn 2020, the family members of the John Elwood and Mary Elwood Trust donated a 75.5 acre tract of land in Peoria County to the Prairie Land Conservancy, a land trust. Five acres of this was...

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Joyce and Gordon Wassell

February 18, 2026

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By Megan Todd, Extension Master Gardener, Serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesDriving up the street in a Morton subdivision searching for the home of new Conservation@Home members Gordon and Joyce Wassell, one needs no house number to know which place is theirs. All...

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Lynda Sharp-Lower

February 18, 2026

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By Sarah Smith, Master Gardener and Naturalist, serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesIn 2018, Lynda and her husband Jeff moved into their current home and set to work on taking care of their almost 2-acre property that sits on a small lake, surrounded by other homes. Encouraged by...

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Janine Donahue

August 1, 2025

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By Janine Donahue, Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesMy journey into learning about native plants began about 6 years ago when I decided to add native plants to one of the Master Gardener projects. As I looked at a...

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Native plant demonstration garden flourishes in its first year

July 24, 2024

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Volunteers from the Fulton County Farm Bureau, Extension Master Gardeners, and Extension Master Naturalists planted close to 200 native plants around the Farm Bureau Building. On May16, 2023, nearly 20 volunteers helped to prepare soil and plant more than twenty-five species of native plants. We...

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Laura Hertz

July 24, 2024

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By Laura Hertz, Illinois Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesIn 2018, I became aware of the importance of native plants after listening to a webinar featuring Doug Tallamy, an entomologist from Dartmouth most known for his books ...

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Jnnifer Bass and Nancy holding Conservation at Home sign

Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Jennifer Bass

May 1, 2024

By Jennifer Bass, Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties“It Seemed the Natural Thing to Do!”When I was growing up, I lived on a farm with a large yard and two wonderful timbers. My mother had many flower beds with some natives...

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Conservation at Home sign in a flower garden

Embrace eco-friendly yards with Conservation@Home in West Central Illinois

February 27, 2024

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Conservation@Home is making its way to our region, thanks to the collaborative efforts of University of Illinois Extension, Conservation Foundation, and the Fulton County Farm Bureau. What exactly is Conservation@Home, and how can you become a certified...

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