URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — One Central Illinois conservation nonprofit got almost $100,000 from the state to help them carry out their work.

Grand Prairie Friends works to preserve and restore more than eleven nature preserves throughout Central Illinois. They were awarded the Natural Areas Stewardship grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Sarah Livesay, the organization’s executive director, said they’ll be using the money for work in Coles County, including buying a new truck. They said it will help them with removing invasive species.

“It takes specific tools and equipment like the truck, and like loppers and chemical and things like that, that we need to do this good work on the land,” Livesay said. “And so without these funds, it really staggers the work that we are able to do on our land.”

The goal of the grant program is to strengthen stewardship capacity and activities in protected natural areas. Eleven organizations got grants totaling about $750,000.