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Mission

The Wetlands Initiative is  dedicated to restoring the wetland resources of the Midwest to improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and reduce flood damage.

Featured News


  • south-prairie-creek-flooding-ftd-news

    As the Illinois River Basin floods...

    Jack Darin of Sierra Club Illinois writes that with the loss of 90 percent of Illinois' wetlands, we've also lost the tremendous flood protection they provided. We couldn't have said it better ourselves ... more.

  • arboretum wetlands discussion ftd news

    New project a whole-watershed effort

    The partnership between TWI and the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to restore a degraded stream will now include public and private "neighbors" throughout the watershed ... more.

  • clearing the way ftd news

    Clearing the way at Lobelia Meadows

    Just four months into the Wetlands Initiative's new restoration project at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, nearly all man-made alterations to the landscape have been removed ... more.

  • blandings turtle ftd news

    Mussels, turtles, and fish, oh my!

    The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's new Urban Stream Research Center at Blackwell Forest Preserve is expected to play a key role in the Wetlands Initiative's newest project ... more.

  • pyott toast ftd news

    Event celebrates global recognition

    More than 100 people attended the event August 8th to celebrate the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge's historic designation as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention ... more.

  • group at producer workshop ftd news

    TWI talks conservation with farmers

    The Wetlands Initiative worked with the Friends of the Big Bureau Creek Watershed, a coalition for clean water, to hold a free producer workshop on March 2nd in Princeton, Illinois ... more.

Get to Know Wetlands


  • jim in lake ftd news

    Ask the Scientist: GIS

    TWI's GIS analyst Jim Monchak explains how he uses GIS to map rare habitat areas, monitor restoration success, and even help identify the best site for a new TWI project ... more.

  • midewin location map

    Visit the region's largest prairie restoration at Midewin

    Discover Illinois' original prairie-wetland landscape at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where waving grasses and wildflowers stretch to the horizon ... more.

  • dixon_refuge_location_map

    Experience the Dixon Refuge at Hennepin & Hopper Lakes

    Climb the observation tower, hike a boardwalk trail, paddle through a marsh, or enjoy excellent bird-watching at the Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge ... more.