Prairie Research Institute scientists are conducting a $2.3 million project to support the protection and restoration of part of the Illinois Beach State Park coastal area.
The three-year, cross-disciplinary project will assess the water movement and quality, as well as affected native plant communities, of the north unit of the park and develop management recommendations for conservation and restoration. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant is funding the work.
“With 6.5 miles of natural coastal habitat, it's important to remember that nowhere else in Illinois will you experience a place like Illinois Beach State Park,” PRI coastal specialist Cody Eskew said. “This project will continue the recent investments made to improve the park's resilience, therefore preserving an important resource that provides habitat for critical species, ecosystem services, economic benefits for local communities, and recreation opportunities.”
Working with Eskew on the project are PRI wetlands geologist Geoffrey Pociask, plant ecologists Brenda Molano-Flores and Susan McIntyre, and plant botanist Paul Marcum.
The grant was awarded as part of a program to restore ecologically significant habitats and natural infrastructure — like forests, wetlands, floodplains, and dunes — in coastal zones that “not only support productive fisheries, coastal recreation, and other coast-dependent economic activities, but also protect these coastal communities from storm impacts and other coastal hazards.”
Historic manmade changes to the Lake Michigan coast have meant more frequent and intense flooding at the park, Eskew said. These flood events have negative impacts on visitors to the park and on the plants that support the ecosystem’s resident and migrating species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
Illinois Beach State Park has long been recognized as a valuable natural area in need of preservation, Eskew notes. It was the first Illinois state nature preserve, receiving the designation in 1964. It became a National Natural Landmark in 1980.
The park is part of a larger wetland complex that crosses the border between Illinois and Wisconsin, called the Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain, which has been recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and as an Important Bird Conservation area by the National Audubon Society, Eskew said. The wetland complex hosts six globally rare wetland types, two federally protected plant and animal species, 63 state protected species, and more than 2 million tourism and recreation visitors a year.
In addition to preserving the outdoor recreation opportunities of the park, the project will also benefit communities local to Illinois Beach State Park by offering educational opportunities. The researchers and the Lake Forest Open Lands Association will offer a summer internship program, in which high school students will work on the project. The internships will support students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and from groups underrepresented in the sciences.
“Interns will get to help with data collection efforts, shadow under researchers and park staff to explore career pathways, develop interpretive materials and programs, and collaborate with community groups for a comprehensive view of natural land management and engagement,” Eskew said.
PRI’s Traveling Science Center will travel to local schools and host school groups at the park each spring, also as part of the project, giving students the opportunity to learn more about the science and natural resources in their backyard.
The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides scientific expertise and transformative research to the people of Illinois and beyond. PRI is home to the five state scientific surveys: the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.