Grasslands are among the fastest disappearing habitats in the United States. A natural grassland has diverse species of plant life that create a mosaic for wildlife to thrive. Modern agricultural practices have created monocultures that degrade the quality of grassland habitats for many songbird species. Through planned mowing and clearing practices on some TILT preserves, the natural seedbed restores the diversity of plant life, creating ideal habitat for threatened and endangered species like Bobolink, Henslow's Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark.

TILT utilizes federal and state funding through programs like the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) to control the spread of gray-stemmed dogwood and other brush that encroach on grasslands on Grindstone Island and at Zenda Farms Preserve.