Wild Things 2025

The Pembroke Savannas, located in southeastern Kankakee County, is home to the largest concentration of high-quality black oak sand savannas in the Midwest and also one of the largest populations of black, organic farmers, with a growing Latino population. Since 2000, Pembroke has been of great interest to conservation organizations for its outstanding natural landscape, which includes 38 state endangered or threatened species. The Pembroke Preservation Alliance, comprised of the Community Development Corporation of Pembroke-Hopkins Park, the Friends of Kankakee, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Field Museum, OpenLands, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was formed to promote a more holistic approach to conservation within the human communities of Pembroke. We will discuss some of the area’s history, challenges, and success stories as Alliance members collaborate on a shared vision of a landscape where people and nature thrive.