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New Research Document Emerges 
‘NATURAL DIVISIONS OF ILLINOIS’ 
PINPOINTS DISTINCTIVE AREAS IN THE STATE 
Illinois was a tapestry of many-colored natural area patterns before the 
white man came and snipped it into a disjointed design with his shears of 
progress. 
“Natural Divisions of Illinois,” a 100-page document describing Illinois’ 
original land types, was officially reviewed at the 42nd Illinois Nature 
Preserves Commission meeting in May at Eastern Illinois University, 
Charleston. 
The Commission is composed of conservationists serving as advisers 
to the Illinois Department of Conservation. Its counsel is sought on which 
state lands to establish as natural preserved tracts representative of natural 
land types. They are as complete with original plant and animal species as 
possible. 
There are 34 nature preserves in Illinois. Volo Bog, Goose Lake Prairie, 
Lusk Creek Canyon and Heron Pond are well known examples. 
Edmund B. Thornton of Ottawa, chairman of the Commission, said: 
“The Natural Divisions of Illinois’ document has been used in outline form 
as a guide to establishing nature preserves. It is now ready for final 
approval. 
Publication of the document, and dispersal for natural area research 
work, will follow. 
The plan directs that some of each original land area be preserved, if 
possible, according to George B. Fell of Rockford, executive secretary of the 
Commission. 
“We will have fragments of our original land heritage in the total state 
wide preserve system when the Commission’s work is complete.” 
Areas of distinction mentioned in the document are: 
® Wisconsin Driftless, Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties: This land es- 
caped the grinding layer of ice or glacier cover, and now provides a habi- 
tat suitable for plants found nowhere else in Illinois. Woodland white 
violet, birdseye primrose and cliff goldenrod are examples. Many of the 
plants are found in Apple River and Mississippi Palisades State Parks. 
® Northeastern Morrainal, Chicago area: Youngest land in the state, 
having been deposited 10,000 years ago by the last ice flow, called the 
Wisconsin glacier. True bogs are here, such as Volo, with its tamarack 
trees. Moccasin flower and small ladies slipper orchids are inseparably tied 
to this type of environment. Pug-nosed shiners, spotted turtles and pygmy 
shrews are animals found only in this division. 
¢ Grand Prairie, covers over half of central Illinois: This large expanse 
of waving big blue stem, Indian grass, prairie drop seed, switch grass and 
little blue stem plants awed and inspired prairie settlers. Lead plants, com- 
pass plant, prairie dock and rattlesnake master are only found now along 
railroad rights-of-way and forgotten country cemeteries. 
® Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River bottomlands along the 
shores of these river systems, backwater lakes, ponds and sloughs acted 
