www.HeartLandsConservancy.org
What’s Inside Upcoming Events ................... 2-3 Recent Events.............................4 2016 Treks .................................. 5 Conservation News.....................6 Sponsorship ............................... 7 #investinginnature .................. BC
Directors Robert J. Hilgenbrink, Chair IL Green Economy Network
Frank O. Miles, Vice Chair Madison County Community Development
Bill Armstrong, Treasurer Retired, International Banking
Robert Nelson, Secretary Nelson & Nelson Attorneys at Law
William Boardman Firehouse Contracting, LLC
Brenda Chandler Buy A Farm Land & Auction Co.
A Quarterly Publication of HeartLands Conservancy
January 2016
“Our area is vast and valuable.” - A look at 2015 and our plans for 2016 from Dave Eustis, President and CEO
As our recent record flooding has reminded us, mother nature remains fully in control. At HeartLands Conservancy, we understand and respect this and have been working for the past 27 years to minimize our impact on our environment, while supporting the economic growth of the region. In 2015, we worked to protect over 40 acres of land, bringing our total conserved acreage to over 6,600 acres. We presented a comprehensive water quality and flooding study plan for the Upper Silver Creek watershed, one of the largest tributaries within the Kaskaskia River. We also engaged with the people of Southwestern Illinois in effort to protect the air we all breathe, the water we all drink, and the land we live on here in Southwestern Illinois. Our area is vast and valuable. We serve 7 counties in Southwestern Illinois, and yet the impacts of our work can reach far beyond these borders. This area represents nearly 2.5 million acres of land, 1,919 miles of streams, and a population of over 670,000 people. We’re working to help protect the natural resources that affect every single one of us.
Ronald J. Foster, Jr. Schoen, Walton, Telken & Foster
Dennis (Denny) Kirkham Land Owner
Robert Knobeloch St. Louis Prompters LLC
Ronda Latina Environmental Operations, Inc.
Charles Meier Illinois State Representative Bill Reichert EWR Architects
Cliff Schuette Schuette Seed Company
Justin Siegel Deli Star Corporation
Dawnesha Tomlin Illinois American Water
Did you know that $50 can purchase an oak tree and about $3,000 can buy an acre of wetlands, but the cost to protect an acre of land in the midst of suburban development can cost upwards of $50,000? We have big goals for 2016, but we need your help. We have three main events and four treks scheduled for 2016—find out more within this newsletter, on our website, and via social media. We also have big plans for 2016 with conservation in mind—we have an ambitious goal of raising over $100,000 in unrestricted funds which will, in turn, help us to achieve our goal of protecting 250 acres of land. We also hope to extend the Silver Creek watershed planning from Madison county to the confluence of the Kaskaskia River. We hope that you will join us in our efforts—investing in greener communities, in land conservation, in agriculture, in nature. We look forward to investing in nature with you!