In northeast Illinois, the Greenbelt Forest Preserve covers 607 acres between North Chicago and Waukegan. Invasive plants, including teasel, Canada thistle, canary grass, buckthorn and common reed, have displaced native vegetation there. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, working with the Lake County Forest Preserve District and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the agency's Coastal Program has restored 43 acres along the headwaters of the Skokie River. Volunteers, including a local Youth Conservation Corps, contributed more than 2,400 hours, and the cleared land was replanted with more than 1,100 pounds of native seed and nearly 9,000 native plant plugs.
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