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Sunbury Railroad Prairie

Nature Preserve Area

3

County

Livingston

Location And Access

From I-55 Exit 217 at Dwight, take Hwy. 17 west 9 miles, then turn and go south 0.5 mile.

Description

Sunbury Railroad Prairie is representative of the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division. It is located on the Ransom Moraine of the Marseilles Morainal System which formed during the Wisconsinan glaciation. The prairie is characterized by a gently rolling topography. Characteristic plants of the mesic prairie include northern dropseed, big bluestem, leadplant and purple prairie clover. Plants characteristic of wet prairie include cord grass and bluejoint grass. Nearly 60 other native prairie plant species have been observed at Sunbury. The preserve provides important habitat for a number of mammals such as Franklin's ground squirrel, meadow vole and short-tailed shrew. Grassland birds inhabiting the area include dickcissel and vesper sparrows.

Ownership

Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Prairie Lands Foundation

Dedicated

March 1983

Size

12 acres

Topographic Quad

Odell

Topo Map

sunpra9

For Further Information

Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Biologist, 301 South Date Street, Gibson City, IL 60936 (217/784-4730) or Prairie Lands Foundation, c/o Richard Miller, R.R.#2, Box 41, Forrest, IL 61741 (815/832-5573)