Green Earth- Chautauqua Bottoms Nature Preserve

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Green Earth was created in 1974 with the purpose of acquiring, preserving, and providing public access to natural areas in Carbondale. Green Earth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit land conservation organization.

Green Earth's Chautauqua Bottoms Nature Preserve is located on the north side of Chautauqua Road, between Emerald Lane and Tower Road. Historically this area was bottomland hardwood forest. The David Kenney Trail (named for former Green Earth Board Member, former Green Earth President, and former Director of the Illinois Department of Conservation, D. Kenney) travels along the west bank of Little Crab Orchard Creek from Chautauqua Road to Sunset Road. The trail is approximately 1.0 mile in length and provides beautiful views of the creek and its cliff banks. The trail is made of crushed gravel and is accessible. Link to profile in AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/illinois/david-kenney-trail

In 2017, Green Earth was awarded a grant under the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Recreational Trails Program for upgrades to the Chautauqua Bottoms trails. The upgrades included improvements to the trail surfaces, the installation of a pedestrian bridge over Little Crab Orchard Creek, and upgrades to the main parking lot. A key aspect of the project was opening up the trails to those with limited mobility. Green Earth was motivated to upgrade the trail connecting Chautauqua Road to Sunset Drive to ADA friendly standards. These are based on the US Forest Service guidelines for wilderness accessibility - meaning that this trail is not paved so it does not lose its naturalness. Instead it has a hard-packed smooth surface, ramped elevation changes, widths to accommodate wheelchair passing zones, and an improved parking lot with dedicated handicap parking.

Green Earth, Inc. Is A 501(C)(3) Not For Profit Land Conservation Organization. They Own And Maintain Six Natural Areas, Totaling 220 Acres, And Nine Miles Of Hiking Trails All Open To The Public For Outdoor Recreation And Enjoyment.

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