Pembroke Township, IL, is home to a rare and unique ecosystem known as The Black Oak and Sands Savannah, along with hundreds of rare birds, plants, amphibians, reptiles, and insects. Where once Black oak savannas flourished around the world, now, less than 1% exists among the sandy dunes of Pembroke Township. Pembroke has cataloged “Witness Trees”  dating back 200-300 years. In collaboration with Federal, State, and private conservation organizations, there is a rush to protect and preserve this ecosystem's last remains from extensive agriculture, resource extraction, and over-development.

However, human inhabitants have stewarded the lands for hundreds of years, beginning with the Mounds People, the Indigenous Tribes, and as a terminal stop for migrating African-Americans along the Underground Railroad. Its history is connected to presidents, infamous villains, wars, and the seat of agricultural commerce and trade for the Midwest territories. For the past 159 years, it is home to the oldest and largest settlement of African-American farmers, cowboys, artisans in Illinois, and most recently, a growing Latinx population, diversifying Pembroke's historical and cultural community. The CDC champions community efforts of growth, development, and infrastructure modernization.