CACHE CORPS OF DISCOVERY The half-million acre Cache River Watershed, with its forested hills and ancient cypress swamps, looks more like Louisiana than Illinois. Its unique landscape results from the intersection of four major geographic regions of the United States. The wetlands support cypress trees that are more than 1,000 years old, and shelters more than 100 species listed as threatened or endangered in Illinois. The land is a mosaic of natural landscapes and ambitious restoration efforts.
The changes likely to occur in the Cache landscape during the next decade shall provide a unique opportunity for interested and committed citizens to document them for future generations.
To record these changes the “Cache Corps of Discovery (CCD)” consists of individuals trained in the skills of photography, descriptive writing, and sketching/drawing who can create a total aesthetic picture of the Cache, both today and into the future.
The Cache Corps of Discovery consists of a group of dedicated volunteers who have been trained to document nature and work under the auspices of the Illinois Natural History Survey. Our Mission is to provide an esthetic documentation of the natural beauty and history of the Cache River area through writing, photography, sketching, and painting, while participating as volunteers in a variety of projects.
Group Accomplishments
The Cache Corps of Discovery has been a very active and dedicated group since they were formed in 2006. In 2007, they opened an exhibit on the Cache area at the Barkhausen-Cache River Wetlands Center. Also, in 2008, the group created a series of interpetive signs for the trail behind the Wetlands Center. In 2008 they created an 12' x 12' mural entitled The Watershed of the Cache, that hangs high on the wall in the Wetlands Center. In 2009, they created a set of notecards from their photographs. The sale of these cards is raising money for wetlands preservation in the Cache River basin. In 2010, they created a brochure with photos of wildflowers that can be seen at Heron Pond. Members are also active in river cleanup, wildlife research, and other projects in the area.
The Cache Corps of Discovery are dedicated citizens documenting the aesthetic diversity of this unique landscape.