Wigwam Hollow Bird Sanctuary
Now Open to the Public!
From dawn until dusk, you can explore the trails at WHBS!
This 200 acre oak-hickory woodland and prairie preserve is located in Macomb, Illinois!
In 2012, PLC acquired 17.9+/- acres of the property from the Illinois Audubon Society. In 2019, Lew & Suanne Marx donated their adjoining land to PLC. Through Illinois Clean Energy and The Conservation Fund, PLC was able to purchase additional acreage, bringing WHBS to 200+/- acres of contiguous preserved habitat.
Bisecting this land is Wigwam Hollow Creek that joins the protected east fork of the La Moine River. Restoration goals of this preserve are to manage, enhance, and create new habitat for migratory birds, declining bird species, and endangered Indiana bats. Restoration efforts on this preserve have included removing invasives, timber stand improvements, re-planting native tree species, and the restoration of a prairie for bird and insect habitat.
In 2012, PLC acquired 17.9+/- acres of the property from the Illinois Audubon Society. In 2019, Lew & Suanne Marx donated their adjoining land to PLC. Through Illinois Clean Energy and The Conservation Fund, PLC was able to purchase additional acreage, bringing WHBS to 200+/- acres of contiguous preserved habitat.
Bisecting this land is Wigwam Hollow Creek that joins the protected east fork of the La Moine River. Restoration goals of this preserve are to manage, enhance, and create new habitat for migratory birds, declining bird species, and endangered Indiana bats. Restoration efforts on this preserve have included removing invasives, timber stand improvements, re-planting native tree species, and the restoration of a prairie for bird and insect habitat.
2023-24 PLC Intern Cody Cornell from the National RC&D Council did amazing work organizing stewardship events with local college students and volunteering with bat surveys at Wigwam Hollow Bird Sanctuary. Thanks to Cody’s leadership and dedication, 50 deer excluders were put up around the native tree seedlings that were planted in the spring of 2024. About his work, Cody said, “It would be wonderful to come back in 50 years and see how much these young trees have grown.”
The photo to the right is of Cody performing bat monitoring.
The photo to the right is of Cody performing bat monitoring.
This land was conserved, in part, by funding made available as mitigation for impacts caused by the construction and maintenance of the Enbridge Pipelines, LLC, Flanagan south Pipeline. The Conservation Fund worked in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to manage the pipeline mitigation funds as part of its Midwest Habitat Fund.
At WHBS, We are Dedicated to Providing Sanctuary For:
Accessibility Information
Trail Features: Natural surface area trails
Structures: Picnic table at the trail head
Parking: Gravel parking lot
Bathrooms: No restrooms available
Structures: Picnic table at the trail head
Parking: Gravel parking lot
Bathrooms: No restrooms available
Check Out These Photos of the Bird Sanctuary!
Photos by Jaime Webb, Dan Moorehouse, and Donovan Schaefer
Address
2001 County Rd 1100 E
Macomb, IL 61455
You will find the trailhead in the middle of the parking lot (on the map below, it's shown as the start of the red American Redstart trail).
Macomb, IL 61455
You will find the trailhead in the middle of the parking lot (on the map below, it's shown as the start of the red American Redstart trail).
