All Places in Mineral Township

This 200-acre rare prairie type was donated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service Bureau County District by Mr. and Mrs. J.D. McCune (120-acres) and the University of Illinois (80-acres). Due to the exceptionally sandy soil composition, sand prairies are exceedingly well-drained and are therefore even drier than typical Midwestern tallgrass prairies. However, the northern portion of this site supports tree Read more...

Bureau County’s Witness Tree is a 250-year-old bur oak which has served as a landmark and meeting site for at least 200 years. This mammoth oak’s burly trunk measures 14 feet in circumference with a branch spread of over 80 feet. The bur oak is a seminal Midwestern prairie tree with acorns so large that only one can fit in Read more...