Skip to main content

Front Page News

Save the Date for TLC’s 33rd Annual Celebration!

04 March 2024
TLC’s 33rd Annual Celebration Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America The program will be about living in harmony with the beavers in our area in c…

Living with Nature’s Engineers

01 March 2024
Vernal Pool Hike

Vernal Pool Hike

16 February 2024
Vernal pools are a little known but extremely important feature that occurs in our McHenry County oak woods. Come learn why these pools are essential for amp…

Become an Annual Business Sponsor of TLC in 2024

16 January 2024
Become an Annual Sponsor If you are a business or organization that values the natural beauty and rural character of McHenry County and wants to make sure it…

Enter TLC’s 2024 Amateur Photography Contest

09 January 2024
Art of the Land Amateur Photography Contest Enter today! The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) hosts this contest each year to highlight …

Forty Acres of a Former Boy Scout Camp Preserved for Life in Woodstock

02 January 2024
In 1993, Hugh and Marlene Frisbie purchased farmland outside of Woodstock where they built their home, raised their children, opened a plant nursery and bega…

Inspiring Gift Helps Preserve Land for Life

05 December 2023
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 i…

Congratulations to the 2023 Art of the Land Youth Award Winners!

20 November 2023
Best in Show – Faelynn McDevitt, Ride with the Wind – Elementary School Best in Show – Leah Williams, Oak – High School People’s Choice, Friday and Sat…

Congratulations to the 2023 Art of the Land Award Winners!

20 November 2023
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!

20 November 2023
1st Place – Dan Holtz – Hennen Conservation Area 2nd Place – Sue Bitler – Wolf Oak Woods 3rd Place – Nancy Loomis – Ryders Woods Honorable Mention -…

Wolf Oak Woods Flourishes after Restoration

27 September 2023
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 …

TLC’s Project Quercus Inspires Families to Plant Oaks in McHenry County

30 June 2023
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 s…

Join TLC’s Sustainability Circle – Become a Monthly Donor

31 May 2023
Make a monthly contribution to fit your budget, and make a significant impact on preserving land for life in McHenry County. Join TLC’s Sustainability …

Thompson Road Farm – a year later

11 May 2023
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 Bu…

From Alfalfa to Pasqueflower – Building a Home for Nature in Harvard

23 March 2023
[caption id="attachment_7320" align="alignleft" width="263"] Christine and Paul Rechten When Paul and Christine Rechten bought a four-acre parce…

Three Land Donations Create Opportunities for People and Nature

21 December 2022
In 2022, TLC received the donation of three very different properties that offer opportunities for the organization. The properties stretch across the cou…

Congratulations to the 2022 Art of the Land photo contest winners!

21 November 2022
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 …

The 5000 Acre Challenge

08 November 2022
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 …

Oak Woodlands Transformed with Grants and Landowner Dedication

02 November 2022
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 us…

Introducing Thompson Road Farm

20 October 2022
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 [email protected] or …

Crowley Oaks 3:1 Matching Grant – Thank you!

07 September 2022
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…

The Future of Conservation – TLC’s CLIP Interns Talk about What They Learned This Summer

06 September 2022
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 wit…

A Passion Preserved – The Story of Timbertop

02 September 2022
The family home at Timbertop. The story of Timbertop is the story of a young lawyer…

Call for Artists and Artisans – Art of the Land

08 July 2022
Art of the Land is one of TLC’s biggest fundraisers of the year, and celebrates the beauty of nature and open…

A Family Farm Paradise – TLC Preserves 125 acres for life in Capron

07 July 2022
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 worke…

Making a Difference: Grant Helps Oak Landowners

01 March 2022
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 oa…

Something’s Going on in Alden Township!

03 January 2022
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 …

Thank you for supporting McHenry County’s future conservation leaders on Giving Tuesday

29 November 2021
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 ca…

Congratulations to the Art of the Land award winners!

22 November 2021
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

22 November 2021
First Place, Jay Florian, Boloria Meadows The judges liked the whimsical quality of the photograph and its beautiful background. They said it was well s…

A community food forest grows in Woodstock

03 November 2021
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 rura…

Got oaks? You can join the 5000 Acre Challenge!

25 October 2021
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 …

The Kishwaukee Fen Nature Preserve: A Hidden Gem in Lakewood

01 July 2021
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…

Consider Solar Energy and Help TLC

18 May 2021
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 a…

TLC’s Irish Oaks Savanna in Harvard is Dedicated an Illinois Nature Preserve

17 May 2021
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 (…

New TLC Gear – Order by April 30

21 April 2021
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 bus…

Natural Farm Stand, Richmond

26 March 2021
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 …

TLC’s Spring Sustainability Sale is Open

12 March 2021
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

08 February 2021
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! …

Farming with Nature: The New Graziers

11 January 2021
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…

Winter Tree and Shrub Identification Videos

04 January 2021
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

31 August 2020
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 thi…

Have flooding? Use native plants!

31 August 2020
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, covering…

Join TLC’s Sustainability Circle – Become a Monthly Donor

12 May 2020
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 …

You can care for nature at home in McHenry County!

30 April 2020
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 pla…

Five great places to get outside today in McHenry County

15 April 2020
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 p…

Letting the oaks shine: A Q&A with land owner Cheri Magrini

26 March 2020
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 w…

You don’t have to be big to do big things

27 February 2019
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

02 January 2019
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 …