SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — South of the Illinois capital city, around Lake Springfield, is the beautiful Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center. The garden consists of a 100-acre tract and is planted with native trees, wildflowers and prairie plants.

The plants that fill the garden, designed to honor Abraham Lincoln, are of woodland and prairie landscapes with which he would have been familiar during his life in New Salem and Springfield. Benches that dot the myriad trails are marked with quotes from the 16th president.

The trails are lined with groves of oaks and hickory trees and interspersed with open meadows that support sun-loving prairie species. There are also small flowering trees such as dogwood and redbud, along with a variety of shrubs. Throughout the garden are Council Rings where visitors can rest and enjoy the beauty of the prairie surroundings.

Lincoln Memorial Garden was founded in 1936, and nearly all its trees were planted in the years immediately after. Prior to that time, the site was open farmland.

It was Harriet Knudson who prompted the building of the garden. Selecting the property that surrounded the newly created Lake Springfield, it was Knudson who gained support from Springfield officials for this project. She also persuaded the Garden Club of Illinois to adopt the garden as a project in 1934.

While it was her vision, it was famous landscape architect Jens Jensen who designed the garden, to fit his emphasis on natural environments and native materials. Danish-born Jensen worked with Frank Lloyd Wright and was of the “Prairie School” of landscape architecture.

Known as one of Illinois’ earliest conservationists by the time he arrived in Springfield, he had designed several Chicago city parks, the showplace estates of several businessmen in the city’s North Shore area and landscapes and parks throughout the Midwest. It is in part because of Jensen’s design that the Lincoln Memorial Garden was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

The latest land added to the garden is the current Ostermeier Prairie Center, which was formed from a 29-acre farm tract that includes a barn, pond and century-old farmhouse. While the main portion of the garden is set out as trails, this Center offers pasture and cropland restored as examples of the prairie found in central Illinois during pioneer days.

On a recent trip to Springfield, former resident Linda Spanberger visited the garden and enjoyed the peaceful environment it evoked. “I grew up across the street from Lincoln Memorial Garden,” she said. “My parents were involved with the gardens.”

After the death of her parents, Larry and Betty, Linda and her sister had two trees donated to the garden in their names. The trees are located on part of the Ostermeier Prairie.

The garden is populated with many native wildlife species, including red foxes, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, coyotes, rabbits, chipmunks, deer and turtles. It is a popular site for birders because it attracts both resident and migratory species of songbirds. Waterfowl can be seen at the shore of Lake Springfield.

For those interested in visiting the Garden, there are a number of events that take place throughout the year, such as Maple Syrup Time in February and March, a Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction on two weekends in March, the Indian Summer Festival in October and Holiday Market in November. The Garden also sponsors occasional lectures, bus tours and workshops and regular nature hikes.

The Junior Naturalist Program, Ecology Camp and guided tours for school groups are just a few of the Garden’s offerings for students. You may contact the educator to find programs and activities appropriate for any age group. Check the website for details, at www.lincolnmemorialgarden.org