History and Founders
1972
The first official meeting of the Forest Foundation of DuPage County is held in January. The organization is made up of movers and shakers in DuPage County, including Brooks McCormick, Paul Butler, William B. Greene, Bill Rutherford, H.C. "Chuck" Johnson, Carleton Nadelhoffer, Marvin Chandler, Donald Carlson and Mark Bisbee McCormick.
1973
The Forest Foundation completes its first preservation of open space when William B. Greene donates the 260-acre Greene Homestead Property, which is now part of the Greene Valley Forest Preserve near Woodridge, Illinois. This is the first of many land preservation projects for the Foundation in the far west suburbs of Chicago. Most of the early land deals go down something like this: one of these gentlemen brings up a property he feels should be preserved, everyone takes out their checkbooks and says how much they’re in for.
1974
On October 1, 1974, a resolution is passed by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to formally constitute the Forest Foundation of DuPage County as an official support organization of the District. The structure of the Foundation consists of nine trustees, five of whom were appointed by the District.
1975
35 acres of what is now known as the Paul Butler Nature Preserve within Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook, Illinois, is acquired at a bargain price from Mr. Butler. The Sam Dean Memorial Building is constructed on the site the following year, honoring this strong supporter of the Foundation.
1977
The Foundation begins hosting nature art shows, nature photography shows and cross county ski competitions.
Early 1980’s
The Foundation initiates the formation of other conservation groups. Some of these groups still exist independently today, including Friends of the Furred and Feathered (now called the Willowbrook Wildlife Foundation) and Friends of Danada.
1988
The Foundation hires its first Executive Director, Jean Connell, begins accepting members, becomes completely independent of the Forest Preserve District, and changes its name to The Conservation Foundation.
1992
To protect it forever from the developers knocking daily on her door, Lenore Clow McDonald donates her 60-acre Naperville farm to The Conservation Foundation, subject to a life estate.
1995
Dorothy Dean Cavenaugh, the widow of Sam Dean, carries on his strong support of The Conservation Foundation by donating her 40-acre estate in Oak Brook, Illinois to the Foundation, subject to a life estate. The Oak Brook Park District will operate this natural area in the future as the Sam & Dorothy Dean Nature Sanctuary. The Conservation Foundation holds the conservation easement placed on these 40 acres.
1997
After complications from injuries suffered in a car accident, Lenore McDonald passes away, and her beloved farm becomes the headquarters of The Conservation Foundation. A conservation easement is placed on the property, and a master plan is developed to ensure its uses for conservation, agriculture and education, in accordance with Lenore’s wishes. In 1997 the organization also completes its first major strategic plan and embarks on the first successful open space referendum for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.
1998
The Conservation Foundation partners with Chicago Wilderness and other organizations to launch the Mighty Acorns educational program
1999
Jay Woods, a 45 acre property in Kendall County, is donated to the Foundation and a $1 million grant is awarded from the Illinois Environmental Protection Ageny for restoration of the DuPage River.
2002
The Foundation hires its first development director, assists Kendall County Forest Preserve District with the passage of its first open space referrundum for $5 million, and begins its partnership with The Green Earth Institute to farm the agricultural land on McDonald Farm.
2003
This is a big year for conservation easements. The Foundation secures Illinois' largest conservation easement to date -400 acres- called Horizon Farms in Barrington Hills and negotiates the first-in-the-nation conservation easement on a Girl Scout camp at Camp River Trails in LaSalle County.
2004
The wildly successful Conservation@Home program launches to educate and reognize homeowners for their native landscaping and conservation efforts. By 2007 the program has more than 500 participants and continues to be a popular program.
2006
Our new program office at the Dickson-Murst Farm in Montgomery is opened thanks to a donation of property from the Village of Montgomery.
2009
The Foundation protects 225 acres of land valued at $12.5 million through 10 different transactions and sells 2,500 rain barrels!
2010
The McDonald Farm Renewable Energy and Water Conservation Demonstration Project is completed, which includes installing a small wind turbine, solar panels and a 25,000 gallon rainwater harvesting system.
2013
The 253 acre Dayton Bluffs Preserve in Ottawa, boasting a mile of Fox River frontage, is purchased and preserved.
2014
A pilot program called Conservation In Our Community is launched with five communities in DuPage County to encourage their residents to become environmentally conscious through involvement in nature-based projects right in their own community. Conservation In Our Community incorporates Conservation@Home, Conservation@Work, all of our water quality and stormwater management resources, and much more to make impact at the local level.
2015
The Conservation Foundation receives a transformative $1.5 million gift from the Hamill Family Foundation to preserve land and launch campaigns to achieve a new level of public awareness and involvement in the health of the Fox River.
2016
It's a big year for the DuPage River! The DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup, which is staffed by The Conservation Foundation, celebrates 10 years of cutting edge science, water quality monitoring, data interpretation, dam removal and restoration projects along the DuPage River and Salt Creek. The DuPage River Sweep also celebrates its 25th anniversary. But the Fox River watershed is also thrust into our organizational spotlight as the Fox River Initiative, funded by the Hamill Family Foundation gift, is launched to create a coordinated movement to monitor and clean up the Fox River, create and preserve habitat and natural lands throughout the watershed, promote collaboration between all organizations and communities built along the river, and involve citizens in all of these efforts.
Today
Today, The Conservation Foundation is one of the region’s largest and oldest private conservation organizations -- with more than 4,000 members and donors, and more than 500 volunteers who contribute 20,000 hours per year. We’re working in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties to preserve and restore nature in your neighborhood.
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