Every day is Earth Day for the folks at The Conservation Foundation, the nonprofit that’s preserved more than 35,000 acres of open land since being established 50 years ago.
The foundation is based at McDonald Farm, a 60-acre agricultural plot surrounded by houses in Knoch Knolls area of Naperville. I went there for a slightly muddy walk alongside CEO and President Brook McDonald, who made it temping to hum “E I E I O” even though the name is just a co-incidence and he doesn’t actually own the farm.
That honor was once held by Lenore Clow McDonald, a member of the Clow family of landowners, farmers and community leaders who married Sterling McDonald. The couple purchased the farm in 1949 and, after Sterling’s death in 1966, Lenore continued to live on the farm and run it.
By the 1970s, though, the neighborhood had changed dramatically and most of the farms in the area replaced by subdivisions. The McDonald Farm was the last holdout.
“In 1992 Lenore donated the farm to us and continued to live on the property until 1996, when she had a car accident,” Brook McDonald said. “We had a small office in Wheaton, but by 1996 we were outgrowing it. We thought this would fit our mission.”
The farm turned out to be a perfect fit. The farmhouse is used as offices and the old barn as a center to provide vegetables for the Green Earth Harvest program. They offer programs on organic gardening — how to grow food in a healthy and sustainable way, and in the summer children enjoy camps and a sensory garden.
As you walk around, you could easily imagine you were in the middle of nowhere were it not for the view of homes around the perimeter.
McDonald Farm is the perfect place for like-minded people to gather. Volunteers share their love of the land with visitors, and regular events give the foundation’s 6,000 members a chance to connect.
More Top Picks Best Baby Carriers For Newborns
Like most businesses, the pandemic has caused changes for the way the foundation works.
“The pandemic forced us to think differently about how we implement programs,” McDonald told me. “Now we practice conservation online. We had never done Zoom before, now we get 500 people at a class. We used to make regular presentations to garden clubs but that stopped. We had to rethink how to do it so we devised a webinar series. Now do both and post on You Tube as well.”
Although the early days of the pandemic kept us all apart, it also reminded everyone of the importance of getting outside.
“We knew how important nature was for people’s health and now people realize how important being outside is to their wellbeing,” McDonald said. “It affects their spiritual, mental and physical health. People have told me that being outside in places like this have saved them in the pandemic. I always knew that, but hearing it made me feel good.”
Now McDonald is pleased to report they see more visitors than before the pandemic. They’re even back to offering forest therapy walks, where certified forest therapists will lead walks, yoga and meditation.
“It’s a scientific fact they emit chemicals that help us improve our immune system and make us happier,” he said.
But the work of the Conservation Foundation isn’t just at the farm, of course. They’ve preserved land in Dekalb, LaSalle, Grundy, DuPage and Will counties. They’ll even come to your house to give you advice on what you can do in your own yard.
“When you come to McDonald Farm, you can go away with one new idea every time,” McDonald said. “For example, we’ve sold more than 17,000 repurposed rain barrels in the last 15 years. Our most popular program is Conservation at Home. We encourage people to bring nature to their yard by planting native plants and pollinators to attract butterflies.
“If you want to bring a little bit of nature to your yard for your kids, you have to understand the kind of landscaping you need to do.”
One of the most fun ways to do this is to start a garden to help save the Monarch butterflies. Many people know that milkweed is important because its what the caterpillars feed on, but McDonald says you should also have other pollinators at hand.
“You can start small, even just in a large container,” he said. “People get hooked. We’re happy to come and help you with ideas at home and will then certify your yard as nature friendly and give you a special sign. We’ve certified over 2,500 properties in the last ten years.”
The foundation’s Green Earth Harvest has been producing healthy organic vegetables for the community for almost 20 years. They use a shareholder subscription model to sell the produce they grow, but also donate any surplus to food pantries like Loaves and Fishes. Shareholders can choose from a variety of organic locally grown vegetables through the summer, and children in particular love to pick freshly ripe strawberries.
If you’d like to commemorate Earth Day this year by getting more involved in helping the environment, visit www.theconservationfoundation.org.
Hilary Decent is a British freelance journalist who moved from England to Naperville in 2007.