The Wildlife Prairie Park missions to preserve the prairie environment and wildlife of central Illinois while introducing and educating visitors about the natural habitat. It welcomes guests to hike and bike its miles of trails, to walk along the banks of the river and to canoe through the winding landscape—observing the natural sounds of birds chirping among the pine trees. For longer stays at the park, it has a cabin among the trees and lakeside cottages. It rescues animals native to the area which cannot be released back into the wild.

With green leaves overhead, the 1.5 miles of gravel path are speckled with light and shadow. Along the trail, among the crunching of bush branches and foliage, a fox rolls on its back; its tail swirls; the top of its head drags across the forest floor as its legs kick. Up above, the owls squint in the sun as otters toy down below. The bison, too, jaunt around in the grass in the midday sun.