Orland Grassland

 park, birdwatching area

 Upload a photo

Adjacent to Orland Park, Orland Hills, and Tinley Park, it is located at the southern-most point of our region's moraine formed by glaciers twelve thousand years ago. Settled in the 1800s, it was cleared for farming, and traces of old farms are still there. The clearing took its toll and much of the natural plant and animal life became scarce or left completely. Orland Grassland now contains some degraded prairie remnant along with large hayfields that are home to nesting prairie birds – species of the highest conservation concern in the Midwest.

A restoration plan is underway that calls for restoring the mix of prairie, wetland, oak savanna and oak woods. 960 acres of ponds, meadows, woods and rolling hills will be improved habitat for the bobolinks, yellow-breasted chats, orchard orioles, and other species that survive there. The preserve may also once again attract sandhill cranes and other grassland species that have lost most of their habitat outside of preserves. With restoration, this beautiful land holds the most incredible promise of providing a stable, nurturing environment to support natural vegetation and wildlife.

The long term vision is to manage the site for a contiguous prairie grassland and wetland within the interior with a perimeter trail and other features that will compliment the use of the preserve for observation, education, and compatible recreation. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC), the Corporation for Open Lands (CorLands), U. S. Army Corps of Engineers-Chicago District, and Audubon-Chicago Region have joined together to implement the plan.

For more information go to www.orlandgrassland.org or www.fpdcc.com