Barrington Hills Resident Jenese Busch has donated a beautiful parcel of woodland property to the Barrington Area Conservation Trust to ensure that her favorite natural site will be protected in perpetuity. The Jack David Mondshine Wildlife Conservation Area, named after Mrs. Busch’s father, a man who loved nature, is located in the northwest corner of Barrington Hills. The parcel will remain private property under the protection of the BACTrust.

Jenese Busch

The importance of this donation to the preservation of the character of the Barrington area cannot be understated. The 5.28 acre site borders Algonquin and Barrington Hills and acts as a buffer between a more densely populated area and the rural edges of Barrington Hills. The site features a ravine and an intermittent stream corridor, which eventually leads to the Fox River. The site is home to fox, deer, coyote and other wildlife.

Jenese Busch is a spitfire of a woman who dearly loves the animals that have found sanctuary around her home and in the world at large. As of April 21, the Jack David Mondshine Wildlife Conservation Area is now a privately protected parcel of land held by BACTrust. Jenese has been working on the preservation of this site for nearly three years. In a recent interview, she expressed her sentiments on the donation:

Q: Why was it important that you protect this land?

A: I am the way I am because of my father, and I wanted to leave something behind with his name on it for the animals.

Q: How do you see this site in the future?

A: I see it as a place where animals can freely come and seek shelter without fear of being injured by human activity.

Q: What were the challenges you faced in this donation?

A: We tried to work with the Village of Barrington Hills and the Park District, but ultimately, my family felt comfortable with the protection that the BACTrust could provide given the restrictions of keeping it private. I love this countryside and I want to know it will be protected.

Q: Would you recommend this process to others?

A: If you have something you want to keep in perpetuity, this is a wonderful thing to do. It is hard to describe how I am filled with a great feeling about what I am doing and about protecting the beauty of this site forever.

Jenese Busch, Mary Bradford-White, President Barrington Area Conservation Trust, and Nancy Schumm-Burgess, Director, Barrington Area Conservation Trust at the closing.

The ravine site will remain protected as private open space in perpetuity through BACTrust. It is a small sanctuary, but it is a valuable stream corridor that harbors several rare and old species of trees and habitat for a wide range of local wildlife. BACTrust hopes to restore the site to pre-settlement conditions and monitor and record wildlife present. A dedication ceremony will be held in the summer for friends and donors of the BACTrust.