Even with the intense industrial activity, the region still
has 43 important natural resource areas. Many of these have
been prerserved in existing park areas in Illinois and Indiana;
many are still threatened.

         The region contains important 
   remnants and large scale examples of 
   praires and dunes. In addition, the 
   wetlands serve as an extraordinarily 
   rich home and stopping pint for hund-
   reds of bird species, some seen nowhere
   else in this bi-state region.
        The Calumet region is famous among 
   bird-watchers because of the tens of
   thousands of birds that stop here in th-
   eir spring and fall migrations. Both Ind-
   iana and Illinois sites provide habitat 
   for birds identified on federal and state
   endangered species lists.
        Along with birds, the existing greenways
   provide homes for a remarkable diversity of
   other wildlife species. Preservation and re-
   storation activities are essential to protect
   the nesting and foraging habitat for this 
   rich array of wildlife.   

[Natural Resources Map]

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