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Community Organization
About Us
The Northern Illinois Conservation Club is a not-for-profit, privately funded organization. Funds come from member’s dues, fund-raising activities and donations. Our educational programs on various conservation, wildlife and preservation subjects are open to the public, at no charge. We are a financially and physically viable organization with many more ideas and projects for teaching and encouraging people of our area the beauty and tranquility that nature displays for us.
The Northern Illinois Conservation Club was established in 1960 by a group of sportsmen and persons interested in outdoor activities. They joined together to encourage education, conservation and preservation of wildlife and their habitat. They were concerned about the deterioration of the environment, ignorance of natural processes and the lack of hunter safety. With this, they determined the need for education of hunters, fishermen, boaters and campers of all ages.
For more than two decades, the number of these interested and dedicated people increased, meeting in various locations to hear qualified speakers knowledgeable in various aspects of concern. As the membership grew, so did the treasury, and in 1986 a very appropriate parcel of property became available. The Northern Illinois Conservation Club was able to purchase our present location one half mile south of Hwy 173 and one-quarter mile east of Hwy 83 in unincorporated Antioch Township.
This land consists of 62.5 acres, a large percentage of which is wetlands, including two sections declared “superior wetlands”. The members transformed the original house into a meeting and educational center, carved out and chipped over one mile of walking trails through the woods. Members have cleared and maintained open areas for camping and nature activities.
