Preserving land is as important – or maybe even more so – than back in 1972, when The Conservation Foundation was established. Open spaces and natural areas are critical for people, plants and animals to not only exist, but to thrive. Special places are crucial for our physical, emotional, social and financial well-being.
The Conservation Foundation has helped preserve more than 32,000 acres of open space and natural land. One acre is roughly the size of a professional football field, and 32,000 of them is, well, more than 4 entire O’Hare Airports put together. If you’re a private landowner, a public agency, or a developer, find out how we can help preserve your pocketbook as well as the open space we need.
The connections between people and land are countless. Land can provide a spiritual sense of place, happy memories of times past, and hope for future generations’ connections with the land around them. Some of our greatest accomplishments have been tied to preserving not only the land, but the legacies that go with it. There are many reasons why someone may want to ensure the long term protection of a piece of land or restore its ecological health and many ways to accomplish it. Check out our “tool box” to learn about what your options may be to protect or restore your special place.
Helping open space public agencies achieve their mission of acquiring land was the reason The Conservation Foundation was founded in the first place. We have been working with forest preserve districts, park districts, township open space districts and county and municipal governments to preserve land ever since.