Let’s get started with Conservation@Home

Bringing nature home is easy with Conservation@Home. Through fairly simple steps, your property can retain its aesthetics while supporting clean water, rich soil and resilient ecosystems. This is of particular value in Lake County, home to the state's greatest diversity of native plants and wildlife.

Ready to get started? Here are five steps to get you on your way to beautiful, eco-friendly landscapes.

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Winter is the time to control buckthorn

Buckthorn is a shrub or small tree growing up to 20-25' tall and left unchecked invades forests, woodlands, oak savannas, and prairies. (Click on the listing for common buckthorn on our Invasives Species list for more information). The best time to eradicate buckthorn is in the late fall and winter. Here's what to do if you have buckthorn on your property.

• Remove your largest, berry-filled plants first.
• For trunks over six inches wide, cut the trunk and immediately swab the stump with trichlopyr herbicide and oil. (Stop when the spring thaw begins.)
• For smaller trunks, skip the cutting and spray the base of a dry, frost-free trunk with trichlopyr and oil.

Tordon RTU, is pre-mixed trichlopyr with oil. Be sure to read and follow label directions. See our Products and Services page to find where to purchase Tordon RTU. 

Save time and money

An eco-friendly landscape can look beautiful while saving you time and money. Studies also show that natural landscaping can preserve or even improve your property value. The biggest impact occurs when trees are planted and portions of lawn are converted to well-designed native flower gardens and/or beds of native shrubs. Like a savings account, this requires an initial investment. But even small changes can make a difference.

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Create a healthy, peaceful sanctuary

With today's busy and computer-driven lives, we're sometimes pressed to find time for a walk in the local park or forest preserve. Yet we know in our hearts that it's good for the kids – and for us adults, too. And sure enough, research backs that hunch.

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Small changes can make a difference

These days, news reports are filled with worrisome stories about the planet that can leave us feeling powerless. But we do have control over an important aspect of planetary health. At the end of the day, we can feel good about changes we've made to our own properties – seemingly small changes that make a big impact.

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Support Songbirds and Butterflies

Bluebirds, goldfinches, warblers and dozens of other treasured Midwestern birds need our help to survive. So do butterflies, dragonflies and pollinators. Their biggest challenge is finding good habitat that offers food, shelter and water. Eco-landscaping solves that problem while also creating beautiful landscapes for people. Native plants are critical.

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