Butterfly Ranch at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park winner of ComEd and Openlands grant program

ComEd and Openlands will award grants from the ComEd Green Region Program to 25 recipients, ranging from municipalities to forest preserve districts, throughout northern Illinois. The grantees will each receive up to $10,000 for open space projects that focus on conservation, preservation, and improvements to local parks and recreation resources.

This marks the fifth year that ComEd is partnering with Openlands, one of the oldest metropolitan conservation organizations in the nation, for the ComEd Green Region Program. This year’s grant cycle featured a special focus on projects that help pollinators like butterflies and bees. Read more.

The Butterfly Ranch at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (Governors State University) in University Park will transform 11+ acres of successional field into a canvas for butterfly propagation while it provides students, nearby residents, and park visitors with opportunities for bird watching, biking, hiking, and education through didactic signage.