KMOV St. Louis did a newscast about Trout Hollow Hill Prairie. Shoutout to Avery Martinez who covered the story, Debbie Newman, a Nature Preserve Specialist of the IDNR and Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, and Mary Vandeverd, CEO of Heartlands Conservancy! And to all who supported the prairie!
by SealLionGar
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**(UPDATE: AS OF SEPT 4TH, THE PRAIRIE HAS BEEN PURCHASED: THE AMOUNT ON THE THERMOMETER HAS GREATLY INCREASED TO: $209,240 (a whopping 120% OF THE GOAL!!**) **Also, see HeartLands Conservancy’s** [new post on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=914964357331486&set=a.364271029067491) with an updated statement. **A slight increase in donors: Now we know nearly 850 people from 45 states and four countries have given, this is beyond epic! I’m at a loss for words. I’m forever grateful to all who helped this prairie in it’s time of need**: [You may see the updated numbers from the fundraiser here!](https://heartlandsconservancy.org/support/save-the-prairie/)
**In honor of** Debbie S. Newman, a Natural Areas Preservation Specialist **of the IL Nature Preserves Commision, Debbie was the first to get the word out that this prairie was for sale in the group “Save Bell Bowl Prairie” back in month of May. With the support of fellow group members (myself included) she eventually got HeartLands Conservancy to check it out. Without her efforts, none of us would have known about the prairie’s existence. She is also an ecologist, along with being a fierce advocate for these prairies, she has also co-authored** [Creating Habitats and Homes for Illinois Wildlife](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/creating-habitats-and-homes-for-illinois-wildlife_richard-e-warner_phil-c-mankin/1415921/#edition=3205123&idiq=6458459) with [Richard E. Warner](https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/richard-e-warner/819163/) and [Phil C. Mankin](https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/phil-c-mankin/819162/).
**Special thanks to** [The Native Habitat Project](https://www.nativehabitatproject.com/)**,** [Wild Ones of West Cook](https://westcook.wildones.org/)**, fellow members of**[ Save Bell Bowl Prairie Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/581138436414631/)**,** [Mossy Earth](https://www.mossy.earth/) **and the anonymous donor that matched donations 1:1, most notably the** [HeartLands Conservancy](https://heartlandsconservancy.org/) **and their partners at** [the Clifftop Alliance](http://www.clifftopalliance.org/)**; they lent their support, which helped this fundraiser get to where it stands today.**