Steward Your Land
Healthy Landscapes Start Here
Whether you care for a residential, commercial, institutional properties or large natural area, Openlands can provide guidance around conservation, ecological restoration, and stewardship.
Land Help & Services
Lands in Harmony
Available exclusively in Lake County, IL, Lands in Harmony supports homeowners and landowners in bringing harmony to their properties through conservation-friendly practices.
Now it’s easier than ever for your property to look great while protecting both nature and your buildings. Add beauty, value, and privacy in a way that fits your budget, reduces flooding, and supports the rich profusion of indigenous species living here. Walk your land with one of our ecologists. We’ll listen to your needs, assess the site, and provide practical project suggestions. The fee is $50 for a one-hour appointment.
Certify your Property with Conservation@Home
We recognize a growing number of people managing their landscapes in ways that help keep our environment healthy. If you’re among them, we’d like to honor you with certification and a handsome garden sign. If your property meets the below criteria, schedule an appointment so we can verify this and provide you with your sign. Others will notice and appreciate your actions and leadership. We sure do!
If your property is in Lake County, IL, it needs to meet these criteria to certify:
- A young oak is present
- Plants native to northeastern Illinois cover at least 5% of the landscape
- Lawn chemicals are absent – or rainwater flows through a garden, or other water-absorbing feature
- Buckthorn is absent – or covers less than 5% of the landscape
There is a $50 fee, which includes the certification appointment, the garden sign, and, if you desire, an initial consultation appointment. Certification is good for five years.
More Resources to Steward Your Land
Concerns are growing about the impact of lawns. Things to consider when using lawn care …
Native Plants are Key to This Region By planting a native tree, bush, fern, or …
Oaks support much of Lake County’s renowned variety of wildlife and native plants. Nearly all …
How to Identify & Remove Buckthorn Buckthorn is an invasive shrubby tree that destroys native …
Not in Lake County, IL?
Find a local partner for a Conservation@Home consult:
Stewardship Network
Ecological Restoration
Healthy landscapes require long-term care. Openlands restores forests, prairies, wetlands, waterways, and other natural areas so they can thrive in one of the most developed regions in the country. Through partnership, Openlands protects high-quality habitat, restores ecological function, reconnects fragmented landscapes, and uses science-based management to strengthen biodiversity, improve climate resilience, and ensure nature continues to flourish for generations to come.
Land Stewardship
Long-term conservation depends on people as much as it does on the land itself. That’s why we partner to build long-term stewardship capacity by training volunteers, supporting land managers, and strengthening stewardship networks across the region.
More about Land Stewardship
Openlands hosted Opentalks in May 2026 at The Driehaus Museum in downtown Chicago. The event …
The first-ever blue-spotted salamander sighting documented at an Openlands volunteer stewardship site.
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Volunteers gathered to conduct a controlled burn on the Tamarack West property, owned by Openlands. …
