Long before settlers came to the area to farm, the Orland Park area contained creeks, wetlands and sloughs that attracted water birds and other wild creatures.

Installation of miles of drain tile more than a century ago by the Army Corps of Engineers dried out the land making it more suitable for farming. But that also destroyed habitats for many wild creatures and native plants.

Now, the 960-acre Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve near Orland Park offers a glimpse of that ancient landscape, thanks to the removal of drain tiles and environmental mitigation work taken on 16 years ago by the Army Corps and Forest Preserves of Cook County.

It’s one of six such preserves maintained by the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

For those wanting to commune with nature on Earth Day, Saturday, April 26, Orland Grassland offers paths for hiking and biking in a variety of grassland and wetland habitats. It also presents special opportunities for adults over age 18 to volunteer.

Bounded on the north by 167th Street, on the south by 179th Street, on the east by LaGrange Road, and on the west by 104th Avenue, the grassland’s changing terrain ranges in elevation from 699 to 775 feet and sits atop a continental divide. Most of the property drains westerly into the Des Plaines River watershed, though a smaller portion lies within the Calumet River watershed and drains eastward.

Now that the drain tiles are gone, more rainwater and snowmelt stays put and the area’s natural hydrology functions more like it once did. Wetlands and sloughs have returned along with many native plant species, according to Forest Preserve officials. Among those making a comeback are the scurfy pea, lead plant, hoary puccoon, prairie gentian, purple prairie clover, goldenrod, compass plant, prairie dock and numerous native sedges and grasses.

Sandhill cranes and other migratory species now use the reserve for stopovers during spring and fall migrations. Grassland birds such as bobolinks, dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks and Henslow’s sparrows consider the reserve a prime breeding area. Native amphibians, reptiles and insects also have returned.

Supporting this resurgence of natural flora and fauna for the last 11 years, 40 or so Orland Grassland Volunteers have cleared away encroaching trees and brush, collected and planted seeds of prairie plants, monitored the presence of birds and frogs, rescued wildlife, and kept close watch on threatened and endangered native plants.

“Some do it all, and some just do one particular thing,” said Pat Hayes, volunteer site steward. “You have to know a lot to do some of these things, but you don’t have to know a lot to start. You can get as complex or stay as simple as you want.”

For adults 18 or older wanting to join the Orland Grassland volunteers in their efforts, Hayes recommends signing up for an annual Earth Day cleanup, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Orland Grassland pole barn near the parking lot on 167th, a quarter block west of LaGrange Road.

Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided for those registered in advance via the Orland Grassland Volunteers Facebook page,

Among Saturday’s projects is the continuing effort to remove trash and debris from a portion of Marley Creek just to the north of 167th Street, Hayes said.

Previous annual cleanup efforts have yielded plenty of trash and debris but also historic relics from early days of farming – wheels from old tractors, fencing, tires and rusted metal bed springs.

During a recent collection, a volunteer recognized a box with two holes as an old air conditioner from a relative’s farm, Hayes said.

“Early farmers didn’t have trash collection as we know it today,” Hayes said. “The creeks were as good a place as any to put it. We also want people to know, it’s really important to remove the debris but also other obstructions like trees and shrubs.”

Beyond farming and household waste, volunteers also have recovered plenty of drain tiles. “The term tile is misleading,” Hayes said. “It’s really large tubing

Earth Day enthusiasts wanting to find out more about the Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve and related volunteer opportunities can also check out the display at Tinley Park Earth Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tinley Park Village Hall. Or they can visit http://www.orlandgrassland.org.

Susan DeGrane is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.