In a news release, Grand Prairie Friends announced the purchase of Warbler Bend, which includes 110 acres along the Embarras River in Coles County. This purchase expands the conservation land trust’s existing Warbler Ridge Conservation Area, now totaling almost 1,400 acres. Warbler Bend is GPF’s second property north of Highway 130, joining Warbler Bluff, located on Harrison St. Road.
Connected to Lake Charleston to the north, and Fox Ridge State Park to the south, Warbler Ridge Conservation Area began in 2015, to connect these three landscapes to create an over 4,000-acre area for wildlife, natural habitats and public natural space for the community.
This project adds another stretch of the Embarras River to the existing 14 river-miles under GPF’s protection across Champaign, Douglas and Coles Counites.
“Protection of the Embarras River corridor benefits all of us”, Executive Director, Sarah Livesay said in a statement. “Our stewardship efforts provide habitat, flood and erosion control, water filtration, and recreation. This work serves every living plant, animal, and human in this community.’
GPF received funding to acquire, manage, restore and develop this habitat as part of TerraForm’s Environmental, Social & Governance program which protects biodiversity and improves habitat for threatened and endangered species in Illinois.
Grand Prairie Friends says it looks forward to hosting visitors at Warbler Bend in the future as conservation projects are underway.