TLC’s Conservation Leader Internship Program Opens for Applications Jan. 15
Conservation Leader Internship Program
Are you a student who loves the outdoors and nature?
Are you a high school junior/senior, a college studen…
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…
What Do TLC Staff Do in Winter?
January is here. Nature is quiet – it’s cold out, and snow is on the ground. That must mean it’s time for TLC staff to go back to the office, take off their wo…
2026 TLC Calendars Are Available Now
Looking for a unique gift? Want to support TLC? Order a 2026 calendar featuring stunning photos from our amateur photo contest! Calendars are $15 each, shippin…
TLC Giving Guide
TLC Year-End Giving Guide
The holidays are a joyful and busy time, which is why now is a great time to be thin…
A Legacy of Life and Land Preserved
Libbie Aavang ensures family farm and natural fen will remain for generations
Libbie B. Aavang was born in 1933, and has lived in Greenwood Township her whole…
What Happens When a Conservation Easement Changes Hands?
In spring 2024, Jeff and Nichole Tipps were looking for a new home to settle in with their family. They had been living near Crystal Lake, but were looking for…
Conservation@Home Spotlight – Rita Duffy
What do you do when you move from a small lot to a large one? For Rita Duffy and her husband Jude, the answer is to add more native plants!
Rita’s interest…
Conservation@Home Spotlight – Lisa Maier
Small but Mighty in Marengo: Backyard Habitat Supports Endangered Bee
In the movement to support our native pollinators and birds, will a ¼-acre yard re…
Sharing Seed – The Story of Seed Sharing Day
Imagine moving into a new home, and a neighbor stops by with a grocery bag full of prairie seed.
Welcome to Alden Township in 1993. You’ve just met George J…
A Prairie Promise: Garden Club Makes a Difference for Nature in Bull Valley
“To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow.” — Audrey Hepburn
In 2022, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) worked with residents to preserve a 323-…
Farmland Forever: Gauger Family Preserves Their Farm in Richmond
Farmland Forever: Gauger Family Preserves Their Farm in Richmond
Siblings Ginger and Gary Gauger grew up on the farm first purchased by their grandparents…
Preserving Oaks for Life
Trees are working for us every day, cleaning pollution out of the air, providing shade on a hot day, and reducing local flooding by slowing rainfall. Trees abs…
Planting Roots in Community: Garden Club Makes a Difference for Nature in McHenry County
Planting Roots in Community – Garden Club Makes a Difference for Nature in McHenry County
“To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow.” — Audrey Hepburn
Whe…
TLC’s 35th Annual Celebration is April 12
Save the Date for TLC’s 35th Annual Celebration!
Date: Sunday, April 12, 2-5:00 PM Location: The Reserve at Black Oak, 19517 Lembcke Rd. Harvard, IL 60033 Tic…
Become a Monthly Donor to TLC
Become a Monthly Donor to TLC
Make a monthly contribution to fit your budget, and make a significant impact on preserving land for life in McHenry County.
You…
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County Earns National Recognition
Demonstrates Strong Commitment to Public Trust and Conservation Excellence
One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving t…
Become an Annual Business Sponsor of TLC in 2025
Become an Annual Sponsor
** New for 2025! Visibility at TLC’s Spring and Fall Sustainability Sales! **
If you are a business or organization that values the…
Thank You! TLC Giving Tuesday
Thank you!
Thank you to all who contributed or spread the word about TLC on Giving Tuesday! You helped us raise $8,000 + $6,000 in matching funds for a tota…
The Community Food Forest Continues to Grow
The food forest has trees!
In October, the Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture class from College of Lake County volunteered to plant over 40 trees and…
Bull Valley Landowner Preserves Farm Forever
Bull Valley Landowner Preserves Farm Forever
Karen Strano was living in Chicago when she and husband Brian decided to move to the country. That was in 1987…
The Treemendous Story of Project Quercus
The Treemendous Story of Project Quercus
Dave Zeiger, TLC’s Oak Conservation Outreach Specialist, reflects on 10 years of planting oaks
Dave Zeiger planted…
TLC Preserves 16 Acres for Life in Bull Valley
Acquisition will expand Boloria Meadows Nature Preserve to 56.5 acres
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has acquired 19 acres on Ridge Road in…
TLC Receives $135,000 Grant from Chicago Community Trust
Grant is designed to support the growth of the local food system in McHenry County
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has received a $135,000 gran…
Conservation@Work Spotlight – Wade Merritt
Saving pollinators became my focus after hearing Christopher Stein, the founder of Operation Pollination, speak at the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club in 2020. …
Small but Significant: A One-Acre Cemetery and Remnant Prairie Preserved for Life in Woodstock
Land conservation projects come in all shapes and sizes, and even small properties can be very important – and very complicated!
That was the case with a ce…
Stewardship Ambassador Program Showcases Women Farmland Owners
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is working with the Women, Food and Agriculture Network to raise the profile of women and nonbinary landowners who are c…
Building a Food Forest in Woodstock
The Apple Creek Food Forest is the newest venture of TLC’s farm program. The site consists of a five-acre parcel nestled into a larger conservation space locat…
Living with Nature’s Engineers
TLC saw beaver activity on four preserved properties in 2023. Two of the TLC properties with beaver dams and lodges are just 25 acres, which indicates that…
Forty Acres of a Former Boy Scout Camp Preserved for Life in Woodstock
In 1993, Hugh and Marlene Frisbie purchased farmland outside of Woodstock where they built their home, raised their children, opened a plant nursery and began…
Inspiring Gift Helps Preserve Land for Life
Earlier this year, Ted Thornton made a $50,000 donation to TLC in memory of his wife Judy, who passed away in early 2020.
Ted and Judy were fixtures in…
Congratulations to the 2023 Art of the Land Youth Award Winners!
Best in Show – Faelynn McDevitt, Ride with the Wind – Elementary School
Best in Show – Leah Williams, Oak – High School
People’s Choice, Friday and Satur…
Congratulations to the 2023 Art of the Land Award Winners!
Best in Show – Paul Justen – Last Light
Honorable Mention – Kirsten Barry – Preserved
Honorable Mention – William Bishop – Feathers and Moss
Congratulations to the 2023 Art of the Land Photo Contest Winners!
1st Place – Dan Holtz – Hennen Conservation Area
2nd Place – Sue Bitler – Wolf Oak Woods
3rd Place – Nancy Loomis – Ryders Woods
Honorable Mention – S…
Wolf Oak Woods Flourishes after Restoration
Located off of Route 120 just outside of Woodstock, Wolf Oak Woods offers visitors and passersby a sea of wildflowers and wildlife along a busy roadway. Not to…
TLC’s Project Quercus Inspires Families to Plant Oaks in McHenry County
Quercus: (Latin) oak or oak tree
An early-morning rain May 13 threatens plans to plant oaks at Moraine Hills State Park in McHenry. Jacob Shurpit, park sup…
Thompson Road Farm – a year later
The last year passed so quickly! Before too much time goes by, we want to give you an update on this beautiful site.
If you drive down Thompson Road in Bull…
From Alfalfa to Pasqueflower – Building a Home for Nature in Harvard
When Paul and Christine Rechten bought a four-acre parcel outside of Harvard in 1971, the land had lived its most recent years as an alfalfa field. Before…
Three Land Donations Create Opportunities for People and Nature
In 2022, TLC received the donation of three very different properties that offer opportunities for the organization.
The properties stretch across the count…
Congratulations to the 2022 Art of the Land photo contest winners!
First Place, Cheri Magrini, Ryders Woods
The judges liked that seeing this photo made them want to go for a walk in Ryders Woods. The pathway leads you ba…
The 5000 Acre Challenge
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) is launching the 5,000 Acre Challenge to protect our region’s oak woods.
TLC, private citizens, state and co…
Oak Woodlands Transformed with Grants and Landowner Dedication
In the March issue of Field Notes you learned about grants administered by the Chicago Region Trees Initiative through the Morton Arboretum that are being used…
Introducing Thompson Road Farm
Join others for a tour of beautiful Thompson Road Farm on Oct. 22 at 10:00 a.m.
Reserve your spot on the tour by emailing berendt.president.bv@gmail.com or Th…
Crowley Oaks 3:1 Matching Grant – Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you to all who supported the Crowley Oaks 3-for-1 match! 70 individuals helped us exceed the goal of $7000 several days b…
The Future of Conservation – TLC’s CLIP Interns Talk about What They Learned This Summer
Another summer has come and gone, and TLC is excited that four more interns from the Conservation Leader Internship Program (CLIP) are entering the world with…
A Passion Preserved – The Story of Timbertop
The story of Timbertop is the story of a young lawyer and his bride, William and Edith Kelly, who were told, shortly after their marriage that due to medic…
Call for Artists and Artisans – Art of the Land
Art of the Land is one of TLC’s biggest fundraisers of the year, and celebrates the beauty of nature and open s…
A Family Farm Paradise – TLC Preserves 125 acres for life in Capron
A “little piece of paradise” is how Meaghan and Chris Zeiner describe their farm on 125 acres of rolling land in Northeastern Boone County. The Zeiners worked…
Making a Difference: Grant Helps Oak Landowners
What’s the one thing most oak property owners need to take care of their land? HELP. That’s where TLC comes in.
We’ve all heard about the plight of our oak…
Something’s Going on in Alden Township!
In 2003, Nancy Deborah Wicker (1925-2016) donated a conservation easement on 13-1/2 acres of land on Crowley Road in Alden Township in the northwest part of Mc…
Thank you for supporting McHenry County’s future conservation leaders on Giving Tuesday
Thank you!
Because of your generosity we raised over $1900 for the CLIP program to be used in 2022.
Learn more about the program here.
You can…
Congratulations to the Art of the Land award winners!
Best in Show – Patti Stricker, Hail Kale
Honorable Mention, Peek-a-Boo, Gerard Bauer
Honorable Mention, Around the Bend, Eric Larson
Congratulations to the 2021 Art of the Land photo contest winners
First Place, Jay Florian, Boloria Meadows
The judges liked the whimsical quality of the photograph and its beautiful background. They said it was well see…
A community food forest grows in Woodstock
The Land Conservancy recently began a new project, a community food forest, on a small portion of farmland on Dean Street, just north of TLC’s office in rural…
Got oaks? You can join the 5000 Acre Challenge!
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) is launching the 5,000 Acre Challenge to protect our region’s oak woods.
TLC, private citizens, state and co…
The Kishwaukee Fen Nature Preserve: A Hidden Gem in Lakewood
Have you heard of the Kishwaukee Fen? Situated on a 35.5 acre parcel adjacent to Redtail Golf Club, the fen–a rare type of calcium-rich wetland–is a hidden g…
Consider Solar Energy and Help TLC
Now is a great time to go solar in Illinois.
McHenry County is no stranger to extreme winters, but the increase in extreme weather events in the US and aro…
TLC’s Irish Oaks Savanna in Harvard is Dedicated an Illinois Nature Preserve
TLC’s Irish Oaks Savanna, a 40-acre preserve in Hartland Township, was dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (IN…
New TLC Gear – Order by April 30
New TLC gear!
Update your wardrobe and help support TLC – TLC will receive a portion of each sale. And you’re supporting Hyperstitch, a McHenry County busin…
Natural Farm Stand, Richmond
TLC is grateful to Natural Farm Stand in Richmond IL for growing the vegetable starter plants we are offering as part of our Sustainability Sale. The number of…
TLC’s Spring Sustainability Sale is Open
Order your native plants, trees, shrubs, organic herb and vegetable plants, rain barrels, and composters for local pickup in May. Visit the TLC Store now…
TLC Recognizes Volunteers and Members
It was cold and snowy outside, but TLC members and friends didn’t have to leave the comforts of home to enjoy TLC’s Annual Celebration on January 31!
&n…
Farming with Nature: The New Graziers
McHenry County is seeing a rise in the number of grass fed beef and dairy operations.
There are a number of farms throughout the county where pastured m…
Winter Tree and Shrub Identification Videos
If you’ve ever wondered, “What kind of tree or shrub is that?” these are the videos for you!
Join Kim Elsenbroek, TLC’s Land Conservation Specialist…
Just as Nature Intended – Land transitions to monarch habitat
Monarchs and other pollinator species add beauty, interest, and we depend on them for the work they to do to sustain our local ecosystems. Because of this…
Have flooding? Use native plants!
We’ve all seen the pictures: muddy floodwaters creeping to the doorsteps of homes around the country.
Fox River flooding for one month in May 2020, coveri…
Join TLC’s Sustainability Circle – Become a Monthly Donor
Make a monthly contribution to fit your budget, and make a significant impact on preserving land for life in McHenry County.
Now is a great time to join si…
You can care for nature at home in McHenry County!
Whether you have acres of land, or a small patch of earth, anyone can make a difference by caring for nature at home. Dave and Colleen Zeiger’s native plant…
Five great places to get outside today in McHenry County
Studies keep showing the benefits of being out in nature (and some doctors are even prescribing outdoor time)!
While much of the land TLC preserves is on pr…
Letting the oaks shine: A Q&A with land owner Cheri Magrini
TLC recently launched the 5,000 Acre Challenge to increase the amount of oak woods protected in McHenry County. This is the story of one family’s wor…
You don’t have to be big to do big things
The wonders of nature on a half-acre in McHenry Native plants abound at the Shroyers’ home in McHenry. In 1987 Bob Schroyer and Pat Sullivan-Schroyer…
Revealing the natural beauty of 8-1/2 acres in Seneca Township
In October 1989 Stu and Tammi Sava decided to leave Lily Lake in Kane County in search of a new place to live.
Their interest in dogsledding brought them to…