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For Lake County residents living near forest preserves or other natural spaces, chances are they’ve spotted a flock of wild turkeys wandering around.

While they are as American as apple pie and inseparably intertwined with the Thanksgiving holiday, the famous fowls once almost disappeared from the region. Their resurgence, thanks to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), is still lauded decades later as a shining example of native species reintroduction.

As state officials explain, it’s a story of decades of arduous work, multi-state collaboration, rocket-propelled nets and river otters.

Luke Garver, wild turkey project manager for the IDNR, explained the history of the turkey reintroduction program.

Leading up to the 20th cen

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