Northwestern Illinois

Plants of Concern's Northwest Region was established in 2024 with funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and an anonymous foundation. This 11-county region contains diverse landscapes ranging from the rolling Rock River Hills to the dramatic cliffs and ravines of the Driftless Area. Numerous rare, threatened, and endangered plants call this part of the state home. Plants of Concern staff collaborate with various partners including Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy, and others to engage volunteers in monitoring rare plants in Northwestern Illinois.

Grant Fessler

Coordinator

Northwestern Illinois Region

gfessler@chicagobotanic.org

Policies

Confidentiality Form

Plants of Concern monitors must sign a Confidentiality Form, where monitors agree to not share the location of rare plant species with individuals outside of POC. Given the scarcity of these species, poaching and seed collecting without permission pose serious threats to these populations. Location information may only be shared with POC staff, the appropriate land managers, and other volunteers who will be assisting with monitoring. Keeping this information confidential is crucial for conservation.

Photography and Social Media

In order to keep location information confidential, we ask our monitors to use caution when photographing rare species and sharing photos online. Follow these practices when photographing and posting rare plants:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Never share site and species
Avoid geotagged pictures
- Check the location settings on your phone or camera
- Geotagging can be turned off

iNaturalist

Obscure all observations made during a visit to a POC species, including common species
Don't post POC species in site bioblitzes
Ensure the location is fuzzed

If you're not sure, don't share!

Ideally, avoid posting POC species online and send your photos to POC staff. Photos are essential for our website and training materials; we would love to feature your work!