All Ecology in Lewistown

One of the major on-site archeological museums in the country, Dickson Mounds Museum also interprets the ecology of the Illinois River’s Emiquon region. The site itself lies where two major ecosystems meet: The Upper Mississippi River-Illinois River Bottomlands, and the Western Forest-Prairie complex. Turning onto the museum’s entry road, it’s easy to visualize this natural division, with the bottomlands situated Read more...

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has embarked on one of the largest wetland restoration projects in the U.S. Beneath the nearly 7,000 acres of plowed cropland was a dormant seed bank of prairie, hardwood forest, and aquatic plants just waiting for a chance to emerge. The newly built boat ramp, board walks, hiking and canoe trails were designed to attract visitors Read more...

Emiquon Refuge was established in 1993 to restore and protect wetland habitats at the confluence of the Illinois and Spoon rivers and help fulfill international obligations contained in various migratory bird treaties and conventions. The first tract was purchased on December 29, 1993. The refuge has since grown to approximately 2,600 acres. In 2012, the refuge was designated as a Read more...