Nachusa Grasslands

The Nachusa Grasslands is a restored tallgrass prairie near Franklin Grove in Lee County and Ogle County, Illinois. It is managed by The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers.
History.
Most of northern Illinois was tallgrass prairie at the time of statehood in 1818. In the ensuing century, the vast majority of this prairie was plowed up for arable farmland. A Nature Conservancy planning process, aimed at building a restored tallgrass prairie ecosystem in Illinois, commenced in 1985; the first major land acquisition, of , occurred in 1986. More acreage has been added to create the current open space of .
Bison reintroduction.
The Nachusa Grasslands planning process called for running up to 100 American bison ("Bison bison", also commonly known as "buffalo") on approximately of the preserve. Thirty bison were released on the Nachusa Grasslands in October 2014. The bison were added to the approximately 700 species logged at the prairie. In April 2015, free-range bison calves were born, adding to hope that the Nachusa herd could be managed so as to be self-sustaining. , 14 calves have been born at Nachusa.