Lake County Conservation@Home Certification Criteria - Over One Acre

  • Certification is free and includes a certification sign. Because we are a non-profit organization, tax-deductible donations to support our work are welcome.
  • If your property is over one acre, you can use this criteria or apply the smaller-parcel criteria to the one acre surrounding the property's primary building. For the certification criteria for up to one acre, click here.
  • If your property includes at least five acres of undeveloped open space you may qualify for tax savings through the Illinois Conservation Stewardship Program, which many of these criteria support. Learn more at www.dnr.state.il.us/stewardship.
  • Download a copy of the Conservation@Home Certification Criteria - Over One Acre.

100 points earns certification

Earn 50 points with these 5 required items:
An annual log of the year's activities has been created (Use ours or create your own) 5
An aerial map of the property has been created which shows the main types of plant cover (e.g., lawn, woods), water features (e.g., pond, creek), and arrows showing the direction of rain water flow 5
Turf lawn chemicals are minimal or nonexistent 10
At least 10 trees or shrubs native to northeastern Illinois are present - OR - perennials native to northeastern Illinois make up at least 5% of the landscape 10
A simple plan has been created that identifies 1) Ecologically valuable features, if present, and a simple plan to care for them 2) Invasive species, if present, and a simple plan to reduce them and 3) Opportunities to improve the health of the ecosystem 20

Choose from the following for your remaining 50 points:

Contextual understanding of the property
A pre-settlement vegetation map and 1939 or 1946 aerial photo of the property have been printed and examined. (Lake County Maps for aerial photos, use the "Legends" tab and Pre-settlement vegetation maps) 5
Soil, watershed and topography maps of the property have been printed and examined 5
The three nearest preserved natural areas have been identified and the landowner has visited at least one to note differences and similarities 5

One of the following books serves as a regular reference

  • Restoring Ecological Health to Your Land by Steven Apfelbaum and Alan Haney
  • Plants of the Chicago Region by Floyd Swink and Gerould Wilhelm
  • The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook by Stephen Packard
  • The Vegetation of Wisconsin by John Curtis
 10

Land Management Practices
Note: Different sites require different practices, and some practices - such as burning and changes to hydrology - require permits. for best results and most efficient use of your resources, we recommend you consult a land manager before you begin.
Portion of property has been burned in past 3 years 10
Natural flowing hydrology has been re-established, e.g., drain tile disabled if possible 10
A conservation plan has been created for any farmland on property 10
A portion of the property has been seede to natives and seeding is under management 10
A grove of at least 12 native trees has been planted and cared for 10
A bed of at least 12 native shrubs has been planted and cared for 10
Property has been enrolled in Illinois Conservation Stewardship Program 10
Manure piles are placed on level ground away from water bodies 10

Native Plants
Landscape supports more than 15 species of native perennials, shrubs and/or trees 10
Landscape supports more than 30 species of native perennials, shrubs and/or trees (Yes! you still get 10 points for the item above) 10
Each additional 5% of the landscape is in native plants 15

Lawn Care
Note: For these purposes, horse pastures are considered farmland not lawn
No watering takes place, except when new plantings are being established or from collected rainwater 5
Lawn is mowed three inches tall and greass clippings are left in place 5
Lawn is mowed with electric, propane or reel mower 10
Lawn takes up less than 20% of landscaped area 15
Lawn has been aerated and top-dressed with compost or compost tea in past year 15
Lawn contains buffalo grass or other low-mow species 15

Soil
Composting takes place 10
Shoreline of lake, pond or stream has protective plantings 10
A soil erosion problem has been greatly reduced or eliminated 20

Rain Water
Rain-permeable walkways 5
Other than buildings, less than 10% of property is paved with asphalt, concrete or other impermeable materials 10
Roof downspouts are directed to a garden, flat portion of lawn or rain barrel 15
Rain-permeable driveway and parking lot 20
Green roof 20

Wildlife
One or more wildlife houses are properly installed and maintained 5
Pond, creek or other significant water feature exists as integral part of overall plan 5
Brush pile or large dead tree (safe locations only) 5
Native plants include at least 10 from the butterfly-friendly plant list 15
Native plants include at least 10 from the bird-friendly plant list 15

Children and Family
Property features a tree house, fort or similar structure within a natural setting 10
Created a family-friendly environment that encourages nature observation 15

Invasive Plants
A large patch of invasive species has been removed 20

Local Food Production
Vegetable garden or fruit orchard 10
Honeybees or chickens 10
Farmland in crops or other food production for people 15

Nature Champion
Landowner has recruited one or more neighbors for Conservation@Home property consultations 10
Landowner has mentored one or more others on land stewardship practices 10
Landowner has hosted or is scheduled to host a group tour of the property's eco-features, or has helpded facilitate a Conservation@Home presentation 10
For public properties, signs or handouts explain the property's eco-friendly features 10
A portion of the property is protected from development through a conservation easement 20

Let’s Talk

We recognize that each property is unique. If you have a distinctive practice or feature you feel is noteworthy or have invested a significant amount of resources into a worthwhile project, please let us know.                                                                                       Varies

Certification is valid for five years and renewable through a return visit to verify that good stewardship practices are employed and progress toward a helathy ecosystem is underway.

Plant ID and Control pages linked below are from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 
A Field guide to Terrestrial Invasive Plants in Wisconsin (PDF 6.7MG).

Invasive Plant Species - Lake County's worst of the worst

Invasive Plant Species
Oriental bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus
Asian bush honeysuckle Lonicera maackii, L. morrowii, L. tatarica, & L. x bella
Burning bush Euonymus alatus
Canada thistle Cirsium arvense
Common & glossy buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica & Frangula alnus
Common reed Phragmites australis
Common & cut-leaved teasel Dipsacus fullonum & D. laciniatus
Crown vetch Securigera varia
Field & Japanese hedge parsley Torilis arvensis & T. japonica
Flowering rush Butomus umbellatus
Garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata
Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii
Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica
Narrow-leaved & hybrid cattail Typha angustifolia & T. x glauca
Moneywort Lysimachia nummularia
Multiflora rose Rosa multiflora
Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria
Reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea
White & yellow sweetclover Melilotus alba & M. officinalis
Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus

Aquatic Invasives
Brazilian elodea Egeria densa
Curly-leaf pondweed Potamogeton crispus
Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes
Water lettuce Pistia stratiotes