March 17, 2006     Frisbie Land Accepted into TLC's Land Heritage Registry Program

Marlene and Hugh Frisbie live on a beautiful stretch of land on Route 14 between Woodstock and Harvard. They bought the property in 1993. At the time, over half of the land was farm fields of corn and soybeans. Most of the remainder was wetlands, dominated with reed canary grass, and woodlands, dominated by buckthorn and honeysuckle, all invasive species.

In 1994, the Frisbies began restoring their land, removing invasive plants and planting native ones. They installed a water control structure to restore the wetlands, planted 2500 oak and walnut trees, conducted annual burns, and cleared brush.

Their efforts have been rewarded by the return of an abundance of native plant species, along with many animal species such as Blandings turtles, sandhill cranes, a diversity of birds and waterfowl, as well as deer and coyote.

Through its Land Heritage Registry program, the Land Conservancy recognizes private landowners throughout the county who are interested in preserving their land. Areas of open space which contribute significantly to the community, including agricultural lands, scenic resources, wetlands, backyard prairie restorations, all qualify for the Land Heritage Registry. The Registry is a voluntary program, and provides technical assistance and management advice to participants upon request.