The Natural Land Institute and Stone Bridge Trail

In 1958, George B. Fell, a naturalist with great vision, used his own personal funds to organize what became the Natural Land Institute. His goal was to preserve ecologically-significant areas of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Being aware that there were a number of areas in this region that were important because of the plants and animals that inhabit them for their ecological, scientific, historical, aesthetic and intrinsic value, George Fell acted quickly. Many of these species were threatened, endangered, or rare. Fell was able to acquire and preserve these lands before expansion and development rendered them extinct.

To preserve the diversity on these lands, George Fell began his organization as a not for profit establishment. His goal was to acquire land by donation or if necessary by purchase. Volunteers who espoused a similar vision accomplished much of the work of the institute. When George died in 1994, his wife and his many followers continued his important work. The institute is located at 320 3rd Street South in Rockford, Illinois. The building is an old renovated home that was once the residence of students of the then all-female Rockford College. Today four full time employees make the institute operable and successful.

    A wide range of programs for voluntary land preservation, land acquisition, stewardship, research, and education exists. The programs include means for acquiring and protecting conservation land and managing the natural areas to preserve and protect the native species located there. One of the Institute’s responsibilities includes the management of information accumulated during research studies of the areas. Another function of the group is to disseminate information about land and nature conservation. Members willingly speak with groups about the institute and its goals to promote conservation to the public. It is important to them that people are aware of the issues of preservation and conservation so that ecologically sound decisions will be made by local government agencies.

The Stone Bridge Trail

The Stone Bridge Trail is a five-mile biking/hiking path located in Roscoe, Illinois. It is located on an abandoned Chicago Northwestern Railroad in Northeast Winnebago County and is presently owned by Roscoe Township under a railbanking agreement. It is protected by a conservation easement that was granted to the Natural Land Institute. The stone arch bridge located on the trail crosses over Kinnikinnick Creek and is of particular significance because of its design and because it was built in 1882. In 1993, it was named in the National Register of Historic Places.

Location and Natural Character

A small one-acre Grade A and Grade C prairie remnant lies adjacent to the Hamborg Road overpass and is known as the Hamborg Road Prairie. It is also identified as the Chicago Northwestern Railroad Prairie and is registered in the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory as INAI #1042. There are also several Grade C prairie remnants along the trail that include a state threatened species and a federally threatened species. This made the trail especially important to the Institute and members worked hard to acquire the land. The acquisition was not without its difficulties and controversies, some of which are ongoing.

The Stone Bridge Nature Trail was originally laid out and acquired by the Galena and Chicago Union Railway Company. This later became known as the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. It began in the 1850's and continued to actively conduct rail traffic until the early 1990's. Interest in acquisition of the land began back in 1981 when the Illinois Commerce Commission first suggested the railroad be closed. The actual sale took place in 1994 when it was sold to Roscoe Township for the purpose of preservation and development as a recreational trail.

There are still a number of threats to the trail, including a variety of easements and special use permits for road crossings. The nature of a railroad right of way is that if the railroad is needed, it must be returned. The greatest threat to the prairie is the proposed extension of Perryville county roadway. At the present, the highway extension has been stopped, but debate over resuming development continues.

The entire corridor of the Stone Bridge Trail is in the western portion of the Winnebago Drift Section of the Northeastern Morainal Division of Illinois. The "original vegetation was predominantly prairie with oak openings, dry upland forest and well developed floodplain forests." (Natural Land Institute publication)

Geology

The uppermost bedrock formation is primarily Ordovician dolomite. The most recent glaciation was Wisconsinan. The corridor is situated over Argyle till changing to sand and gravel Henry Formation as it gets closer to the Rock River.

Natural Communities

One portion of the dry gravel prairie at the Hamborg Road location is 0.4 acre and is classified as Grade A. Another part of the section includes at least five dry gravel prairie remnants totaling 5.0 acres of Grade C or better rating with two extensive dry mesic prairie remnants.

The plant list complied for the trail includes 140+ herbaceous and shrubby dry prairie native species. This made the area a particularly important piece of land and because of this, the Natural Land Institute acquired it.

Endangered and Threatened Species

Besseya bullii, kittentails, a state-threatened species, occurs at the Stone Bridge Reserve on one of the dry gravel prairie remnants just north of where the Stone Bridge crosses Kinnikinnick Creek. State and federally threatened Lespedeza leptostachya, prairie bush clover, grows on private property just west of the trail.

Bicycling and snowmobiling are permitted on the trail, but not horses or off-road vehicles. The continued use of these practices is a problem and constant monitoring is necessary.

Preserve Design and Stewardship

The site has been severely encroached upon by woody species and management to restore the dry gravel and dry mesic prairie communities continues, mostly through volunteer work by interested naturalists and community groups.

Roscoe Stone Arch Rail Bridge

In 1836, William Ogden, Chicago business leader and first mayor of Chicago, procured development of a railway that would extend from Galena to Chicago. Due to the depression of 1837-38, actual work on the bridge did not begin until 1845. The Roscoe Stone Arch Rail Bridge was completed in 1882 to connect railways between Wisconsin and Illinois. Under the engineering direction of two men with European influence, the bridge was constructed from cut limestone that was fitted without mortar, except for joint dressing and inside face sealing. The limestone is of higher quality than that of the area, so it is likely that it was brought in from a western Wisconsin Dolomite quarry.

The Roscoe Stone Arch Rail Bridge is the only multiple arch rubble fill facia structure remaining in Winnebago County. It is unique, not only for its design and date of construction, but also because it was designed to prevent problems associated with poor drainage along other railway lines. It possesses an internal drainage system embedded in the rubble and piped downward through exit ducts at the lower center of each side of the center pier. These pipes remain and can still be seen to duct water after a rainstorm. In 1993, the bridge was named in the National Register of Historic Places and a monument and plaque mark its notability.

The Stone Bridge Trail Field Trip

Stone Bridge Trail is located near Hononegah High School where students are offered courses in environmental science and biology. Studies in those subjects include the study of prairie ecosystems. The trail crosses through and over, in some cases, a dry gravel prairie and several other prairie remnants. The close proximity of this trail and the prairie segments it intersects, makes it a wonderful opportunity for students to locate and observe first-hand a natural prairie in their own vicinity.

To study the natural prairie in their area, students in environmental science and biology classes can research the prairie ecosystem, learn the identity of prairie plants located there, and finally take a field trip to Stone Bridge Trail for observation and study.

Stone Bridge, Roscoe, Illinios

Bibliography

Natural Land Institute. "Land and Nature" The Stone Bridge Nature Trail. Summer, 1997. Number 22. Pp. 1-4.

Natural Land Institute. "Directory of Lands Protected by the Natural Land Institute." January 1, 1997.

Natural Land Institute. "Discription of Roscoe Stone Arch Rail Bridge." May 3, 1995.

Nichols, S. and Entine, L. Prairie Primer. University of Wisconsin. 1978.