Common Ground Gathering Goes Virtual
Common Ground Gathering is an event that brings together farmers and farmland owners who care about producing healthy food for the community.
TLC Preserves 83.5 Acres in Harvard
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has preserved an 83.5-acre parcel, Crowley Oaks Preserve, in Harvard.
It used to be lawn, now it's a native meadow: Facebook Live
Take a virtual tour of a native wildflower meadow that used to be suburban lawn.
Spring Wildflower Walk - Virtual event
Let's go on a virtual wildflower identification walk!
How to Convert Lawn to a Wildflower Meadow with Seed - Webinar
Tired of maintaining large sections of lawn grass and want to attract birds and butterflies?
Tree and Shrub Identification - Virtual Tour
Join Melissa Grycan, TLC’s restoration ecologist, on a pre-recorded virtual tour to learn how to identify common native trees and shrubs.
Local sources for farm-fresh food
A listing of local sources for farm-fresh food.
What can I do to make it better?
One family’s story of preserving 40 acres of oaks in McHenry County.
A girl, a boy and the land: A family preserves 80 acres
This is the story of Alix Blair and her memories of growing up on her family’s land.
Volunteer to help oaks
There are many ways to help oaks, whether at your own home or throughout McHenry County! Here are some ideas:
- Volunteer at a TLC restoration workday or Oak Rescue. Workdays are held on some weekdays and almost every weekend. Check the TLC calendar or follow us on Facebook so you know when the next workday is. No fancy clothes are tools are needed, just wear sturdy boots/shoes and clothing that can get burn holes. Snacks and tools are provided!
- Seed collecting. If you have native plants in your landscaping, collecting seed from them can be a fun and rewarding event! Spread them around on your property, or if you have limited space, you can donate them to TLC to use in our restoration projects! Learn more about seed collecting here!
- Acorn Roundup. Collecting acorns is a great way to get your kids, friends, neighbors or students outside and involved in a worthwhile project! Learn more here.
- Help plant oaks at our spring and fall Celebration & Memorial Oak plantings. Volunteers are always welcome! To get started, fill out our volunteer form here!
TLC interns collected seed in the summer of 2019.
Learn more about oak trees
Learn more about oak trees
- Attend the next Oak Keepers workshop via webinar June 12 10:00-11:30 a.m.
- Learn to support and incorporate oaks in your landscape. Programs include:
- Native Plant Gardening and Design free webinar
- How to Convert Lawn to a Wildflower Meadow with Seed
- Facebook Live: From a Lawn to Wildflower Meadow Conversion from Seed - July 9
- Facebook Live: From a Lawn to Wildflower Meadow Conversion from Seed - July 23
- Tree and Shrub Identification
- Battle Against Buckthorn and its Buddies: How-to for Homeowners
- Collect and Share Native Seed so others can enjoy the benefits of native plants. Open to TLC members, Seed Sharing Day takes place on a weekend in the fall. The 2020 date will be announced soon!
- Learn the tools to inspire others to become advocates for our local natural communities. Attend TLC's free Nature Talk workshop in early February 2021.
- Learn to conduct a prescribed burn. Prescribed burns are an important tool for maintaining natural areas and preserving high quality habitat for plants and animals. Periodic fire has been an important part of the historical landscape, and is one of the best ways to control weeds and unwanted brush, as well as to promote a healthy diversity of plants. TLC's prescribed burn class is held in late March.
- Tree & Shrub Identification - TLC offers these classes in the winter and spring/summer. Learn more about the trees in our area and how to identify them.
- Beginners Chainsaw Training - Learn about personal protective equipment, basic chainsaw maintenance, and the development of technique to safely fell a tree and cut it up. The chainsaw training class is offered each fall.
- Learn to Burn - Held in late March in Woodstock
- Vernal Pool Hike - Held in late April near Harvard
- Spring Wildflower Walk - Check out the video from May 2020 and learn more about our native wildflowers.
Plant Oaks
Whether planted in your yard or at a public park, planting oaks is one of the best things you can do for the local environment.
- Buy oaks to plant during TLC's Spring and Fall Sustainability Sales.
The fall sale runs from early August-end of September. - Purchase a memorial/celebration oak from TLC.
- Organize an oak tree planting for your school, scout group, church, etc. - group tree plantings will resume when it is safe to do so. (Contact Dave Zeiger at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to organize an oak planting for your group.)
Amateur Photography Contest
TLC's 2020 Art of the Land Amateur Photography Contest is now open to amateur photographers!
Conservation @ Home Turns 5 in January in McHenry County
It’s the five-year anniversary of TLC’s [email protected] program!
Nature Talk: How to Inspire Others
Sometimes talking about the value of nature just doesn’t come naturally!
Art of the Land 2019 Photo Contest Winning Photos
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) hosts an amateur photography contest each year to highlight the inspiring natural landscapes found throughout McHenry County.
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