Wilmington Shrub Prairie

About the Program

Exelon Wilmington Shrub Prairie encompasses 12.3 acres of grassland in Illinois. The prairie, established in 2014, connects Hitt's Siding Prairie and Sand Ridge Savanna, forming a contiguous grassland habitat as a part of the Exelon ComEd Prairie Program. The site is primarily used as an electric transmission right-of-way (ROW). The team manages the site in accordance with best management practices to preserve and enhance existing habitat, as well as mitigate emerging threats to remnant habitat through control of invasive species. The site contains high-quality remnant wet prairie plant communities interspersed with degraded emergent wetlands.

• Team members maintain the site annually using chemical treatments and mowing techniques. Selective herbicide applications are used to target invasive species. Adaptive management plans are developed based on results from annual site visits. 
• Management approaches are developed in collaboration with the Forest Preserve District of Will County who also manage the adjacent Wilmington Shrub Nature Preserve and Kankakee Sands Nature Preserve. 
• In 2014, a comprehensive vegetation inventory was conducted providing baseline monitoring data for the habitat. Invasive species, plant biodiversity and pollinators are monitored on an annual basis using a variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• In 2017, ComEd began to conduct pollinator habitat assessments and pollinator usage surveys during monitoring events to assess plant biodiversity and impact on pollinators.
• From 2014 to 2022, the Native Floristic Quality Index (FQI) recorded at the site increased 51% from 29.8 to 45.1.