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French Village Mound Preserve
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St. Clair County, IL | 5 Acres
Type: Natural Area and Cultural Site
Owned by: HeartLands Conservancy
Our role: Forests and Mississippian Culture sites are critical to the landscape of southern Illinois. So, HeartLands Conservancy preserved this property to protect woods, wildlife, and a sensitive cultural site. We own and manage this property for wildlife habitat and cultural resources.
The family of Al and Betty Davinroy donated this property to HeartLands Conservancy in 2021. Learn more about donating land for conservation.
Hours: The property doesn’t contain trails for general public access given its challenging terrain and sensitive features.
Location & Directions
Located in Fairview Heights, Illinois, west of the Metrolink Station at 94th Street and east of Woestboul Avenue.
Trails & Facilities
Given the steep terrain, as well as its sensitive nature for the cultural site, this site is currently only available for tours. We host periodic tours and announce them through our eNewsletter (you can sign up here). There are no trails, facilities, or parking areas available at this location.
However, there is a similar property open to the public located nearby at the Signal Hill Outdoor Classroom in Belleville, Illinois.
Wildlife & Habitat
Habitat here consists of upland and bottomland forest and Schoenberger Creek. Plants of interest include wild ginger, various oak varieties, cottonwoods, and pokeweed.
Forest and migratory birds, such as barred owls, sparrows, and rose-breasted grosbeaks are prominent in this area.
White-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, and varieties of fish are found here as well.
Regulations
The property is only accessible through guided walks hosted by the HeartLands Conservancy.
As a community-supported conservation organization, your support is important to foster the love of the land, care for the lands we own, and protect additional properties. We therefore want you to know that when you participate in our programs or visit our properties, you do so recognizing that we may use photographs or videos of program participants for educational and promotional use. By visiting our properties, you therefore acknowledge this possibility and convey consent.
Photo: Bryan Werner, MEPRD
Overview
French Village Mound Preserve
The French Village Mound Preserve protects wildlife habitat and an important historic site related to the Mississippian Culture. The upland and bottomland forest situated in the middle of town is home to a variety of wildlife including raccoons, opossums, owls, and migratory birds.
Between 1000 and 1200 AD, the Mississippians created an agrarian community, built hundreds of earthen mounds and established today’s Cahokia Mounds, an Illinois State Historic Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Radiating from Cahokia Mounds, the Mississippians established numerous satellite villages and mound groups throughout southern Illinois and the St. Louis region. Through maize and surplus materials, they established a complex trading system that stretched from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and to the west and east. Greater Cahokia grew to become the largest city in North America for hundreds of years. Many mounds have been destroyed over the centuries, but many remain intact still today. French Village Mound, as it has been named by local archaeologists because of its location in the former town of French Village, is one of the Mounds that remains intact.
By conserving this important cultural site, we’re not only protecting habitat—we’re ensuring the cultural heritage of the Mississippians can be understood and celebrated for generations. Learn more about the Mounds – America’s First Cities Initiative.
If you would like to find out more about how to create a new public conservation area and conserve wildlife habitat, feel free to call Anna McAtee at (618) 566-4451 ex 23 or email her at an*********@*******************cy.org.
You may find information on our Land Conservation page and Ways to Give page helpful, too.