Enter TLC’s 2026 Amateur Photography Contest
Art of the Land Amateur Photography Contest
Enter today!
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) hosts this contest each ye…
Stirring from Winter Slumber Guided Forest Walk – Feb. 1
Take a slow wander through Wolf Oak Woods to witness Earth begin to awaken. Join ANFT-certified forest therapy guide Cathy McCauley in marking the halfway poin…
Native Landscapes to Support Native Bumblebees – Feb. 25
Native Landscapes to Support Native Bumblebees
Buzz into spring by discovering how to create native landscapes that support our bumblebees! Learn how to ide…
Native Plants for Shade Gardens Webinar – Feb. 18
Native Plants for Shade Gardens Webinar
Shade gardens can be filled with a beautiful diversity of native plants, from wildflowers to sedges and ferns. Join…
Native Plants for Sunny Gardens Webinar – Feb. 11
Native Plants for Sunny Gardens Webinar
It’s winter, so let’s dream about our native sun-loving prairie plants and how they can add beauty and function in o…
The Nomads of Winter
Winter can be a drab time for many people, but winter has its surprises if you know where to look. For birders, winter means the possibility of northern ir…
Carbon Credits Help Fund Restoration at Crowley Oaks
Back in 2022 TLC started a program to preserve more than 80 acres of oak woodlands in McHenry County as urban forest carbon credits through a partnership with…
It Was a Hot Rusty Summer
Walking through your garden or along a trail you notice several fuzzy bumblebees buzzing around patches of flowers. You stop to watch them bumble from flower t…
December Presence Forest Walk with Cathy McCauley – Dec. 6
December Presence Forest Walk with Cathy McCauley
Before the holiday rush, join certified forest bathing guide Cathy McCauley for a quiet, grounding…
Common Ground Gathering – Dec. 7
Common Ground Gathering – Dec. 7
Join us for Common Ground, the only farmland access gathering in northern Illinois! At this unique educational and social ev…
Thompson Road Preserve Open House
Trails will be open, guided hikes, a viewing platform for bird watching, a gorgeous pollinator garden (thanks to the Bull Valley Garden Club), and lots of oppo…
Seed Sharing Day – Oct. 19
Open to TLC members and their guests, Seed Sharing Day is an annual event organized by TLC and hosted by a number of landowners. This is an opportunity for peo…
Battle Against Buckthorn and Its Buddies – Oct. 14
Want some practical tips on how to rid your property of invasive tree species such as buckthorn and garlic mustard? Join Sarah Michehl, Community Ecologist wit…
Conservation@Home Spotlight – Dustin Graves
Dustin Graves and his family have been working on incorporating native plants into their 4.5 acre oak woodland property in Bull Valley for the last 5 years…
Women’s Learning Circle – Aug. 6
Learning Circles are designed for women farmers and farmland owners to join other women to share ideas, stories, and expertise on how to manage the land you lo…
TLC Welcomes Sebastian Morales to Board of Directors
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) welcomes Sebastian Morales to its Board of Directors.
Morales is a social worker and mental health therapist wi…
Pollinator Garden Planting at Thompson Road Preserve – May 30 & 31
On May 30 and 31, the Bull Valley Garden Club and members of the community will install the pollinator garden at the Thompson Road Preserve. Teams of volunte…
Learning Circle for Women Farmers and Farmland Owners – June 17
Learning Circle for Women Farmers and Farmland Owners – June 17
Women farmers and farmland owners are invited to join other women to share ideas, stories, a…
Tree and Shrub Identification – Postponed
Tree and Shrub Identification
Learn how to identify common native trees and shrubs common to our area. The class will be outside, so dress for the weather…
Howl at the Wolf Oak: Summer Solstice Edition – June 20
Howl at the Wolf Oak: Summer Solstice Edition!
S’mores around a bonfire, walking tacos, a guided evening hike and more! Come spend an evening enjoying the com…
Boloria Meadows Nature Walk – June 22
Boloria Meadows Nature Walk
Join us for a family friendly butterfly and pollinator walk at the beautiful Boloria Meadows Nature Preserve in Bull Valley. The…
2025 Pollinator Week Activities
McHenry County Region Pollinator Week 2025 Activities
June 16-22
This Year’s Pollinator Week – Join the Homegrown National Park Movement!
Want to become…
Native Plants for Sunny Gardens Webinar – Feb. 12
Native Plants for Sunny Gardens Webinar – Feb. 12
It’s winter, so let’s dream about our native sun-loving prairie plants and how they add beauty and functio…
Land Access 101 – Dec. 8
Land Access 101
Illinois FarmLink and the Center for Agrarian Learning are teaming up to offer a FREE Land Access 101 workshop before Common Ground. If you’…
Congratulations to the 2024 Art of the Land Youth Award Winners!
Best in Show – Audrey Jones, Make a Joyful Noise – Elementary School
Best in Show – Olivia Beth, Happy Little One – Middle School
Best in Show – Chase Jo…
Congratulations to the 2024 Art of the Land Award Winners!
Best in Show – Mary Mariutto – Birch Series
Honorable Mention – Marlene Frisbie – Into the Woods
Honorable Mention – Eric Larson – Last Light
Congratulations to the 2024 Art of the Land Photo Contest Winners!
1st Place – Cheri Magrini – Conservation@Home, Woodstock
…
Pollinator-Friendly Garden Cleanup Oct. 8
What do you do with your native plant garden over the winter? Join Sarah Michehl, community ecologist with The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, to learn tec…
Women’s Learning Circle – Sept. 18
Are you a woman farmland owner looking to diversify your farm business? Or start a new business altogether? Do you own land and lease to a tenant farmer? O…
Native Seed Collection for the Home Gardener
Use those seeds! Join Sarah Michehl from The Land Conservancy of McHenry County for tips and tricks on how to collect your native plant seeds. She will cover b…
Pollinator Week Activities in the McHenry County Region
Celebrating Monarch Butterflies in McHenry County
Tuesday, June 18, 6:15-8:15 p.m.
McHenry County College Luecht Auditorium
How Mayors’ Monarch Pledges are…
Gardening with Native Trees and Shrubs Webinar March 14
Native trees and shrubs provide year-round beauty as well as food and nesting habitat for birds and pollinators. Join TLC’s Sarah Michehl for some favorite nat…
Stakeholder Notification/Public Notice
The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places an…
In memory of Lou Emmons
TLC member Betty Lou Emmons passed away on Nov. 6, 2023. You can read more about her remarkable life here.
As requested by her family, if you would like to…
Women Farmland Owners Encircle for Community and Collaboration
“If you’re going to farm, make sure you find land with a forest.” This tip, shared at one of the Learning Circles this year, resonates at a couple of frequenci…
How Can You Help Preserve Land for Life? Become a Volunteer!
Through the contributions of many volunteers, the programs TLC is able to offer and the impact it has had on the landscape has grown dramatically. Volunteers c…
TLC Creates New Membership Levels and Benefits for 2023
TLC has created new membership levels and benefits for 2023 in addition to the current membership levels.
Sustainability Circle – Join TLC’s Sustainability…
TLC Receives Mission Grant
TLC is pleased to announce that is the recipient of a two-year Mission Grant from The Community Foundation for McHenry County. TLC will receive $19,000 per yea…
Job Openings
Job Openings
Work with a great group of people who are passionate about the McHenry County landscape! Please follow the instructions in the job description to…
Plan Your Native Plant Garden Webinar Feb. 9
Planning on starting a new native plant garden this spring? Join us! We will discuss site preparation, favorite easy plant choices for sun and shade, the polli…
Congratulations to the 2022 Art of the Land Award Winners
Best in Show – Alfred Stark, Self Portrait as a Sparrow
Honorable Mention – Mary Mariutto, Mushroom #31
Honorable Mention – Tom Cubr, Fields and Streams…
Winter Night’s Family Fun Event Jan. 13
Bring the whole family out to experience the magic of a Woodstock winter evening. Enjoy a wintery night in the woods complete with bonfires, night hikes and a…
Become a Member of TLC This Fall!
Not yet a member of TLC? Join a network of individuals who support the care and preservation of the wetlands, woodlands, prairies and farmland of McHenry Count…
Volunteer at Art of the Land
People like you ensure the success of Art of the Land, TLC’s biggest fundraiser of the year. A variety of volunteer positions are available, including welcomin…
Seed Sharing Day Oct. 15
Open to TLC members, Seed Sharing Day is an annual event organized by TLC and hosted by a number of landowners. This is an opportunity for people to collect an…
Fall Celebration and Memorial Oak Planting Oct. 8
Did you purchase an oak tree for the fall planting? The planting will take place on Oct. 8 at Boloria Meadows Nature Preserve in Bull Valley. You may choose to…
Learn about spring ephemerals – videos
The short-lived season of spring epehemerals is here! Learn about a couple of McHenry County’s early-blooming native plants in these videos.
TLC Protects 300+ Acres for New Park in Public-Private Conservation Partnership
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bold Bison Communications & Consulting, press@boldbison.com
(Media Inquiries Only)
THE LAND CONSERVANCY OF MCHENRY COUNTY…
Learn about The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy at TLC’s Annual Celebration Brunch
Doug Tallamy will be the guest speaker at TLC’s Annual Celebration Brunch on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022. He will inspire us with a talk on “The Nature of Oaks: The…
TLC receives $16,440 mission grant from The Community Foundation for McHenry County
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has been awarded a $16,440 Mission Grant from The Community Foundation for McHenry County to help fund TLC’s Conse…
Volunteer at a restoration workday in McHenry County!
Do you like spending time outdoors near a crackling fire? Join one of TLC’s restoration workdays in McHenry County! We are always in need of volunteers at our…
What does it mean to be an accredited land trust?
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is proud to be an accredited land trust.
Accreditation is awarded to land trusts meeting the highest national stand…
Wednesday Walks: OAKtober Edition
Oaks are the keystone species in McHenry County, playing an essential role in the health and survival of hundreds of species of butterflies and moths as well a…
Learning Circle for Women Farmland Owners
Learning Circles provide women the opportunity to meet other landowners, share their farm successes and challenges, discuss goals for their land, and get advic…
CLIP program wish list
As a nonprofit organization, TLC relies on the generosity of donors for the success of many of our programs. The CLIP team has created a wish list to help ensu…
Wednesday Walks in May and June
Get outside and enjoy some exercise and company on beautiful trails. Join TLC for a simple nature walk every Wednesday in May or June. Attend eight of the nine…
Tree and Shrub Identification Class
Learn how to identify common native trees and shrubs with Megan Oropeza, TLC’s restoration ecologist. The class will be held outside, so dress for the weather…
Tomatoes 101
Learn how to grow tomatoes!
This webinar will give you an introduction to growing tomatoes covering all the basics, from planting to harvesting…
Native Shrubs for the Home Landscape Webinar
Native shrubs provide year-round beauty as well as food and nesting habitat for birds and pollinators. Sarah Michehl from TLC will share info for…
CLIP Program Details: Skills gained
CLIP Program Details: Skills gained
Land management: Invasive removal, site preparation and restoration techniques will be reviewed for ongoing TLC rest…
Betty White Oak
McHenry County’s oldest resident was struck down by the derecho wind on Aug. 10, 2020
(Clockwise from left) An oak seedling thrives in shadow of Be…
A legacy of nature preserved in Harvard
In the 1970s, Alice McCluggage and her family moved from the city to a homestead in Harvard, IL. The property, covering almost 19 acres, was perfect…
TLC Preserves 83.5 Acres in Harvard
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has preserved an 83.5-acre parcel, Crowley Oaks Preserve, in Harvard.
The property includes remnant oak woods…
Try a compass course at Wolf Oak Woods!
Grab your compass (or phone) and head out to Wolf Oak Woods! Bring the family or yourself out to Wolf Oak Woods to test your compass-wielding skills…
What can I do to make it better?
One family’s story of preserving 40 acres of oaks in McHenry County.
Mike and Melody DiGrazia with Roscoe, who loves their property their property the mo…
Volunteer to help oaks
There are many ways to help oaks, whether at your own home or throughout McHenry County! Here are some ideas:
Volunteer at a TLC restoration workday…
Learn more about oak trees
Learn more about oak trees
Learn to support and incorporate oaks in your landscape. Programs include:
How to Convert Lawn to a Wildflower Meadow…
Plant Oaks
Whether planted in your yard or at a public park, planting oaks is one of the best things you can do for the local environment.
Buy oaks to plant during…
A girl, a boy and the land: A family preserves 80 acres
This is the story of Alix Blair and her memories of growing up on her family’s land. The Blair family placed a conservation easement on their land in Harvar…
Congratulations to the 2019 Art of the Land Winning Artists!
Each year one piece of art receives Best in Show and two Honorable Mentions are awarded as well. Best in Show: Line Dance, Tree Ring Patterns Var. 15 b…
Amateur Photography Contest Site Descriptions
Anderson Conservation Easement, Bull Valley
This private conservation easement protects several different habitat types and dozens of native organisms. Bull f…
Virtual Learning Circle for Women Farmland Owners
Are you a woman who owns or manages farmland in McHenry and surrounding counties? You are invited to participate in a discussion that is centered around con…
Some of those recognized by the Memorial & Celebration Oaks
“Sister Trees”
At peace together in heaven
In memory of…
Kimberly Petersen
September 21, 1964 – June 7, 1974
Deanna Marie Brackett…
Wingate Circle
“The experience of sitting beneath a bur oak, finding a leopard frog, watching a cooper’s hawk hunt, or discovering a trillium in bloom… these are things t…