WILMINGTON, Ill. (AP) — More restoration efforts are planned at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie outside of Joliet as it hosts researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame who are working on archaeological excavations.
Officials say that 1,800 acres of the prairie’s west side will be restored over the next seven years to connect it with a larger piece of the park that has already been restored so that wildlife can thrive.
The excavations began Aug. 1 and ran through Friday. Work may continue next year, depending on the results, which could show what life may have been like there during prehistoric time.
The Herald-News reports that the 20,000 acres are the first tallgrass prairie established in the United States and home to a herd of more than three dozen bison since fall of last year.
