Adjacent to Moffit Nature Park is a 225 acre sanctuary that includes a mature flood plain forest, a rarity in the entire Illinois River Valley. The property is owned and managed by the Illinois Audubon Society. It is open to the public from dawn to dusk for hiking and bird watching. 

“We are excited to work with the City of Chillicothe to improve access to this site, giving the public opportunity to enjoy this natural wonder,” said Brian “Fox” Ellis, Director of Membership and Outreach for Illinois Audubon Society. “Amanda Beadles, (Chillicothe’s Director of Economic Development), and Public Works Director Shawn Sutherland have been enthusiastic partners as we work to transform this area into a premiere destination for ecological tourism. We are working on improving trails and repairing an old duck blind for viewing waterfowl.”

A privately owned hunt club managed the property for many years. Ducks Unlimited purchased the forested wetlands in 2012 with private donations and grants from Grand Victoria Foundation and the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. Illinois Audubon Society was gifted the sanctuary in August 2018. Audubon members Maury Brucker and Emiko Yang have tallied weekly eBird counts for a dozen years and have now counted 174 different species, including many species of conservation concern. The bird list includes American Black Duck, Hooded Merganser, Canvasback, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Egret, Brown Creeper, Marsh Wren, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Pileated Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, Prothonotary Warbler, and Blue-winged Warbler. Two species—the Northern Harrier and Osprey—are state-listed endangered species.

The property includes approximately one mile of the Illinois River shoreline and a quarter mile of lower Senachwine Creek on both sides of the railroad bridge, including its confluence with the river. Chillicothe Bottoms Nature Preserve has been identified as a Conservation Opportunity Area in the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan and is a conservation priority in the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

The protection of Chillicothe Bottoms is part of a broader effort to protect and restore the Middle Illinois River. Illinois Audubon Society is overseeing management, providing stewardship, and expanding future public access. “We hosted a volunteer workday last fall and we have a few more days planned for later this summer.” said Fox, “We had 15 volunteers at our last workday and see this as an opportunity to engage the community in caring for their local environment. With a few hours of removing invasive plants and spreading gravel on the trails, we are hoping folks will take pride in protecting this gem. If you love the outdoors and are looking for a fun opportunity to meet like-minded folks, join us.” 

Contact Illinois Audubon Society to learn more about ways you can help preserve and protect this natural wonder: Illinoisaudubon.org/volunteering.