Mississippi River
The Wetlands Initiative
Illinois Route 26
Sue & Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin and Hopper Lakes
Hennepin, IL 61327
Web: http://www.wetlands-initiative...
Contact:
Laura Urban
(312)922-0777 ext. 110
Description and Volunteer Activities
The Wetlands Initiative is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the wetland resources of the Midwest to improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and reduce flood damage. The Initiative envisions the Illinois River Valley and the entire Mississippi River Basin floodplain areas as ecological and economic models for wetland restoration nationwide. The Initiative's flagship effort is the 2,600 acre Hennepin & Hopper Lakes Project -- dedicated in 2005 as the Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge. Once drained for agriculture, it is now named as one of Audubon's Important Bird Areas, as it hosts a rich mosaic of lakes, wetlands, prairies, savannas, and seeps.
Opportunities are available for volunteers to help with restoration at the Hennepin project.