Land donated for bird sanctuary
LEAF RIVER – Northwest Illinois Audubon Society has accepted a land gift from Joanne Styles.
The nearly 50 acres are at the headwaters of Silver Creek, 2 miles south of the Leaf River. It will be maintained as a bird sanctuary and be used to educate about nature. Birds using the Rock River valley migrate there.
The wooded portion of the property includes oak and hickory trees. Silver Creek, a spring-fed stream that runs through the property, provides habitat to a variety of aquatic creatures.
Styles, 95, and her first husband, Hascy Tarbox, purchased the land in 1942 because of their love for nature. She donated the land so it would be available for the next generation to enjoy. The land has been placed in a conservation easement with the Natural Land Institute which will preserve and protect the property as a natural area.
