Northwest Illinois Prairie Enthusiasts - NIPE

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Northwest Illinois Prairie Enthusiasts - NIPE

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NIPE is a 501(c)(3) conservation organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of the native Illinois prairie ecosystem.

The NIPE philosophy of land protection and management, simply put is, "Boots on the ground conservation". With the aid of volunteers and a co- operative effort with other conservation organizations NIPE provides assistance with the restoration and enhancement of native prairies for both private and public land owners. NIPE has provided seed and land management for small, privately owned properties as well as large tracts held in trust and open to the public. In several cases, the services provided for the properties held by government or non profit organizations represent some of the most important and significant sites in northwest Illinois.

10/01/2026

On June 6, 2026, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie hosted an open house in celebration of its 30th anniversary and National Trails Day. About 60 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, and covering roughly 20,000 acres this unique landscape used to be the Joliet Arsenal and was designated as the na...

09/22/2026

These lucky pods and many others from local prairie peeps are headed to the Monarch Flyway in Nebraska.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ea9GNA6Eq/

08/25/2026

My mentors:
Keith and Mary, biology/bird/ecology professor and goat wrangler
Laura Luthin Dufford, birder extraordinaire, butterfly id-er, bee enthusiast
Steve Simpson, geology professor, navigator of flowing water, author
Ed Strenski, prairie boss, burn boss, chainsaw boss, rye picking specialist
Barb S, seed collector, plant name encyclopedia
Becky Wolter-janopoulos, "Two Match", rye picking specialist, prairie advocate, business owner
Jim Richards and Pamela Richards, seed sowers, preservationists, diligent stewards
and the rest of the NIPE NINJAS: Zo Claire, Noah Haskin, Line K, David V, and other stealthy folks.
Thank you to all my Prairie Peeps for guiding me and teaching me.
Jeni

Back to school time is here, and the end of summer naturally brings your mind to periods of learning and growing, regardless of how old you are.

If you ask a Prairie Enthusiast how they caught the prairie bug, chances are they credit a mentor with introducing them to the prairie. Where would we be without our mentors?

In 2023, Scott Weber reflected on his prairie mentor and the influence his mentor has had on Scott's prairie restoration and reconstruction work in the Upper Midwest. You can read Scott's reflections in his piece "We All Have Mentors" here: https://theprairieenthusiasts.org/we-all-have-mentors/

We'd love to hear from you: who is one of your prairie mentors? How have they shaped you and inspired you?

Photo of Konrad Liegel, Scott Weber's mentor, collecting seed for the International Crane W Foundation at Muralt Bluff Prairie in fall of 1980 by Scott Weber.

08/02/2026

Good advice about bats!

This time of year, bat pups are learning to navigate the night skies and sometimes end up in places they didn’t mean to. These new fuzzy fliers are learning how to independently feed, fly and find roosts for the first time.

The little brown bat pup in this photo is about 1 month old and was found by DNR staff. Sometimes, bat pups fly into in living spaces or roost in the open. If you find a bat flying in your living space, try and secure the bat in a single room. Open a window or door to the outside and wait for the bat to leave on its own. If it does not leave, wait for the bat to tire and land. Place a box over the bat and slide a piece of paper or cardboard behind it. Take the bat outside and release it.

More information about what to do if you find a bat in your living space can be found here: https://widnr.widen.net/view/pdf/z9b8rsaulv/NH_Bats_Exclusion_ADA.pdf?t.download=true&u=kkadwx

Remember, you should avoid handling any wild animal unless absolutely necessary. If you do, wear heavy leather gloves.

08/02/2026

Want to stay up to date on upcoming events, educational content and pretty photos from the prairie like this one?

Sign up for our eNewsletter!

Every month, The Prairie Enthusiasts sends out a monthly eNewsletter (Organization eNews) giving you a snapshot of events in the month ahead as well as new reading material and general announcements.

When signing up for our Organization eNews, you also have the option to sign up for eNewsletters from any of our 13 Chapters which will keep you the most up to date on events happening near you.

To sign up, click here: https://theprairieenthusiasts.org/email-updates/

Photo of two ligated furrow bees and one aster bee fly on a yellow cone flower at Lookout Prairie by Jon Rigden

08/01/2026

Thursday...
Walked through a forest of plantain and menarda. I was able to watch several large bees enjoying breakfast.

08/01/2026

Well, I won't say I face planted but I did take a knee. At my age, my first rule of prairie is to know where my feet are. I got a big surprise when I stepped from solid ground into a little wet area in the middle of the Bumblebee section. I wondered, apparently not enough, why all the sudden the plants were different. You have my permission to chuckle.
Thursday, I also made numerous apologies to the trees I sprayed. I love the forest like any other nature lover person but the trees have to stay there not in the prairie. (Exceptions are made for some oaks.)A humbling day but successful.
Enjoy the pictures. The latest storm knocked over a tall tree and now our firebreak has an arch!
Have a great weekend, prairie peeps!
***Update: swamp milkw**d is really joe pye w**d and the quinine is really boneset. Like to say I fooled you but I always get these mixed up. Thank you my prairie fairy god mother for letting me know. 💚

07/14/2026

Just call me 'buffet' because I'm pretty sure that's what the mosquitoes call me. You can really tell when it's heating up, the turkey vultures start riding the thermals. How lucky can one bird get, soaring on updrafting air, seeing everything for miles. Stay cool, prairie peeps!

07/14/2026

There is not praise enough for a breeze on a hot day. Enjoy this moment of zen from the prairie. The 'mountain' in the background is part of Hanover Bluff. One of my favorite JDC mountains, rattlesnakes and all.

Address

Hanover Hill Rd & Whitten Rd
Hanover, IL

Website

https://www.theprairieenthusiasts.org/northwest_illinois

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