For 54 years, the Natural Land Institute has helped residents of northern Illinois conserve the land they cherish.

We are one of the oldest private conservation groups in the Midwest. We are a member supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving land and natural diversity for future generations. Since 1958, NLI has protected, managed, and restored more than 16,000 acres throughout Illinois and southern Wisconsin. These include prairies, forests, wetlands, and river corridors.

Serving as a regional land trust, the Institute accepts donations of properties, buys lands, manages natural areas, and helps landowners establish legal agreements that permanently limit harmful use and development.