One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love.
According to national polling conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, farmers and rural residents consistently rank protecting working farmland and keeping land in agriculture among their top priorities.
At the same time, national polling shows that nearly nine in ten Americans support restoring and preserving wildlife habitat and migration corridors, reflecting broad, bipartisan support for conserving land in ways that benefit both people and wildlife.
Since 1989, HeartLands Conservancy has been doing just that for the people of southern Illinois, conserving the special places that define the region. Now HeartLands Conservancy announced it has achieved national recognition – becoming one of only ten conservation land trusts in Illinois to achieve Land Trust Accreditation.
The recognition is awarded to land trusts that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.
“In today’s day and age, we can’t take anything for granted. But that doesn’t mean we can’t build the foundation to ensure that our land trust is here for generations to come” said Mary Vandevord, President & CEO of HeartLands Conservancy.
She continued, noting that the Accreditation seal of approval documents the effort they have put into applying best practices to their work. “As a community-supported conservation organization, we take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to build the team necessary to help local families and communities to conserve the farms, forests, prairies, trails, parks, and waterways people love.
With only 5% of land conserved in southern Illinois, we know there is a window of time to conserve special places. We work with families, municipalities, and businesses on a voluntary basis and couldn’t assist them without community support.”
The Weilbacher Farm in Monroe County, Illinois, was conserved through a conservation agreement. The Weilbacher Family continues to own and farm the land while HLC ensures it remains a farm forever.
HeartLands Conservancy provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded accreditation, signifying its confidence in the organization’s management and commitment to long-term land protection.
Ed Weilbacher, whose family conserved their 1,000-acre farm in 2015, also reflected on the good news, saying, “I know how much work something like accreditation review takes. It takes hundreds of hours. And to do that and still prioritize treating the community well, and conserving more land, is amazing.”
The Trout Hollow Hill Prairie in Monroe County, Illinois, is one of HeartLands Conservancy’s preserves that was saved in 2024 thanks to more than 840 people worldwide. The prairie is one of only 600 acres of hill prairies remaining in Illinois.
“It is exciting to recognize HeartLands Conservancy with this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Commission. “Donors and partners can trust accredited land trusts because they have demonstrated a strong commitment to standards and practices, sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”
There are now more than 470 accredited land trusts across the country.
About HeartLands Conservancy
HeartLands Conservancy, based in Belleville, Illinois, is a nonprofit conservation land trust serving Illinois’ southern 36 counties. Its mission is to conserve open spaces, farms, and natural lands working in rural, suburban, and urban areas to enhance the community’s connections to nature in southern Illinois. Since 1989, the organization has conserved over 11,000 acres of land in partnership with landowners and communities. It owns and manages 12 nature reserves and holds 49 conservation agreements with local families who continue to own the land.
About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.