About

We are the Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. We are a non-profit organization that serves to conserve & enhance the natural and cultural resources, rural character and scenic beauty of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and to connect people to these resources.

The Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge was first established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2012. The bi-state refuge is located in McHenry County, IL and Walworth County, WI. The boundary employs a Cores and Corridors concept for wildlife preservation with a focus on migratory and grassland birds.

We are a different kind of refuge, with a Cores & Corridors Concept for growing.  Building this type of refuge takes time. It will take many patient years to grow, and will consist of three types of protected land that form a “donut” shape in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.

Together, Refuge Core Areas + Local Conservation Lands + Privately Owned Protected Lands will create the unique Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, which will provide protected space for migratory and grassland birds, native plants, and native animal species. Surrounding the refuge boundary lies the Greater Hackmatack Ecosystem, a network of areas on which conservation work is occurring, just outside the actual boundaries of the Refuge.