Jim and Mare Payne of Cerro Gordo donated the 145-acre Jasmine Hollow Land & Water Reserve in Piatt County to LCF in 2025. Primarily floodplain forest, it stretches along a mile of the Sangamon River. There are at least 11 species of freshwater mussels here, and the threatened mudpuppy is known to occur in this area. The bobcat has been sighted at Jasmine Hollow — and it's likely that the river otter is here as well! Photos: Melissa Records and Teresa DeWitt.
JASMINE HOLLOW LAND & WATER RESERVE
LOCATION & LIMITED ACCESS
145 acres in Piatt County
​
Access is by prior permission only, during LCF-led tours and events.
For LCF events, location and directions will be provided to attendees.
History & Significance
Donors Jim and Mare Payne say that, “Since acquiring Jasmine Hollow in 1993 (named for our dog who died the day we bought it), we have spent thousands of hours working to eradicate signs of overgrazing and invasives — among them garlic mustard, bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and others — with the goal to restore it to pre-settlement conditions.
By placing this very special site in the capable and dedicated hands of the Land Conservation Foundation, we know our stewardship and our vision will continue. We are thrilled.”