Determined to help restore an oasis of 23 acres of wetlands and woodlands nestled along Chicago's western border, volunteers have formed a new group to protect the Dunning-Read Conservation Area. View Full Caption Seri Chrucky/Concrete AV Production

DUNNING — Volunteers are needed to help clean up the Dunning-Read Conservation Area, an oasis of 23 acres of wetlands and woodlands slowly being restored to its natural state, organizers said.

Volunteers should meet at 9 a.m. April 23 on the property at Irving Park Road and Oak Park Avenue, said organizers with a group helping to spruce up the nature oasis.

Volunteers should wear work gloves, long pants, layers and closed-toed shoes, organizers said. Participants will help remove invasive plants that have taken root along the stream that runs through the property, organizers said.

Open to the public from March to November, the conservation area features a ¾-mile walking trail, a small rain garden and a plant nursery. The site is an ideal place to educate the public about the need for biodiversity, according to Friends of the Parks, which has been working since 2007 to restore the land to its original state.

Visitors to the park can see rare animals not often seen in the city, including prairie crayfish and garter snakes. Coyotes also frequent the grounds, and red-tailed hawks often search for prey there, according to Friends of the Parks.

The conservation area was once part of the grounds of the Chicago-Read Mental Health Center.

For more information, email Jason Quaglia at jaquaglia@yahoo.com.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: