Farms & Wildlands are Disappearing. The community can save them.

In Southern Illinois, farmland, wild lands, and parks represent more than just land—they symbolize a way of life, a deep connection to nature, and a commitment to community. 

However, many places that are so special to our region are disappearing or lacking care. Historic farms and habitats are lost to haphazard development at alarming rates. Many natural areas are being lost to the overgrowth of aggressive plants that destroy the needed food sources for so many animals. In many towns, trees and wild places are nonexistent, prohibited by local laws, or largely inaccessible.  

Southern Illinois can protect the heritage, scenery, and wildlife that define the region by uniting around conservation.

Conservation Takes Many Forms

Conservation can take many forms, from protecting farmland to creating more parks and preserving wildlands. Each type serves a different function but offers overlapping benefits. 

Farmland, for instance, is a source of food, fuel, and fiber, a symbol of the region’s agricultural heritage, and an anchor of the local economy. Farmland preserved near wildlands provides places for wildlife to safely travel to different parts of the region.

Wildlands, on the other hand, provide essential habitats that support healthy wildlife, clean air, and clean water. The woods, rivers, and creeks of Southern Illinois are home to plants and animals, some of which are found only in this region or in limited areas, like the Illinois Chorus Frog and Cerulean Warbler. They also provide places to for people to connect with nature, hike, and hunt or fish. 

Community parks and natural spaces bring together people of all ages. Nature spaces (not just turf grass and ballfields) in communities provide so many benefits to residents. Studies show time and again that natural areas in communities enhance emotional and mental health, increase joy and well-being, and encourage more physical activity and connection to others. Communities with widespread access to nature find that residents have greater life satisfaction. 

Conservation also includes these places that are open to the public, publicly owned, or privately conserved and owned (such as through a conservation agreement). 

Coming Together for Farmland, Wildlife, and Community

Southern Illinois has the extraordinary opportunity to take a unified approach—one that conserves farms, wildlands, and community nature spaces. Doing so will embrace the region’s economic, environmental, and social needs in a balanced way. 

Right now, less than 5% of land – whether farmland or natural land – is conserved in southern Illinois. Many counties have 2% or less conserved. 

How can we change this?

There are many ways to make more conservation a reality in southern Illinois.  Here are some ideas:

• Conserve Farmland through a Conservation Agreement
  Agricultural Conservation Agreements (or easements) are agreements between a farm landowner and a land trust like HeartLands Conservancy. The land stays in private ownership and continues to be farmed with the agreement that the land will not be converted to development in the future. 

• Protect private habitats through Conservation Agreements or Land Donations
  Similar to an agricultural agreement, land under a conservation easement can stay in private ownership and enjoyed by the landowner with the agreement that the natural area, like woods or prairie, will not be developed or converted to other uses.

• Advocate for nature spaces, wildlife habitats, and trees in your community
  Conservation is possible in communities, too. As a citizen, you can advocate for the use of native plants and pollinator habitat in parks, help your town officials understand the importance of trees and nature spaces, and speak up about the consequences of haphazard development.

• Help care for wildlands and community nature spaces
  Volunteering to help steward protected lands and community nature spaces benefits the wildlife and the community. It benefits you, too. Studies show that volunteering is great for your mood and well-being. A win-win!

• Convert all or part of your lawn to wildlife habitat with native plants
  Your own yard can help give birds, pollinators, and wildlife a place of respite and food. Traditional lawns provide little to no benefit for wildlife. Find some tips here.