BYRON – Back by popular demand – the Byron Forest Preserve District will be offering a special “inside the fence” tour of the bison at The Nature Conservancy’s Nachusa Grasslands on Saturday, June 9 beginning at the Nachusa Grasslands new outdoor visitor’s center, 2075 Lowden Road.
There will be two sessions to choose from with one in the morning at 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and one in the afternoon at 1-3:30 p.m. The Cost is $5 per person and advance registration is required by calling the Byron Forest Preserve at 815 234-8535, Ext. 200.
In the fall of 2014, The Nature Conservancy brought a herd of 30 genetically pure wild bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota to the Nachusa Grasslands to establish the first wild bison herd in Illinois in nearly 200 years in order to complete their prairie ecosystem. The herd continues to grow with many new calves born each spring and is now up to around 100 wild bison.
We will be meeting at the new Nachusa Grasslands Outdoor Visitor’s Center located at 2075 Lowden Road, Franklin Grove. Our group will then be transported via open trailers for a guided tour to see the Nachusa Grasslands bison herd before the prairie grass gets too high to see the new spring calves. Bring your cameras. Register early as space is limited.
