Located at the southern-most point of our region’s moraine formed by glaciers twelve thousand years ago. Settled in the 1800’s, it was cleared for farming, and traces of old farms are still there. The clearing took its toll and much of the natural plant and animal life became scarce or left completely. Orland Grassland eventually contained some degraded prairie remnant along with large hayfields that was home to nesting prairie birds--species of the highest conservation concern in the Midwest.