What's in a name?

I have a problem with a lot of the names of natural areas and parks. They just don't do anything to inspire me.

For example, Lions Park or Bailey Woods (named after the group or individual who donated the land) are pretty plain-sounding.

Some use words that sound Native American or French (or both) like Meredosia or Chautauqua or Emiquon (all Wildlife Refuges in Central Illinois), which harken back to an earlier era, but start to sound alike over time.

Some parks are named after an animal, plant or natural community that is found there, like Boloria Meadows in Bull Valley (named after a species of butterfly), which seems to take the risk of sounding like a subdivision (Turtle Crossing in Harvard comes to mind -- it's a subdivision, not a park where turtles cross...)

Other sites are named for the geographic location, as is TLC's Crowley Sedge Meadow which is located on Crowley Road near Harvard and TLC's Powers Creek Conservation Area (which could easily become the name of a subdivision by substituting "Estates" for "Conservation Area"...)

So, why am I rambling on about this whole issue of naming natural areas or parks? Well, just this week, TLC acquired the nicest remaining wet prairie in all of McHenry County, and now we need to come up with a name.

The site is currently known as "West Woodstock Prairie" (since it is on the west side of the City of Woodstock, and is a prairie). Yawn.

The property was originally bought for $50 in 1843 by a man named Peter O'Brien, so maybe "O'Brien's Meadow" is an option.

The property is located in the headwaters of Franklinville Creek, so how about "Franklinville Headwaters Preserve"? It is mostly a wet prairie, so maybe Franklinville Prairie Preserve?

The land sits at the base of a steep bluff, so maybe something like "West Woodstock Bottoms" would be appropriate? Or "Franklinville Bottoms"?

You see the challenge! Now, if someone came along and made a donation to cover the costs of buying the site, we could just name it after him or her: TLC's Jane Smith Praire Preserve!

Just a thought.