Land Conservation
& Stewardship
In Northwest Illinois
our preserves
Volunteer NOW
STEWARDSHIP
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Enjoy working outside? How about giving a hand-up to nature? JDCF is looking for volunteers to help with a variety of land stewardship projects. This is your chance to participate on a prescribed burn, join workday teams to battle invasive species at one of our preserves, or plant trees as part of ongoing restoration plans. Great opportunities for individuals, Scout troops, church and school groups looking to give back to their community.
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OUTREACH & EDUCATION
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Have you ever thought about becoming a citizen-scientist? How about giving tours of beautiful places to area residents and visiting tourists? Maybe you enjoy planning outdoor events like mothing parties, luminaria hikes, or experiences in nature for youth? JDCF offers many volunteer opportunities to people of all ages through our Education and Outreach Program.
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LAND PROTECTION
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Looking for a way to get your steps in while exploring spectacular pieces of property? JDCF is looking for volunteers to monitor our preserves and lands under conservation easement by walking them and taking photos for documentation. Many of these properties are privately owned making this a unique opportunity to see new parts of Jo Daviess County.
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 25 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Frog Walk on the Galena River Trail
One of the first signs of spring is the sound of frogs waking up and calling. Join staff from JDCF at the Meeker Street Footbridge in downtown Galena for our annual frog walk. We will head down the Galena River Trail towards Buehler Reserve, giving families a chance to try to find and catch the frogs themselves! Will it be a spring peeper or a leopard frog? JDCF staff will help you identify what you find, and have some tadpoles on hand to view the frog life cycle in progress. Free and RSVPs not needed. Please dress appropriately for the weather. Rain date: May 3rd. Check back here for updates. This is a catch and release event.
May 3 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
2025 Speaker Series Kick-off Event
2025 series to feature JDCF public preserves
In the beginning: behind-the-scenes stories about the acquisition of JDCF’s first three preserves: Schurmeier Forest, Buehler Preserve, Wapello Land and Water Reserve
Event to take place at JDCF Stewardship Shop in Elizabeth
In conversation with JDCF executive director Steve Barg, presenters will include …
• Janet Schurmeier Avila, whose father and uncle donated the woodlands which became JDCF’s Schurmeier Forest Preserve, and
• Realtor and historian Skip Schwerdtfeger, who pulled together an array of parties for a long shot deal to protect what he considered to be an “archaeological and historical treasure,” now JDCF’s Wapello Land and Water Reserve.
Doors open at 9:15 am for doughnuts and coffee. Program at 10 with optional guided hike at Schurmeier Forest at 11.
RSVPs required to info@jdcf.org.
Read more about the series in our news section.
May 17 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
World Migratory Bird Day
Join the festivities to learn about the birds that are arriving back in NW Illinois for the summer at the World Migratory Bird Day celebration at the Galena River Trailhead under the Highway 20 bridge. The day will start with a bird walk from 9:00-10:30am along the River Trail with Tom Clay, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation’s Director of Special Projects. The main event will take place from 1:00-4:00pm with birdy activities for the whole family.
The World Migratory Bird Day gathering in Galena will begin with the City of Galena making a proclamation to be a bird-friendly community as an official Bird City Illinois. This will be followed by followed by crafts, games, and face-painting for the kids. The more avid birders will get the chance to learn more about how to record their own bird observations to keep scientists informed. There will also be bluebird boxes for sale for $35. These proceeds will go back to supporting Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation Bluebird Recovery Program.
This will be the second year that the City of Galena will have the designation as an Illinois Bird City. In August 2024 Galena was declared an Illinois Bird City, joining nine other Illinois cities. The Illinois Bird City program is a part of the Bird City Network, which is powered by American Bird Conservancy and Environment for the Americas with major support from US Fish & Wildlife Service.
In order to receive the title Illinois Bird City, the City of Galena met criteria in the following categories: habitat creation, prevention of threats to birds, education & engagement, and sustainability. To maintain the designation, the City of Galena must prove they are able to meet those categories every four years, they must host a World Migratory Bird Day event, and have an official Bird City Resolution.
July 26 @ 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Weird & Wonderful Insects
You are invited to join Chicago Field Museum insect educators and scientists to see their amazing collections of local, native insects at JDCF’s Casper Bluff Reserve south of downtown Galena, IL. There will also be insect displays collected by local entomologists on hand for viewing.
Learn how to use a sweep net to see what weird and wonderful insects you can find in the early summer prairie. Stay after the sun goes down to see and learn about the moths and other winged bugs of the night that are drawn to a special lighted viewing sheet. Take away knowledge and wonder of the strange but beautiful biodiversity that calls northwest Illinois home. RSVPs not needed. This event is subject to weather related cancellations. Please check back here for updates.
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Latest News
JDCF 2025 Speaker Series to Highlight Public Preserves
April 15th, 2025
By tradition, JDCF’s annual speaker series has a theme each year – a single aspect of nature, something that is important to understand in the context of the land we […]
Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation Receives JDCF Conservation Leadership Award
March 6th, 2025
Each year, JDCF recognizes an individual or organization that has made outstanding achievements in land preservation, land stewardship, or of the understanding of natural habitats and or cultural heritage sites […]
JDCF & The Archaeological Conservancy Partner on Land Purchase
January 3rd, 2025
The Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF) and The Archaeological Conservancy (TAC) are thrilled to announce the recent acquisition of a new 40-acre preserve in Carroll County, IL. The purchase of […]
JDCF Contributes to City of Galena’s Designation as a ‘Bird City of Illinois’
November 18th, 2024
JDCF congratulates the City of Galena, IL on being designated as a “Bird City of Illinois” by the Audubon Council of Illinois. The Bird City Network is a conservation program […]
JDCF Celebrates Fall Harvest of “Teejop Wicawas” Ho-Chunk Corn
September 23rd, 2024
JDCF Opens New Center for Science & Culture
July 31st, 2024
Through a survey many of our members participated in in 2021, we learned that they would like to see our educational programming expand. The goal? To develop the next generation […]
Driftless Stewardship Initiative
May 9th, 2024
JDCF Earns National Recognition for Excellence
November 28th, 2023
After a lengthy and rigorous application process, we received the good news that JDCF has been reaccredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The Commission is an independent program of […]
“Big Sky Nature Preserve” – JDCF Announces Largest Land Donation to Date
August 9th, 2023
This is the story of one of the most incredible gifts ever given: to JDCF, to the natural world, and to the people of Jo Daviess County. A gift over […]
JDCF Opens New Stewardship Shop
August 9th, 2023
Over the last decade, JDCF has worked hard to greatly expanded our stewardship capacity. From 1 dedicated staff member using a DR push mower and a well-used, donated truck to […]
Unique Conservation Model Preserves Bedford Hollow
April 11th, 2023
JDCF Protects Iconic Stockton, IL Area Landmark
April 11th, 2023
Rutherford Refuge at Twin Bridges Becomes JDCF’s First Nature Preserve
February 17th, 2022
After reading this headline, you may be asking yourself, “What do you mean ‘first’ Nature Preserve?” What about Schurmeier Teaching Forest? What about Wapello? What about Casper Bluff, Horseshoe Mound, Valley of Eden, and all the other natural areas that JDCF has protected over the last 29 years? Yes, JDCF has preserved these natural areas in perpetuity for future generations to enjoy. But the title of “Nature Preserve” carries a very special meaning within the State of Illinois, and it’s not a title that is easily attained. “Nature Preserve” is an official legal status bestowed on certain special natural areas by a little-known state government agency called the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC). While INPC does not own any land itself, INPC uses Nature Preserve dedications in order to permanently protect land that is owned by nonprofit organizations like JDCF, governmental entities, and private landowners. A Nature Preserve dedication is the highest form of legal protection that a natural area can achieve in the State of Illinois without an act of Congress. “Nature Preserve” is also an official status that is reserved for only the rarest and highest-quality natural areas in Illinois. The Rutherford Refuge at Twin Bridges is one such natural area. It contains the “best of kind” wet-mesic prairie and sedge meadow habitats located within Illinois’s portion of Driftless Area. The refuge also contains dry-mesic prairie, oak barrens, oak savanna, upland forest, and coolwater stream habitats that paint a unique mosaic of habitat types on the landscape, which are home to several rare plant and insect species. Acquired by JDCF in December 2020, the Rutherford Refuge at Twin Bridges was founded with generous financial support from the Rutherford Family and the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. It’s named in memory of John and Barbara Rutherford who owned and stewarded the property from 1988 to 2018. “Our mom had a vision,” said Bryn Davis, one of John and Barbara Rutherford’s four children that helped create the refuge. “I know she and dad would be thrilled beyond words at the fact that Twin Bridges has been dedicated as a Nature Preserve! They knew that it was a special place and they wanted it to be protected and available for others to enjoy. This dedication just reinforces what our parents and JDCF saw in this little gem of a place.” The Rutherford Refuge at Twin Bridges Nature Preserve joins the ranks of more than 400 dedicated Nature Preserves across Illinois totaling more than 60,000 acres. It is only the fourth Nature Preserve to be dedicated in Jo Daviess County and the only Nature Preserve in the county that is not owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In addition to over 400 Nature Preserves, INPC has registered 196 “Land and Water Reserves” totaling more than 54,000 acres across Illinois. Similar to Nature Preserve dedications, INPC uses Land and Water Reserve registrations to permanently protect Illinois’s most important natural and archaeological areas. However, unlike Nature Preserves, Land and Water Reserves allow for a wider variety of recreational uses to occur onsite and are used to protect sites that may be of slightly lower quality and may not qualify for Nature Preserve status. JDCF’s Land and Water Reserves include Wapello, Casper Bluff, and Keough Effigy Mounds. The Rutherford Refuge at Twin Bridges Nature Preserve is located at 9532 East Twin Bridges Road, Warren, Illinois. It’s open to the public for passive outdoor recreation daily from dawn to dusk.
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