Shoal Creek Volunteers, an organization formed in 1990 has four purposes: 1) to preserve remnants of natural areas of south central Illinois; 2) to restore and manage natural areas and ecosystems; 3) to educate and involve the general public in the above activities; and 4) to provide a vehicle for accepting donations of land and funds for management and educational activities.
The organization and its volunteers have primary management responsibility for the following two sites:
1) Shoal Creek Conservation Area, owned by the City of Litchfield, consisting of 250 acres of open woodland and prairie barrens openings. This site is of statewide significance for the high quality of its barrens community. It is home to nearly 750 species of plants and over 70 species of butterflies;
2) Blooming Grove Cemetery Natural Area, owned by Montgomery County, consisting of ca. 2 acres of shrub prairie. It harbors a population of state endangered auricled False Foxglove.
Management activities have consisted of prescribed burns, control of brush, exotic and aggressive species, recovery of sites disturbed by farming and construction activities with native plants grown and/or collected by our volunteers. Scientific surveys have been carried on to document the presence of fungi, flora, invertebrates and breeding birds.
We also have assisted with similar activities on sites owned or managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Heritage and the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, such as Roberts Cemetery Savanna Natural Area, Denby Prairie Natural Area, Beaver Dam State Park, Roderick Prairie Natural Area (privately owned).
The Shoal Creek Volunteers have partnered in the past with Litchfield Rotary and the lake department of the City of Litchfield.
Education activities are carried on through quarterly nature programs and tours to natural areas. Programs are also made available to local organizations and through posters at conferences and meetings.
Current and future activities consist of contributing to and supporting a C-2000 restoration project of the Illinois Audubon Society's Bremer Sanctuary in Hillsboro, IL by making available equipment and native seeds.