In 1995, an Illinois recreation manager bought 100 acres near a major lake; decades later, his conservation work is protecting a creek that supplies drinking water to about 30,000 people

• When Greg Reising bought roughly 100 acres near Kinkaid Lake in southern Illinois in 1995, he was looking for a place where he could spend time outdoors and connect with wildlife.
• Decades later, the property has become part of a much larger conservation effort aimed at protecting the creek system that feeds a reservoir serving about 30,000 people.