Valmeyer, IL – May 4. Nature lovers, wildlife advocates, and outdoor enthusiasts can look forward to a future expansion of White Rock Nature Preserve in Monroe County, Illinois. Three conservation nonprofits—Clifftop NFP, The Conservation Fund, and Illinois Audubon Society—have partnered to purchase 965 acres of high-quality habitat adjacent to the preserve to nearly triple the size of the popular hiking destination while creating a vast corridor of protected habitat. The acquisition closed on Tuesday, April 28 and was announced on Saturday, May 2 at a private reception hosted by Illinois Audubon Society in Moline, Illinois.

The Conservation Fund purchased the multi-million dollar property from a private seller and will retain ownership before donating the land to Clifftop in 2027. Clifftop owns and maintains White Rock Nature Preserve and will be the long-term stewards of the land, responsible for managing the property for the public in perpetuity. Initial funding for the acquisition is being provided by Illinois Audubon Society and The Conservation Fund, with additional funding from Clifftop, Mysun Charitable Foundation, Prairie State Conservation Coalition, and South Bow Cares. Fundraising efforts to cover the acquisition costs and to support stewardship of the property are ongoing.

As of 2025, 19 federal- and state-listed threatened and endangered species have been documented on the property, including the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, climbing milkweed, timber rattlesnake, cerulean warbler, and crested coralroot orchid. The property features 16 loess hill prairies and limestone glades. Hill prairies are unique ecosystems created by fine wind-blown soils and millennia of fires on the blufftop that are home to rare plant species found nowhere else in Illinois. Additionally, the preserve offers prime nesting and breeding habitat in mature woodlands for bird species along the Mississippi Flyway, one of the most significant migratory routes in North America.

“The project will benefit critical wildlife throughout the Illinois Ozarks, and ensure this beautiful area is one day made public for everyone to enjoy,” said Jim Johannsen, Illinois State Director with The Conservation Fund. “We’re thrilled to have saved this land in southwest Illinois that will have such a large conservation impact.”