About the Preserve

Why are the Old Plank Road Prairies Special?

Old Plank Road Prairie Nature Preserve is one of the highest-quality black soil prairie remnants in Illinois, with a profusion of rare and conservative prairie plants and animals. It supports outstanding remnants of original mesic and dry-mesic prairie, recognized on the  Illinois Natural Areas Inventory. Although the site is a small preserve, it is one of the most floristically rich and biodiverse areas in the south suburbs of Chicago. High quality tallgrass prairies like Plank Road have almost disappeared from the face of the earth -- a vanishingly rare part of our natural heritage that deserves to be conserved. 

Location

The Plank Road Prairies are found in the Village of Matteson in Rich Township, between Ridgeland Avenue to the west, Cicero Avenue to the east, and trisected by Central Avenue and I-57. They are on both sides of the Old Plank Road trail, which runs parallel to Lincoln Highway to the north and Sauk Trail to the south.

It is in southern Cook County, situated within the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division (#3a). Its geologic features were shaped by the moraines left by Illinois' most recent glaciation event. The site occupies the former Penn Central Railroad right-of-way and is in close proximity to Butterfield Creek. 

Dedications

The 9.8-acre Nature Preserve section east of Central Avenue was purchased by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, dedicated in 1994, then transferred to the Village of Matteson in 2004. The 3.6-acre Nature Preserve section lying west of Central Avenue, known as the Dewey Helmick addition to the Old Plank Road Prairie, is owned by Rich Township and was dedicated in 1997; its south end abuts the Butterfield Creek Wetlands Land and Water Reserve which is 83.6 acres in size and also owned by the Village of Matteson. 

Photo from Library of Congress American Memory. Accessed via oprt.org.

History

Early Use

The right-of-way was originally acquired for a wooden plank road that never came to fruition, but it was used for a railroad, which was undoubtedly crucial to the survival of prairie nature here. To prevent collisions with wandering cows, the railroad's right-of-way was fenced off, preventing the loss of prairie plant species to overgrazing. Critically, frequent fires, either set intentionally by the railroad as a form of brush control or unintentionally by sparks from passing trains, maintained healthy and diverse prairie sods.  

Saving the Site

In 1976, the Penn Central Railroad ceased its operations at this site, and left its right-of-way unused. That same year, the Grade A and B prairie remnants here were recognized by the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory as some of the finest in the state. In 1980, the Old Plank Road Trail Association was created by volunteers to partner in the protection and management of prairie and to promote the creation of a regional trail, which was constructed in 1996. Since that time the trail has been regularly used by hikers, bicyclists, and prairie enthusiasts.

Uncontrolled Invasives

In the 1980s and early '90s,  a community of local volunteer stewards worked to provide quality care for this important prairie. But, as leaders aged and with little outside support, the prairies received less and less care. By the early 2010s, much of the site had degraded to invasives and brush, and some of its key features seemed to have dropped out. The linear nature of the site means there is little buffer for the prairie from invasives and land changes around it. Overstretched Nature Preserve staff simply could not afford the hundreds of hours a year the prairie needed to maintain its health. 

Working Together

Like saving angels from the nearby Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve, the Orland Grassland Volunteers  stepped in, taking time from stewardship of their own 1,000-acre site to provide some of the care the Old Plank Road Prairies desperately needed. Then in 2021, the newly-formed Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves  sponsored a kick-off event for a new stewardship community expressly dedicated to the care of the Old Plank Road Prairies. Working in close partnership with the Orland Grassland Volunteers, Nature Preserves staff, and landowners, the new Friends of the Old Plank Road Prairies became a model conservation group for the region. Not only have all these groups together made great strides in increasing needed care for the preserve, but local businesses and organizations have taken notice, providing support of various kinds including space and funding for restoration tools and a shed to house them in. With all the love and care they are receiving these days, the future for the Old Plank Road Prairies has never looked better!

Plants and Animals

Prairie lily, prairie gentian, Leiberg’s panic grass, short green milkweed, and rough prairie lettuce are just a few examples of the hundreds of prairie species found on site.

The bison are gone. But many birds, butterflies, voles and other small animals thrive here. Many prairie-conservative insects are believed to persist at the site, although no recent surveys have documented them. More animal study is needed.