WETLANDS INITIATIVE
53 W JACKSON BOULEVARD NO 1015, CHICAGO, IL 606043703 www.wetlands-initiative.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO RESTORE THE WETLAND RESOURCES OF THE MIDWEST TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, INCREASE WILDLIFE HABITAT AND BIODIVERSITY, AND REDUCE FLOOD DAMAGE. THE WETLANDS INITIATIVE SEEKS TO CONDUCT AND SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY RESTORATION PROJECTS THROUGH DIRECT, ON-THE-GROUND WORK AND BY FORMING LARGER PARTNERSHIPS TO DEMONSTRATE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO FINANCE LARGE-SCALE WETLAND RESTORATION, SUCH AS WATER QUALITY TRADING MARKETS. WITH A FOCUS ON SCIENCE-BASED, ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS AND COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH PUBLIC AGENCIES, THE ORGANIZATION'S GOAL IS TO DEVELOP RESTORATION METHODS AND MODELS THAT OTHERS MAY COPY.

TO RESTORE THE WETLAND RESOURCES OF THE MIDWEST.

IN 2019, THE WETLANDS INITIATIVE (TWI) WORKED TO RESTORE HIGH QUALITY HABITAT ON EVEN MORE GROUND AT MIDEWIN NATIONAL TALLGRASS PRAIRIE, CONTINUED IMPORTANT RESEARCH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AT THE DIXON WATERFOWL REFUGE, AND EXPANDED COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS TO TACKLE URBAN WETLAND RESTORATION CHALLENGES ON BOTH THE ILLINOIS AND INDIANA SIDES OF THE CALUMET REGION. AT TWI'S 3,000 ACRE DIXON REFUGE RESTORATION SITE IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS, ONE OF ONLY 40 RAMSAR WETLANDS OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE IN THE COUNTRY, TWI HELD A UNIQUE NIGHTTIME BIOBLITZ TO CATALOGUE THE SITE'S MOTH, OWL, AND BAT DENIZENS AND HOSTED A NUMBER OF GUIDED FIELD TRIPS FOR SCIENCE BASED GROUPS. TWI ECOLOGISTS ALSO WORKED ON A 10 YEAR CHANGE ANALYSIS OF RESTORED PLANT COMMUNITIES AT THE REFUGE, MAPPED THE DISTRIBUTION OF A STATE ENDANGERED FLOWER AT THE SITE, AND COLLECTED DATA FOR TWO SEPARATE RESEARCH EFFORTS ON PRAIRIE RESTORATION AND THE CLIMATE AND WATER QUALITY BENEFITS OF RETURNING FARMLAND TO NATIVE HABITAT.AT MIDEWIN NATIONAL TALLGRASS PRAIRIE, THE LARGEST PROTECTED OPEN SPACE IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN REGION AND THE NATION'S FIRST NATIONAL TALLGRASS PRAIRIE, TWI COMPLETED THE THIRD AND BIGGEST YEAR YET OF A MASSIVE SEVEN YEAR RESTORATION UNDERTAKING IN 2019. OVER THE WINTER, WE CARRIED OUT OUR LARGEST NATIVE SEEDING EFFORT EVER, SPREADING 9,817 POUNDS OF SEED OVER 574 NEW ACRES GOING INTO HABITAT RESTORATION. IN ALL, TWI'S FIELD RESTORATION CREW WORKED WITH THE NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION AND THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE ACROSS A FULL 1,200 ACRES AT MIDEWIN. ULTIMATELY, THIS SEVEN YEAR PROJECT WILL TRANSFORM 1,800 ACRES ON MIDEWIN'S WEST SIDE BACK TO A LANDSCAPE OF DIVERSE NATIVE PRAIRIES AND WETLANDS. TWI ALSO CONTINUED A UNIQUE MILKWEED SEED PRODUCTION EFFORT AT BOTH MIDEWIN AND THE DIXON WATERFOWL REFUGE TO BENEFIT THE DECLINING MONARCH BUTTERFLY.FINALLY, IN 2019 TWI ENTERED PHASE 2 OF RESTORATION AT INDIAN RIDGE MARSH, A HIGH PRIORITY SITE IN THE URBAN AND INDUSTRIALIZED CALUMET REGION ON CHICAGO'S SOUTHEAST SIDE. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT AND AUDUBON GREAT LAKES, TWI WORKED TO CONTROL INVASIVE PLANTS AND INSTALL NATIVE SPECIES ACROSS AN EXPANDED 76 ACRES AND HELD MULTIPLE SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEER DAYS TO ENGAGE THE SURROUNDING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN RESTORING THIS ONCE HEALTHY HEMI-MARSH SYSTEM. AT THE SAME TIME, TWI COLLABORATED WITH REGIONAL CONSERVATION GROUPS ON THE FIRST PHASE OF TRANSFORMING THE 2,000 ACRE WEST BRANCH CORRIDOR OF THE LITTLE CALUMET RIVER IN NORTHWEST INDIANA, ANOTHER PROJECT THAT EXPLORES THE POTENTIAL FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION WITHIN AN URBAN CONTEXT. TWI ECOLOGISTS ARE CURRENTLY LEADING A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT OF THE CORRIDOR'S RESTORATION POTENTIAL, AND TWI IS WORKING ON ENGAGEMENT OF "GRASSTOPS" COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THE TOWNS ALONG THE WEST BRANCH. SUCCESSFULLY REVITALIZING THESE REMNANT WETLANDS THROUGH BROAD PARTNERSHIPS COULD BE USED AS A MODEL ACROSS THE CALUMET TO REALIZE THE REGION'S GREAT CONSERVATION POTENTIAL AND RETURN MORE OF THE RICH BIODIVERSITY IT ONCE CONTAINED.

THE WETLANDS INITIATIVE'S "GROWING WETLANDS FOR CLEAN WATER" PROJECT EXPANDED TO REACH EVEN MORE ROW-CROP FARMERS IN 2019 ACROSS THREE AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THROUGH LANDOWNER OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, THIS EFFORT SEEKS TO ADVANCE THE USE OF SMALL CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS ON FARMLAND TO NATURALLY REDUCE AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF OF EXCESS NUTRIENTS INTO LOCAL WATERWAYS AND ULTIMATELY INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. UNCONVENTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH FARM MEMBERSHIP GROUPS SUCH AS THE ILLINOIS CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION, COLLABORATIVES LIKE THE ILLINOIS SUSTAINABLE AG PARTNERSHIP, AND ADVISERS WHO ARE PART OF FARMERS' TRUSTED NETWORKS ARE HELPING US DISSEMINATE THIS WETLAND PRACTICE TO A BROAD FARM AUDIENCE. IN AUGUST 2019, A TWI DESIGNED CONSTRUCTED WETLAND WAS BUILT AS PART OF A DEMONSTRATION FARM AT PEORIA'S ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE. THROUGH THE COLLEGE'S HIGHLY POPULAR AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM, THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HANDS-ON HOW "SMART WETLANDS" CAN BE PART OF A SUSTAINABLE AND PRODUCTIVE OPERATION. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR THESE CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS FOR NUTRIENT REMOVAL TO BE REPLICATED ACROSS THE MIDWESTERN FARM BELT AS A PRACTICAL SOLUTION TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.

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