acres

In 2003, Chicago’s mayor sent bulldozers to carve six giant Xs into an airport runway overnight, stranding 16 planes; 12 years later, the former airfield reopened with 40 acres of prairie, wetlands and wildlife habitat

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In 2003, Chicago’s mayor sent bulldozers to carve six giant Xs into an airport runway overnight, stranding 16 planes; 12 years later, the former airfield reopened with 40 acres of prairie, wetlands and wildlife habitat

Meigs Field in 1997 (Image Credit: Wikipedia) When Chicago residents woke up on March 31, 2003, one of the city’s most recognisable small airports had effectively disappeared overnight. Under orders from then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, construction crews arrived at Meigs Field in the early hours and carved six enormous X-shaped gouges into the runway, making … Read more

In 1986, a ranching family sold California’s 53,000-acre Santa Rosa Island to the US for nearly $30 million; they retained about 7 acres and the right to stay for another 25 years

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In 1986, a ranching family sold California's 53,000-acre Santa Rosa Island to the US for nearly $30 million; they retained about 7 acres and the right to stay for another 25 years

In December 1986, the United States federal government completed a deal to buy Santa Rosa Island for $29.5 million. The 53,000-acre island, located 26.5 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, was bought by the National Park Service from its longtime private owners, the Vail & Vickers ranching partnership. Under the deal, the ranching … Read more

In 2016, the Burt’s Bees co-founder gave the US 87,500 acres and backed it with $40 million; 10 years later the Maine wilderness is a national monument

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In 2016, the Burt's Bees co-founder gave the US 87,500 acres and backed it with $40 million; 10 years later the Maine wilderness is a national monument

Roxanne Quimby has had a life for the books. The woman who has held multiple roles including that of an artist, homesteader, mother, storyteller, philanthropist and entrepreneur is the face behind what is possibly the world’s best-known lip balm brand. One that floods every woman’s Pinterest board and definitely her cart. While Quimby may be … Read more

In 1916, a Texas woman left six acres of riverbank for the public; her governor son later added 250 acres and the tiny gift helped create Texas’ first state park

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In 1916, a Texas woman left six acres of riverbank for the public; her governor son later added 250 acres and the tiny gift helped create Texas' first state park

Mother Neff State Park (Image Credit: Wikipedia) In 1916, a small piece of land along Texas’ Leon River became the starting point for what would eventually become the state’s first state park. Isabella Neff, known locally as Mother Neff, had long welcomed neighbours and community groups to the riverbank for picnics, gatherings, fishing and other … Read more

In 1966, a 71-year-old woman donated nearly 100 acres of her Virginia farm and money for an amphitheatre; the land became America’s only national park dedicated to the performing arts

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In 1966, a 71-year-old woman donated nearly 100 acres of her Virginia farm and money for an amphitheatre; the land became America's only national park dedicated to the performing arts

Wolf Trap remains the only national park in the United States devoted to the performing arts, advancing the concept Shouse first put forth more than six decades ago Before it became a stage beneath the stars, Wolf Trap was simply a Virginia farm. But in the 1960s, one woman had a very different dream for … Read more

In 1870, a former slave and Union soldier staked a homestead in Nebraska; drought and grasshoppers cost him the claim, but he eventually owned more than 2,000 acres

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In 1870, a former slave and Union soldier staked a homestead in Nebraska; drought and grasshoppers cost him the claim, but he eventually owned more than 2,000 acres

Homestead soddy in Box Butte County. Source: History Nebraska – Nebraska.gov In 1870, Robert Ball Anderson, a former slave and Union Army veteran, filed a claim for a 160-acre homestead in Butler County, Nebraska. Severe drought and grasshopper swarms destroyed his crops, forcing him to give up the property.Instead of abandoning his goals, Anderson spent … Read more

In 2012, conservationists began working to remove an obsolete Massachusetts dam; 14 years later, demolition started to reconnect 7 miles of stream and restore 6 acres of wetland

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In 2012, conservationists began working to remove an obsolete Massachusetts dam; 14 years later, demolition started to reconnect 7 miles of stream and restore 6 acres of wetland

Duxbury, MassachusettsRepresentative image For more than a century, a small concrete dam stood in the way of a river’s natural flow. Built to serve industries that no longer exist, the Temple Street Dam in Duxbury, Massachusetts, had long outlived its purpose. It blocked fish from reaching their spawning grounds, trapped sediment, created a maintenance burden … Read more

Michigan’s historic Ford House is replacing concrete shoreline with natural habitat; the $7 million project will restore 1 mile of shore and 17.5 acres of aquatic and wetland habitat

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Michigan's historic Ford House is replacing concrete shoreline with natural habitat; the $7 million project will restore 1 mile of shore and 17.5 acres of aquatic and wetland habitat

Excavator installing a fish lunker on Ford Cove. Credit: Ford House A major environmental restoration project is removing decades of artificial concrete shoreline defences along Michigan’s Lake St. Clair and replacing them with natural wetlands, living shorelines and fish habitat.The $7 million project at the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate is transforming more than … Read more

In June 2026, Washington began restoring 270 acres across two river islands; the project will reconnect the South Fork Skagit estuary to natural tides and hundreds more acres for endangered Chinook salmon

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In June 2026, Washington began restoring 270 acres across two river islands; the project will reconnect the South Fork Skagit estuary to natural tides and hundreds more acres for endangered Chinook salmon

Construction begins on project to restore estuary habitat in South Fork Skagit River (Photo by: WDFW) Heavy earth-moving equipment began work in June 2026 on a major coastal restoration project in Skagit County, Washington. The project will remove old sea defences and breach river levees across two islands in the South Fork Skagit River delta.The … Read more

In 2020, Minnesota funded a $1.918 million Shell Rock River habitat program; by 2025, it had protected or restored 588 acres

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In 2020, Minnesota funded a $1.918 million Shell Rock River habitat program; by 2025, it had protected or restored 588 acres

Shell Rock River Watershed District (Image Credit: www.shellrock.org) In 2020, Minnesota approved $1.918 million for the Shell Rock River Watershed Habitat Restoration Program – Phase IX. According to a 2025 final report from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, the program ultimately protected, restored or enhanced 588 acres of habitat in the Shell Rock River watershed, … Read more