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 in native plants started with her hiking club. Seeing the variety of plants, trees and shrubs along the trails of various nature preserves piqued her interest in planting native.

In spring 2025, Rita and her husband moved from Hoffman Estates to Woodstock. They had set out looking for a ranch house, but the sight of a gorgeous, 300-year-old oak tree on the land of their soon-to-be home convinced them to buy their current two-story home instead.

Rita met TLC at the Monarchs & Music event in Crystal Lake and signed up for a Conservation@Home site consultation because she moved from a quarter-acre to over two acres and wasn’t sure where to start. She brought a few young native plants from her old yard to start her new native landscape. She also wanted to make sure their spectacular oak tree has the best living conditions possible.

She is planning to gradually remove invasive plants and shrubs on their property and replace them with natives. Rita says, “Even starting small is exciting.”  She had a flowerbed on the small lot at their previous home and filled it with natives.  “Once I saw all the butterflies, bees, birds and dragonflies on the flowers, I was excited to plant more. And now I have plenty of room!”

Beyond Conservation@Home — Help Us Grow a Greener, More Native McHenry County!

If you’ve been inspired by Conservation@Home, there’s even more you can do!

Explore our Conservation@Work program—designed to bring sustainable, native landscaping to businesses, churches, homeowner associations, and entire neighborhoods.

• Schedule a site consultation for your business, church, or HOA.
• Spread the word—share with friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors.
• Be part of the movement to restore nature, one property at a time.

The more people we reach, the greater the impact we can make—growing healthy, connected landscapes across McHenry County.

Learn more and help spread the word!