Press Releases

Contact: 

Huan Song, Director of Communications

hsong@openlands.org, 312-863-6153

Yamys Urbano Valencia, PR and Communications Associate

yurbano@openlands.org, 415-712-5427

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 24, 2023

Openlands and Arbor Day Foundation will plant more than 130 trees in low-canopy areas of Chicago

More than 20 different species of native trees will be planted with the help of communities, businesses, and conservation organizations during the spring season.

CHICAGO (April 24, 2023) Projects that originated from community requests for increased tree planting will be completed with the help of corporate partnerships facilitated by the Arbor Day Foundation. Part of this organization’s mission is to support green infrastructure that promotes social equity, ensuring all people have access to green space and its essential benefits.

Openlands works with communities throughout the City of Chicago and across the South, Southwest, and West Sides to improve their neighborhoods’ tree canopy and public health through these plantings. Arbor Day Foundation and corporate partners provide contributions to the tree plantings while offering the opportunity for employee engagement and volunteerism.

“One of the things the Arbor Day Foundation does best is to help local planting partners take meaningful action in their community to plant trees,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We plant trees to improve the lives of people around us. We’re happy to help all the organizations foster a sense of community pride by planting trees.”

The areas where the trees will be planted are considered high-impact communities, where the trees will be put to work to improve air quality, manage stormwater, provide social benefits, and increase below-average urban tree canopy.

Openlands will continue our efforts to increase tree plantings on Chicago’s Southwest Side by adding 50 new trees along the historic California Boulevard and 25 trees to the nearby Little Village Park in South Lawndale, both essential green spaces for the surrounding community.

“We are better equipped than ever for a successful planting season. We have added some new equipment, including two new trailers that are increasing our efficiency dramatically. We also have six extremely competent Arborist Registered Apprentices (ARA) who are ready and eager to work and learn about urban forestry,” said Tom Ebeling, community arborist at Openlands. “The biggest improvement for this season is the addition of Tony Rodriguez to the TreePlanters Grant (TPG) team. Tony was trained through our original Forestry Trainee Program (class of 2020, pre-ARA), who has spent time in the tree care industry, and has returned to help coordinate the TPG program.” A native son of Chicago, Rodriguez focuses on Openlands’ Southwest Side priority area and increasing our engagement with the community there.

A highlight of this spring planting season will be supporting our new South Side partnership with Chicago State University, where we will plant 55 new trees on campus; the university is a cornerstone of the Roseland neighborhood and a vital community green space. At the request of our partners at the Chicago Park District, we will also plant 20 new trees at Wolfe Park in the East Side neighborhood.

All Arbor Day Foundation projects are in communities with lower-than-average tree canopy; these projects will increase future tree canopies and community resilience to climate change. Some of the diverse species of trees that will be planted include Ohio buckeye, common hackberry, several species that are particularly climate resilient such as sweetgum, and a variety of oak species. Oaks are one of the most beneficial trees to plant because they support many wildlife species in addition to providing all the other benefits of trees. For example:

Ecosystem services: Trees help with heat island mitigation, stormwater management and mitigation, noise pollution reduction, and air quality improvements and more in heavily industrialized communities.

Health and social services: Trees help to reduce respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, improve mental health outcomes, promote an active lifestyle, increase community cohesion, and save money on cooling.

Openlands has been planting trees in Chicago since the fall of 2013. This planting season will culminate with the organization planting our 9000th tree, a testament to the continued dedication of Openlands to communities in the city.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Huan Song, Director of Communications,
hsong@openlands.org, 312-863-6153
Yamys Urbano Valencia, PR and Communications Associate
yurbano@openlands.org, 312-863-6287/415 712-5427

Jerry Adelmann to retire as President and CEO of Openlands this year

Leadership transformed conservation organization over 35 years

CHICAGO (April 20, 2023) After 35 years of exceptional and deeply committed leadership at Openlands, Jerry Adelmann, plans to step down from his role as President and CEO this year, the 60th anniversary of the organization. Openlands was founded in 1963 in response to a nationally recognized call for more natural and recreational open spaces in urban areas. 60 years later, its mission is more relevant than ever. Under Adelmann’s dynamic leadership the organization has grown to be an innovator of powerful nature-based solutions to our growing climate crisis, a trusted collaborator in our region, and an impact-driven leader in the conservation community on a local, regional, and national level. 

“Jerry’s transformative vision and extraordinary leadership have advanced Openlands’ mission for more than thirty years. Not a step will be missed as the baton is passed to the next CEO and our crucial work continues,” said JoAnn Seagren, Chair of the Openlands Board of Directors. “My fellow board members and I appreciate Jerry’s remarkable stewardship of Openlands, and we join him, the Openlands staff, and all our wonderful supporters in embracing and welcoming the next stage with excitement.”

Adelmann, 73, joined Openlands in 1980 to coordinate a special program that led to the creation of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, the first federal land designation of its kind. He founded the Canal Corridor Association in 1982. There are now 62 heritage areas in 36 states around the country, based on this model. In 1988, Adelmann was appointed as head of Openlands. Under his tenure, Openlands’ net assets grew from under $100,000 to over $35 million in 2022, including a $9 million endowment. The organization launched the 21st Century Open Space Plan in 1990, which called for greatly expanding existing parks and establishing 4,000 miles of greenways in northeastern Illinois. Adelmann was an instrumental champion for the establishment of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in 1996, the nation’s first tallgrass prairie. Midewin is considered one of the most important conservation initiatives in the state and a model for the country. To date, Openlands has protected over 70,000 acres of land in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

“I am proud to have spent much of my career at Openlands, working towards conserving nature and building access to nature across our metropolitan region,” said Adelmann. “Nature is vital to all people and in turn, we can all play a part in protecting and caring for it. I’ve had the tremendous pleasure of working alongside passionate colleagues to advance this vision.”

In addition to his work at Openlands, Adelmann is a leader of the conservation community in the region, nationally, and internationally. He has served on many boards and commissions, including as a founding member of Chicago Wilderness, a coalition of more than 330 agencies, organizations, and corporations working on biodiversity issues in metropolitan Chicago and the vice chair of the Center for Humans and Nature. He has also been involved in various conservation and preservation projects throughout the United States and in Yunnan, China and Myanmar.

The Openlands board of directors will oversee the transition process. 

The Board has retained Russell Reynolds as consultants with expertise in mission-driven executive searches. The team specializes in CEO-level searches and has extensive experience leading work for regional and national environmental/conservation organizations. For more detail on the professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics sought in the next leader and contact information to apply, please see the Position Specification here.

“Jerry’s thoughtful leadership leaves the organization on strong footing as we begin our next chapter,” said Carrie McNally, Chair of the Search and Transition Committee of the Openlands Board. “The Board is looking forward to working with Russell Reynolds to find the next leader of Openlands to build on the important legacy of the organization and to continue our vital work at the forefront of the urban conservation movement.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Huan Song, Director of Communications,
hsong@openlands.org, 312-863-6153
Yamys Urbano Valencia, PR and Communications Associate
yurbano@openlands.org, 312-863-6287/415 712-5427

Openlands Announces Annual Native Tree and Plant Sale

In partnership with Possibility Place, the sale offers a wide variety of native plants to choose from online, shipped free and directly to your door beginning March 1

CHICAGO (March 1, 2023)- Openlands will commence its annual, Native Tree and Plant Sale on March 1, 2023. Shoppers can choose from a beautiful selection of native plants that, in addition to absorbing rainwater, cleaning the air, and beautifying properties, provide vital habitat for pollinators and wildlife. Not often found in big-box stores, this wide variety of native plants offered through Openlands’ sale can be ordered online, shipped for free and directly to your door. Online orders will be accepted starting March 1 at openlands.org/plantsale. Selections will vary based on season and availability. Supplies are limited and will be restocked throughout the year. All orders have free shipping and come with care instructions. Planting natives is a conservation-friendly way for individuals to beautify their landscape while restoring the Chicago region’s biodiversity. Native trees and plants provide essential habitat to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Native flowers like milkweed not only provide nectar for pollinators, they only food source for the monarch caterpillar, which is why it is so critical to the monarch’s survival. Native trees like oaks provide food for many butterflies and moths and other creatures. Native plants can also help make properties more climate-resilient, as trees and many other native plants create shade, cool the air, act as a sponge to absorb rainwater, and store large amounts of carbon for many years. “This sale has such a significant impact on Openlands’ mission, allowing so many people to volunteer as advocates for nature as they participate in direct, on-the-ground improvements in support of climate change and biodiversity” said Sarah Surroz, director of Lake County Programs for Openlands. For Lake County, IL residents, Openlands offers on-site consultations with a landscape ecologist through the Lands in Harmony program. Visit Openlands’ website to schedule an appointment. Openlands Landscape Ecologist, Mary Fortmann, says the plants sell quickly, and new plants are added throughout the season. On this occasion, Openlands will offer a wide variety of plants, including trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, grasses, sedges, and ferns. Milkweeds and shade loving plants are always the most sought-after. “I’ve shopped the local native plant sales for the past ten years and love adding new native species every year. One year I planted some royal catchfly in May, before the plant even flowered. I had no sooner planted the royal catchfly when a hummingbird buzzed by to check out the plant. It is so true that if you plant it, they will come,” said Fortmann. Many of the birds, butterflies, frogs and other wildlife need native plants to survive; their populations are decreasing because there are very few native plants today. These species cannot survive only with European and Asian plants that cover much of our suburban landscape. They need plants native to this region due to the intricately synchronized rhythms of pollination, migration, seed dispersion and the change of seasons. Your native plants will help our wildlife and connect habitats between our remaining natural areas.                                                                            ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Openlands VP of Community Conservation, Daniella Pereira Appointed to Urban Forestry Advisory Board

The Board Will Help Care for And Seek to Increase The City’s Tree Canopy In the Face of Climate Change

(Chicago – January 18, 2023) – A year and half after the Urban Forestry Advisory Board (UFAB) Ordinance passed unanimously, Openlands celebrates the appointment of the board’s first members, including Openlands Vice President of Community Conservation, Daniella Pereira. Originally proposed by Alderperson Scott Waguespack, along with Alderpersons Samantha Nugent and George A. Cardenas, the UFAB passed City Council in June 2021, with 27 Alderpersons co-sponsoring the bill before the ordinance’s unanimous passage 49-0.

The 2020 Tree Census published by the Morton Arboretum underlined that Chicago’s tree canopy decreased by an alarming 3% over from 2010-2020, to just 16%, one of the lowest tree canopies of any major US City. Mayor Lightfoot’s recent investment of planting 75,000 trees over the next five years moves the city forward. Now, with the UFAB properly in place, the board can promote policies and investments that support care and maintenance across City departments, ensuring those newly planted trees are not lost, and the tree canopy grows.

“Having a board dedicated to strategically caring for Chicago’s tree canopy makes the city stronger and more resilient by investing in nature-based climate solutions and improving the health and well-being of communities throughout Chicago,” stated Daniella Periera, Vice President of Community Conservation at Openlands. “I’m grateful to join this board and be able to shape investments and policies with my colleagues that protect and grow Chicago’s tree canopy.”

About Openlands Urban Forestry Programs: Rooted in its deep understanding of the Urban Forest, Openlands equips communities in the region with the resources needed to protect trees effectively and efficiently in neighborhoods and throughout the region. Working directly with and in communities to plant diverse native tree species, Openlands trains hundreds of people annually to properly care for the tree canopy in parks and city blocks, and advocate for science-based policies and strategies protecting the existing urban forest. Ensuring communities across Chicagoland enjoy trees’ health, economic, and societal benefits while mitigating against the worst effects of climate change for generations to come.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: ComEd Media Relations 312-394-3500

23 Northern Illinois Communities Awarded Environmental Grants from ComEd, Openlands

Ninth annual Green Region Program focuses on climate resilience in awarding more than $200,000 in funding

CHICAGO (July 21, 2021) – To support habitats and other open-space projects, particularly those that help mitigate impacts of climate change, ComEd and Openlands today announced grants to 23 public agencies through the annual ComEd Green Region Program. Grantees each receive a one-time grant of up to $10,000 to support and improve natural areas in northern Illinois communities that are crucial to the quality of residents’ lives. These grants will fund a variety of projects, including those that focus on enhancing pollinator habitats and protecting certain species, such as butterflies and bees.

“ComEd understands that it is critical for residents to have access to cleaner and more sustainable public spaces. We also recognize the economic challenges faced by communities to maintain these natural spaces and make them available to the public,” said Melissa Washington, senior vice president of governmental and external affairs at ComEd. “We’re proud to work with organizations like Openlands, which has a deep understanding of these needs, whether they are effective pollinator projects or plans that support climate resilience to benefit the people we’re privileged to serve.”

This marks the ninth year that ComEd is partnering with Openlands. Since the inception of the Green Region Program in 2013, ComEd has awarded more than $1.5 million to municipalities across northern Illinois. This support has helped fund over 200 open-space projects, as well as restore and protect approximately 1,000 acres of land. ComEd provides the funding for the Green Region Program, and Openlands, one of the oldest metropolitan conservation organizations in the nation, administers the grants to local communities.

“Climate change is here, and it is vitally important that we invest in nature-based solutions that will help mitigate the most severe effects. This includes protecting biodiversity, especially of pollinators,” said Jerry Adelmann, president and CEO of Openlands. “We are grateful to ComEd for their partnership, and the municipal partners that will complete these innovative projects, protecting and restoring land and educating and engaging communities.”

Details of the ComEd Green Region Program can be found at Openlands.org/GreenRegion.

The 23 ComEd Green Region Program grant recipients for 2021 are:

Habitat Creation at Funderburg South Conservation Area (Boone County Conservation District): This project will create 20 acres of high-quality wet and mesic grassland within the Funderburg South Conservation Area. The area will be converted from conventional agriculture into high-quality native habitat in the winter of 2021-2022.

Interpretive Arboretum Trail (Bourbonnais Township Park District): This project will create an interpretive trail with an arboretum and bioswale made up of climate resilient trees and flowers that will provide food and habitat for pollinators.

Plant Green Lake Park (Buffalo Grove Park District): This project comprises four native planting projects that will complete redevelopment of Green Lake Park. Collectively, the projects will support pollinators across their life cycle and connect them to nearby waystations and habitats.

Public and Private Pollinator Garden Network (City of Countryside): This project will plan and provide the means to create a network of both small, privately owned and large, publicly owned butterfly and pollinator gardens throughout the Countryside community.

Downtown Freeport Pocket Park (City of Freeport): This project will support the creation of the Downtown Pocket Park by transforming the space of two condemned buildings into a useable amenity that enhances the pedestrian experience while greening the downtown area and providing a new habitat for pollinators. The park will have an ADA-accessible patio with seating, and an open lawn surrounded by flower beds containing pollinator plants.

Riverwood Forest Preserve Prairie Pollinator Conservation Project (DeKalb County Forest Preserve District): This project will convert turf grass fairways of a former golf course into prairie pollinator conservation areas on approximately 10 acres along the south branch of the Kishwaukee River.

Get to Know the Prairie (Dixon Park District): This project will create a prairie observation deck with kiosks to help educate the community on and ultimately create a deeper appreciation for the importance of pollinators and the role of deep-rooted prairie plants.

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden Bioretention Basin (Forest Preserves of Winnebago County): This project will demonstrate climate change resiliency through the installation of a bioretention basin to reduce the impacts of stormwater at the arboretum and botanic garden located in Rockford, Ill.

Windham Cove Pollinator Habitat Restoration Project (McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT)): This project will establish a pollinator habitat on an underutilized 1.7-acre grass parcel that will benefit residents in the immediate area, including students at a nearby high school who can learn about the project through educational site signage.

Lake Park Estates Beautification Project (Palatine Township Road District): This project will improve and maintain greenspace which is a naturally common area for residents.  Currently, buckthorn is crowding out pollinator-friendly plants and invasive water species impacting wildlife by suffocating the pond.

Pollinator Enhancement and Stabilization of Walker Park Tributary A to Flagg Creek (Pleasant Dale Park District): This project will improve Walker Park through the creation of a streambank naturalization and pollinator habitat along a highly visible section of Tributary A to Flagg Creek. The project is centrally located in a recreational facility and is accessible to pedestrians and small-motor vehicles.

Pollinator Boardwalk for the Prospect Heights Slough (Prospect Heights Park District): This project will create a 450-foot-long boardwalk to increase educational and recreational access to a beloved wetland during its muddiest of conditions. It will also create a premium pollinator habitat by restoring a wetland and mitigate climate change for its vital inhabitants.

Prairie Grove Community Center Complex (The Village of Prairie Grove): This project contributes to an ongoing green initiative to complete a walking trail accented by native and carbon-reducing trees and shrubs to create a beautiful, tranquil and environmentally positive landmark for residents.

Waukegan Road to North Branch Restoration Project (Village of Bannockburn): This project will help control invasive species growth by establishing native plants and maintaining stormwater infiltration. This project also will help reduce erosion and siltation, enhance air and water quality and improve native habitat.

Prairie Path Lighting & Path Enhancements Project (Village of Berkeley): This project will provide aesthetic upgrades for residents and users of Berkeley Park’s Prairie Path, including the creation of rest areas to enjoy the perennial pollinator gardens, which consist of eight different species of native plants that will help to attract bees, butterflies and birds.

Public Works Rain Garden and Natural Areas (Village of Downers Grove): This project will help convert turf grass at Public Works into rain gardens and natural areas. The goal is to promote long-term, community-based conservation initiatives using native plants and high-visibility educational signage. The living exhibit is also designed to educate and inspire residents to create similar environs in their own yards.

Children’s Garden Expansion and Multi-Use Learning Center (Village of Elwood): This project will expand and enhance the experience for residents and visitors who visit and use the garden’s 1,000 square feet of plantings, 350 feet of walkway, wayfinding signs and multiple learning opportunities.

Pollinator Haven (Village of Grant Park): This project will renovate an existing gazebo, add a fountain, pollinator garden and signage within the pollinator haven.

Flint Creek Corridor Restoration (Village of Lake Barrington): This project will increase native habitat for local fauna while providing a native buffer to filter pollutants and guard against erosion during large storm events. The project will also expand the current restoration work being performed on five acres of floodplain.

Rockland Road Wetland Rehabilitation, Enhancement and Pollinator Habitat Project (Village of Lake Bluff): This project will rehabilitate 10 acres of high-profile hardwood savanna and wetland habitat along an important village corridor by transforming and beautifying a buckthorn thicket into a high-quality habitat for pollinators.

Montgomery Park Shoreline Enhancement and Naturalization Project (Village of Montgomery): This project will improve the shoreline along the Fox River at Montgomery Park by restoring an important natural asset, establishing a high-quality wildlife habitat and stabilizing the riverbank to reduce erosion and filter nutrients from stormwater runoff. These improvements will create a beautiful, naturalized riverfront area for visitors who use the park’s walking trails.

Riverfront Park Council Ring & Pollinator Habitat (Village of Plainfield): This project includes the construction of a council ring and pollinator habitat at Plainfield’s Riverfront Park. The council ring will serve as a place for trail users to rest, relax and commune with nature, as well as a gathering location for participants of pollinator education and other community programs.

Victory Park Pollinator Rain Garden (Waukegan Park District): This project will create an ecologically rich and aesthetically pleasing pollinator rain garden. Its location, adjacent to Vista Medical Center and Lake Michigan, ensures high public visibility and ecological significance. It also nicely complements a Healing Garden that will be used by the medical center.

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ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 100 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release:

CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312-863-6260, ereusswig@openlands.org

Chicago City Council Unanimously Passes The Urban Forestry Advisory Board

The Board Will Help Care For And Seek To Increase The City’s Tree Canopy In the Face of Climate Change

(Chicago – June 26, 2021) – After almost a year since it was first proposed, the Urban Forestry Advisory Board (UFAB) Ordinance passed unanimously through City Council on Friday, June 25. Originally proposed by Alderperson Scott Waguespack, along with Alderpersons Samantha Nugent and George A. Cardenas, the UFAB stopped initially in the Rules Committee before moving to the Finance Committee, and finally City Council, where 27 Alderpersons co-sponsored the bill before the ordinance’s unanimous passage 49-0.

Alderperson Scott Waguespack led the development of the ordinance, “I’m proud to work with Openlands and our governmental agencies to create the UFAB. Passage of our ordinance ushers in a new level of cooperation to save and build our tree canopy and tackle the climate change problem. I thank Openlands for their long-term advocacy for UFAB and the joint efforts to provide a healthy environment for us and future generations.”

The Board will report to the Mayor and be made up of agency heads that work with trees, certified arborists, community leaders, and elected officials. Together, they will identify opportunities to supplement public funds with private donations, increase public education to Chicago residents, and recommend needed changes to City laws. “Having a board dedicated to strategically caring for Chicago’s tree canopy makes us better able to protect our region from the worst effects of climate change and improve the health and well-being of communities throughout Chicago” stated Jerry Adelmann, President and CEO of Openlands. “We’re grateful to the Alderpersons and Mayor, as well as all the TreeKeepers and advocates who championed the UFAB ordinance to successful passage.”

The Board will seek to turn the tide on the decreasing tree canopy in Chicago. Since 2010, a net average of 10,000 street trees have been removed every year, an amount equivalent to cutting down all the trees on Western Ave from Howard Street in Rogers Park south for 20 miles to 95th Street in Beverly and coming back up Kedzie 20 miles. The 2020 Tree Census published by the Morton Arboretum underlined that point in May when they reported that Chicago’s canopy decreased by an alarming 3% over the past 10 years to just 16% – one of the lowest tree canopies of any major US City.

“The City of Chicago has long needed a pragmatic plan on how to preserve and enhance our urban forest. The Urban Forestry Advisory Board lays the foundation for this plan, which will ultimately promote a greener, healthier, safer ‘City in a Garden’ that will benefit all Chicagoans,” stated Alderperson Nugent

With urgent challenges like severe storms, air pollution, flooding, and excessive heat, a robust urban forest can create one of the strongest strategies to curb the effects of climate change, as trees are the most accessible way, we can create connections to nature and the outdoors.

Alderperson Cardenas shared after the vote, “I am thrilled for Chicago’s tree canopy to receive the specialized attention it deserves through an Urban Forestry Advisory Board.  It is heartening that all my colleagues see the benefit of establishing a body to create comprehensive policies to mitigate climate change and improve the health, property value, and overall quality of life for residents in communities like mine and across Chicago. I look forward to moving the important work this board will accomplish.”

“Chicago joins cities like Milwaukee, Portland, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and many others that have established successful tree boards,” said Daniella Pereira, VP of Community Conservation at Openlands and a certified arborist. “The State of Illinois receives funding through National Urban and Community Forestry grants with a primary goal of establishing tree boards. Having the Urban Forestry Advisory Board will increase funding for Illinois and increase opportunities for funding for Chicago. This is a big win for Chicago’s trees.”

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About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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OPENLANDS ANNOUNCES NATIVE TREE AND PLANT SALE

Order online and get shipped to your door beginning March 24

(Chicago ─ March 24, 2021) Openlands announces the opening of its year-long 2021 Native Tree and Plant Sale, offered online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These native species provide a unique palette of trees, shrubs, and flowers not generally available at traditional nurseries and garden centers. They are adapted to this region’s climate and provide essential habitat to declining populations of birds and butterflies. Proceeds support Openlands’ programs in Lake County.

Online orders will be accepted beginning Wednesday, March 24 by going to openlands.org/plantsale. Selections will change often across the seasons, with the first major influx expected in June and hundreds of species offered by the end of fall. Orders will be shipped to customers shortly thereafter with care instructions.

“This is a gorgeous array of choices and many are excellent for creating privacy screens, increasing property values, and soaking up stormwater,” explained Sarah Surroz, Openlands Director of Lake County Programs. “Our grower is Possibility Place Nursery of Monee, a local and family-owned business that has led the way in growing native flowers, shrubs and trees for this region for decades. My yard is filled with songbirds and butterflies because of Possibility Place.”

For Lake County residents, Openlands is offering a consultation with a conservation specialist through the Lands in Harmony program. Consultations can be done via phone, over video call or in-person, following COVID-19 protocols by visiting openlands.org/landsinharmony to schedule an appointment.

“Through a Lands in Harmony consultation property owners can get personalized recommendations based on their needs, goals, and budget,” said Surroz. “Because of climate change, we increasingly receive requests for help selecting plants that can absorb rainwater and shade a home or its patio or air conditioner to reduce energy bills. Of course, those plants that create privacy screens and showy gardens, and that support monarchs and other butterflies are always popular, and we encourage people to carefully match their selections to the planting site’s amount of sunlight and soil wetness.”

Lands in Harmony consultations will help your property look great while protecting nature and your buildings, whether your land is residential, commercial, or institutional. The program encourages use of conservation-friendly practices for property owners to protect and connect essential habitats, large and small, across Lake County.

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About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, Director of Communications, Openlands 312-925-5700

 

Openlands Offers Free Trees to Waukegan Residents Through the Waukegan Greenscape Project 

Waukegan residents who sign up before March 15 are eligible to receive one of the 100 free trees being offered by Openlands the City of Waukegan. 

CHICAGO, IL (March 9, 2021) — Chicago-based environmental organization Openlands is offering free trees to Waukegan residents this spring as part of the Waukegan Greenscape Project. Waukegan residents who sign up for the program before March 15 are eligible to receive one of the 100 trees available to beautify residential homes. Fifty trees will also be planted in public spaces as part of a major effort to reforest Waukegan.  

Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham kicked off the Waukegan Greenscape Project in 2020 by planting the first inaugural tree on city property. The Project is a partnership between Openlands and the City of Waukegan, and the first-of-its-kind collaboration is part of broader effort to replace trees lost to the Emerald Ash Borer and other recent calamities. Each new tree planted is an investment in the city’s future, as trees bring many benefits to a community, including air purification, flood protection, beauty, and increased property values. A variety of tree species will be planted on private and public properties, with a special emphasis on oak trees. The Waukegan Greenscape Project supports the Oak Ecosystem Recovery Plan of the Chicago Region to ensure a future for native oak tree ecosystems.

All applications will be reviewed after the March 15 deadline, and selected residences will receive a visit from an Openlands representative, who will choose the ideal front lawn location and tree species best suited to the property. Once the location and tree are selected, the Waukegan Public Works Department will plant the tree between the spring and fall. Applicants will receive an instruction sheet and maintenance kit, along with ongoing support and guidance from an arborist to ensure the tree’s longevity. Selected applicants will also be provided a watering bucket and mulch for the first year.

“We’re grateful for all the enthusiasm Waukegan has shown for these trees. This project will bring beauty and other benefits to the City for decades to come,” said Sarah Surroz, Openlands’ Director of Lake County Programs.

The program is funded through a federal grant from the Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. For more information on the grant program, including eligibility guidelines, visit Openlands.org/waukegangreenscape.

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About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

Openlands announces appointment of JoAnn Seagren
as Chair of the Board of Directors

She succeeds Carrie C. McNally who served for four years

Chicago, IL (December 7, 2020) — Openlands today announced a new Board Chair who will help advance the nonprofit’s mission to increase access and connection to nature in the Chicago metropolitan area. “We are thrilled to announce that JoAnn Seagren will lead Openlands’ Board of Directors,” announced Jerry Adelmann, President and CEO of Openlands. “JoAnn has been a stalwart advocate for nature throughout her time in the Chicago area, and brings with her immense experience leading organizational growth and sustainability. I look forward to her leadership.”

JoAnn is Managing Director of JA Glynn Private Wealth and has served on the Openlands Board since 2014. She is a co-founder of Smartfarm in Barrington, has served as a stewardship and restoration volunteer and board member of Citizens for Conservation, and was previously President of the Barrington Area Conservation Trust. In addition to JoAnn’s new role Board Chair, she is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, where she serves on the Forums Committee, and the International Women’s Forum, where she served on the Executive Board of the Chicago chapter. JoAnn is a volunteer teacher in Openlands’ Birds in my Neighborhood® program.

“I am honored to serve an organization like Openlands that contributes so much to the vitality of our region. I look forward to working with the board, the staff, and our supporters to further Openlands land preservation, forestry, and environmental education programs for even greater impact at this crucial time,” said JoAnn Seagren.

Openlands’ immediate past Board Chair, Carrie McNally, Special Counsel in the Corporate Practice Group in ShepperdMullin’s Chicago office, joined Openlands’ Board of Directors in 2005 and became Chair in 2017. As JoAnn assumes her new role, Carrie will continue to serve as a valued member of the Openlands’ Board.

Openlands Board of Directors is a dynamic group of civic, business, and environmental leaders in the metropolitan region that guide the organization’s strategy and long-term impact. A full list of current Board is here. Openlands’ Board Chairs serve a three-year term and are elected at the organization’s fall meeting.

About JoAnn Seagren
JoAnn Seagren is a wealth advisor and a Managing Director of JA Glynn Private Wealth. She serves on JAG’s Senior Management Committee. JoAnn worked previously at Geneva Advisors, which was then acquired by CIBC bank. Prior to that, she was a principal and co-owner of Advocate Asset Management LLC, a wealth manager for high net worth families and institutions, where she served as a wealth advisor, the head of investor relations, business development and strategy. Previously, JoAnn also worked at BDT Capital Partners, a Chicago-based investment banking firm and, earlier in her career, at Towle & Co, a single-family office, deep-value investment advisory firm. At the start of her career, she worked for LaSalle Partners (now JLL) in marketing and client relations.

JoAnn graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in business, where she was elected to Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma and was a National Merit Scholar. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, where she serves on the Forums Committee, and International Women’s Forum, where she served on the Executive Board of the Chicago chapter. JoAnn is Chair of the Board of Openlands, a regional conservation organization, and she volunteer teaches in the Chicago Public Schools. JoAnn is a co-founder of Smartfarms.org. She is an active member of The Fortnightly of Chicago, the oldest women’s society in Chicago, founded in 1873.

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

Space to Grow Awarded $100,000 from Partners for Places

(Chicago, IL – November 25, 2020) – Space to Grow, Chicago’s green schoolyards program, has been awarded a Partners for Places grant to support this highly successful initiative that builds green schoolyards at neighborhood schools in Chicago. These green schoolyards are located in the communities most vulnerable to urban flooding, and are primarily located in historically underserved Black and Latinx communities in Chicago. To date, Space to Grow has opened 25 schoolyards that serve over 10,500 students and their families and neighbors, and capture and retain over 14 million gallons of stormwater annually.

“We are thrilled to be awarded this grant, particularly from this program that acknowledges such innovation in partnerships. Healthy Schools Campaign’s work to make schools healthier places for all children relies on cross-sector collaborations like Space to Grow, and we are honored to be acknowledged with this award,” said Rochelle Davis, President + CEO of Healthy Schools Campaign.

This grant from Partners for Places acknowledges and supports the innovative partnerships that build these green schoolyards, which function as community parks when school is not in session. Space to Grow schoolyards provide healthy, engaging places for students to be physically active before, during and after school, and each schoolyard includes elements such as turf fields, jogging tracks, basketball courts and play equipment for all ages. The grounds also feature areas for learning and exploration, such as outdoor classrooms, native trees and plants and vegetable gardens. Each schoolyard is built with input from the entire school community – including students, school staff, caregivers and neighbors. Once the schoolyards are built, they are activated through schoolyard celebrations, planting days, workshops and community events.

“Creating greenspace is essential in city spaces, providing access to nature and innovative ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. Space to Grow centers equity in all aspects of the program and through its rainwater mitigation, makes flood prone communities more resilient in the future,” said Jerry Adelmann, President & CEO of Openlands. “We are thrilled that this new partnership has sparked national investment from Partners for Places.

A cornerstone of Partners for Places is bringing together local governments and local philanthropy to build and fund sustainability initiatives, which often includes working with local nonprofit and community-based organizations to see programs through. Space to Grow partners worked together for this funding, with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago at the helm as the local government partner and the Hamill Family Foundation as the local philanthropic partner. Space to Grow’s two managing partners – Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands, will each receive $100,000 as part of this partnership. Partners for Places will grant $100,000 to Healthy Schools Campaign and the Hamill Family Foundation will provide a matching grant of $100,000 to Openlands.

“On behalf of the Hamill Family Foundation, I and my sisters, Nancy C. H. Winter and Elizabeth C. Bramsen, are proud to support an initiative that continues Openlands’ great work connecting people with nature. Space to Grow is an accessible way to bring nature close to home, and we are thrilled to support this innovative public-private partnership,” said Jon Hamill, President of the Hamill Family Foundation and a member of Openlands’ Board of Directors

Space to Grow was one of only two initiatives focused on “green stormwater infrastructure” selected in this round – a truly remarkable acknowledgement for Chicago. Partners for Places funds a wide range of sustainability initiatives, but Space to Grow stood out because of its use of green stormwater infrastructure that helps build community resilience by capturing millions of gallons of stormwater – which comes from rain and melting snow – at the schoolyards, keeping that water out of the sewer system during the heaviest of storms. Green stormwater infrastructure includes rain gardens, native landscaping in bioswales, permeable surfaces and other techniques that mimic natural processes to soak up and keep water underground – where it stays until it evaporates – instead of rushing straight to the sewers. This helps protect homes from basement flooding and helps keep area waterways clean.

“The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is a leader in developing green stormwater infrastructure across the Chicago region. Space to Grow is one of our signature programs – it provides not only critical infrastructure to protect against flooding but is the epitome of how cross-sector partnerships support our communities. We are honored to work with Partners for Places and the Hamill Family Foundation and thankful for their investments in this transformational program,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele.

Space to Grow is managed by Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands. Capital funding and green stormwater infrastructure expertise come from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Department of Water Management.

Partners for Places, a joint effort by the The Funders Network and the Urban Sustainability  Directors Network (USDN), pairs local governments with philanthropy to support sustainability projects across the U.S. and Canada.

Partners for Places is a successful matching grant program that aims to enhance local capacity to build equitable and sustainable communities in the United States and Canada. The fund does this by requiring local government and local foundation partnerships, and by pairing national and local philanthropic funding sources. These one-to-one matching awards support the planning and implementing of urban sustainability and green stormwater infrastructure projects. National funders invest in local projects to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy, and well- being of all residents. Through these projects, Partners for Places fosters long-term relationships that make our communities more prosperous, livable, and vibrant.

Partners for Places’ general grant program is supported by The JPB Foundation, Kendeda Fund, The Kresge Foundation, New York Community Trust, and the Pisces Foundation.

The grant program provides partnership investments between $25,000 and $75,000 for one-year projects, or between $50,000 and $150,000 for two-year projects, with a 1:1 match required by one or more local foundations.

To date, Partners for Places has awarded more than $7.5 million across North America in this successful matching grant program, leading to more than $16 million in investments.

Social Media Twitter Handles

Grant Partners: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: @MWRDGC, Healthy Schools Campaign: @healthyschools, Openlands: @openlands / @openlands.chicago, Space to Grow: @SpaceToGrowChi

Additional STG Partners: Chicago Public Schools: @ChiPubSchools, Chicago Department of Water Management: @ChicagoWater

Representative Photos – Options

All photos should be credited: Space to Grow

• Photo 1 caption: Before/After images of Space to Grow transformation at Wadsworth STEM in Woodlawn
• Photo 2 caption: Planting native perennials in a rain garden with students at Corkery elementary school in the Little Village community
• Photo 3 caption: Stewarding native gardens with community volunteers at Wadsworth STEM in the Woodlawn community
• Time-lapse construction video

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For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

Openlands, Sierra Club and Members of Just Say No to NorthPoint File Lawsuit Against the City of Joliet

The lawsuit is the third legal complaint recently filed against the City of Joliet over Compass Business Park.

Will County, IL (October 27, 2020) — Environmental organizations Openlands and the Sierra Club, along with individual members of the Just Say No to NorthPoint grassroots community group, filed a motion seeking to join a lawsuit against the City of Joliet, which if granted would make it the third complaint filed regarding East Gate’s beleaguered NorthPoint intermodal facility, otherwise known as Compass Business Park in Joliet, Illinois.

Plaintiffs will be joining the lawsuit filed by the Village of Elwood against the City of Joliet earlier this year. The Openlands/Sierra Club, et al complaint alleges that the City of Joliet executed an unlawful agreement with East Gate that contracted away annexation and rezoning of over 1,200 acres of land for NorthPoint. The City of Joliet violated its own ordinances, pre-determining zoning and depriving organizations and individuals of the right to be considered during the process.

Within the complaint, the groups cite significant environmental impacts to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, as well as to individual properties in the shadow of the project. Openlands and Sierra Club were part of the transformation of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant into a blend of uses, including the federally protected Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, and each has an interest in preserving and safeguarding open land in Illinois.

“We are grateful for the incredible support that we have received from both Openlands and the Sierra Club. The experience of our legal team in these matters gives us the utmost confidence that we will persevere. The future has never been brighter, and we look forward to working with our co-plaintiffs in the case,” said Stephanie Irvine, co-plaintiff and one of the founding members of Just Say No to NorthPoint.

Members of the Just Say No to NorthPoint group have been fighting the project since it was first introduced in 2017. Their continued efforts have been met with success after the Village of Elwood, Will County, and the Village of Manhattan all effectively turned down the project. Recently, a group of residents created Stop NorthPoint, LLC and filed their own lawsuit against the City of Joliet and NorthPoint. Though the Stop NorthPoint group is unaffiliated with Just Say No to NorthPoint, they are united in the goal of stopping Compass Business Park from moving forward.

Openlands and Sierra Club have long been advocates for strong regional and local planning. They work with business, civic, and community groups to ensure industry and transportation solutions complement rather than subvert the globally significant natural resources in this area, such as Midewin and the prime farmland that would be paved over if NorthPoint were built. “We hope to move forward with all parties in creating an equitable development solution,” said Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President and CEO and sixth generation resident of Will County, “one that builds up from the assets and opportunities that the area has to offer, without sacrificing the cultural and natural heritage that have enriched the community for generations.

Just Say No to NorthPoint is a grassroots community effort founded in 2017. The group actively works to protect the community from NorthPoint’s potential harm through fact-based research and coordinated legal and community efforts with environmental and warehouse workers’ rights groups.

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For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

OPENLANDS LAKESHORE PRESERVE BEACH TEMPORARILY CLOSES FOR SHORELINE PROTECTION PROJECT

Temporary beach closure begins October 19 for three weeks to
repair storm damage and protect public beachfront in Highland Park

(Highland Park, IL – September 30, 2020) – Beginning October 19, construction of a Lake Michigan shoreline protection project will temporarily close portions of the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve in Highland Park for approximately three weeks. Storms, waves, and high water have battered the 77-acre nature preserve, owned and managed by Openlands, a Chicago-based nonprofit.

The site’s popular lakefront, beach, staircases, and ravine trail will remain closed throughout construction. Two blufftop trails (one-half mile each) will remain open to pedestrians, with access from the main entrance on Patten Road and the south entrance on Walker Avenue.

With 1500 tons of revetment rocks from a quarry in Thornton, IL the project will bring much-needed erosion protection from Lake Michigan’s record high water and waves to a 300 foot-long section of the Preserve’s mile-long lakefront, including a staircase that leads from blufftop to lakefront and a paved trail that descends through a wooded ravine to the beach. Project funding comes from the Crown Family Philanthropies and donor contributions to Openlands for the Lakeshore Preserve. Designed by Stantec Engineering, the project’s construction contractor is Thornton Equipment Services of Mokena, Illinois.

One of the Preserve’s renowned landscape artworks, “Lake Prism” by multi-media artist Olivia Petrides was swept from its base when a 2018 storm eliminated the land surrounding it. Though staff retrieved the artwork and moved it to storage for safekeeping, its base has remained partially submerged in the lake and is planned to be retrieved during construction.

The privately owned nature preserve is one of the few places along Lake Michigan that is open to the public free of charge in Lake County, Illinois. Once part of the former Fort Sheridan military base, Openlands acquired the land in 2007 and 2010. Through private donations, Openlands has restored the rare and fragile natural areas, and installed trails, artworks and parking facilities. Unlike state and city parks, or county forest preserves, Openlands manages the site through funding from donations and private grants, though it occasionally receives state and federal grants. The entire site is of such high ecological value that it receives additional legal protections from the State of Illinois as a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve.

“The Lakeshore Preserve is a very special place along Lake Michigan’s shoreline providing ever-improving ecological health, food and shelter for hundreds of migratory and indigenous bird species, and trails and panoramic vistas for thousands of human visitors,” said Jerry Adelmann, President and CEO of Openlands. “As high lake levels and increasingly intense storms threaten and damage its shoreline, we are pleased to be able to proceed with these protective measures.”

While visitors will not experience much of a visual change once the work is complete, the area between the bluff and the water will be more level and fortified with stone, and the trail will be repaired and leveled with gravel along the beach. Visitors should keep abreast of closures and any additional notices on Openlands’ website, at openlands.org/openlands-lakeshore-preserve.

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release:
PHOTOS for Media Use, B-roll available on request
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312-925-5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

The Openlands 2020 Annual Luncheon Goes Virtual Celebrating
Land Preservation and Women Leaders in Global Conservation

Dr. Debra Moskovits will be given the Conservation Leadership Award
with Dr. Avecita Chicchón as Keynote Speaker

(Chicago – September 3, 2020) The Openlands 2020 Annual Luncheon celebrates two extraordinary women in conservation and their leadership in large landscape preservation here in Chicago and around the world. The virtual celebration will feature three multimedia experiences that take guests on a virtual journey from The Amazon to Chicago and recognizes the importance of land conservation at all scales to our health and well-being and global climate resilience.

The Openlands Annual Luncheon is consistently the largest gathering of conservation-minded organizations, volunteers, and elected officials in the state of Illinois, and while we cannot gather in person, the stories shared will celebrate the vital role land preservation plays for people and the planet. The virtual celebration will take place October 13-15, 2020 with Michael Keiser and Connie Keller serving as the Co-Chairs of the 2020 Annual Luncheon.

Openlands is proud to present the 2020 Conservation Leadership Award to Dr. Debra Moskovits for her lifetime achievements in translating biological and anthropological science into lasting results for conservation and the well-being of people. Dr. Moskovits received her PhD in Biology from The University of Chicago and joined the Field Museum in 1985. Over the next 34 years, she held different positions at the Field, finding ways for the Museum to put its science to work for conservation and quality of life through its collections, scientific inventories, and exhibition halls. She launched what is now the Keller Science Action Center, and today conservation is integral to the Museum’s mission. She retired in 2019 from her role as Vice President for Strategic Science Initiatives. In addition to her impactful tenure at the Field, Dr. Moskovits was also a founding member of Chicago Wilderness, a regional conservation alliance that currently boasts 250 institutional members implementing a common vision of a vibrant landscape where people and nature thrive together, promoting diverse communities, economic vitality, and well-being for all.

The Annual Luncheon experience will feature Dr. Moskovits’ work along with that of our Keynote, Dr. Avecita Chicchón, whose work at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation—and currently the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation—in natural resource use, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean often coincided and collaborated with Dr. Moskovits. For tickets and sponsorship information, visit Openlands.org/AL2020 or contact development@openlands.org. Openlands is taking the innovative approach of delivering each experience to guests at 12pm each day, for them to enjoy at their leisure from October 13-15, 2020.

• October 13, 2020 Experience: Guests will virtually journey to the Amazon and celebrate the achievements of our 2020 Conservation Leadership Awardee, Dr. Debra Moskovits. This ten-minute mini documentary will recognize Moskovits’ work in the Amazon through the Keller Science Action Center at The Field Museum and how it transformed the conservation field both in South American and here in the Chicago region.
• October 14, 2020 Experience: In this exclusive podcast, guests will join Openlands Board Member Wendy Paulson in conversation with John Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Luncheon Keynote Speaker Dr. Avecita Chicchón on the migratory bird experience, their connection to land, and to people. The conversation will connect the Amazon to Chicago, through the lens of migratory birds.
• October 15, 2020 Experience: In this final experience, guests will learn about Openlands’ leadership in land preservation across the Chicago region. From a small pocket park in Chicago to thousands of acres of our region’s first National Wildlife Refuge, Openlands’ work preserving land for people in the region goes beyond ensuring its initial protection. In this 30-minute video guests will experience the diverse landscapes, partners, and models of protection Openlands land preservation work encompasses, ensuring everyone can experience nature close to home.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the vital connection humans have to nature – for our individual and collective health and well-being, as well as the future sustainability of our planet,” said Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President & CEO. “Debby Moskovits’ leadership, translating the Field Museum’s rigorous science into immediate action for conservation, cultural understanding, and the well-being of people living in and around biologically rich areas is immense. Her and her team’s efforts led to significant, rapid results including establishment of vast, newly protected landscapes in some of the most diverse regions of the planet, lasting collaborations with indigenous communities in the Amazon headwaters, and strong partnerships for conservation and quality of life in Chicago’s vibrant metropolis.”

About the Keynote: Dr. Avecita Chicchón has more than 30 years of experience in natural resource use, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean. After receiving her PhD in anthropology from the University of Florida, Dr. Chicchón’s background in the social sciences became a pillar of her subsequent career at Conservation International, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Currently, she leads the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Andes-Amazon initiative, which aims to secure the biodiversity and climatic function of the Amazon biome. Throughout her career, she has collaborated closely with Dr. Moskovits on scientific inventories that led to new areas of protected land in the Andes-Amazon region and beyond.

About the Awardee: Dr. Debra Moskovits is a conservation ecologist with 45 years of field experience, primarily in the American tropics. She received her B.A. from Princeton University and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Chicago. Moskovits joined the Field Museum staff in 1985, working on both the public and academic sides of the institution until she retired 34 years later (2019). In 1994 Moskovits launched a small unit fully dedicated to translating the Museum’s rigorous science into immediate action for conservation, cultural understanding, and the well-being of people living in and around biologically rich areas and the success of this work led to significant, rapid results including establishment of vast, newly protected landscapes like the Amazon all the way to strong community-based partnerships across the Chicago region. With evidence of the important role that a natural history museum can play on behalf of conservation and human well-being, Moskovits guided the conservation unit’s development into what is now the Field Museum’s Keller Science Action Center, an integral component of the Museum’s sciences and fundamental to the Museum’s new mission.

Event Information
Openlands Annual Luncheon: A Virtual Journey from the Amazon to Chicago
October 13 – 15, 2020
Experiences delivered at noon each day, to be enjoyed at guest’s leisure
Visit Openlands.org/AL2020 for tickets and sponsorship information, or contact development@openlands.org.

Media inquiries or members of the press wishing to attend the Openlands 2020 Annual Luncheon should contact Emily Reusswig at ereusswig@openlands.org or by calling 312.925.5700.

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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POPULAR TREEKEEPERS COURSE GOES VIRTUAL TO BUILD ADVOCATES FOR OUR REGION’S TREES

Summer Course Registration Is Open Until August 3, 2020
Scholarships are available to those who qualify

For Immediate Release
Photos available here. Interviews available upon request
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

(CHICAGO – July 28, 2020) – Openlands popular TreeKeepers Course has gone virtual in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering people across the region a convenient way to learn about our urban forest, and how best to protect and grow it. The course is one great way for individuals to make an impact on climate change in our region, by growing and taking care of our tree canopy. Registration is open for the Summer 2020 course online until August 3rd, with classes beginning August 4, 2020.

Since 1991, the TreeKeepers program has trained more than 2,000 volunteers to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s urban forest and support the work of local forestry officials, such as the Chicago Bureau of Forestry, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI), and the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

The program’s central component is the TreeKeeper Certification Course, offered three times annually. Classroom lessons and fieldwork cover a broad range of forestry topics including tree biology, identification, planting, pruning, pests and diseases, soils, climate change, invasive species, advocacy, and stewardship skills. Participants must complete a final exam and practicum to become certified.

Nature-based solutions to Climate Change like the TreeKeepers program build upon the unique built and natural environment factors. Climate change is already impacting the Chicago region. Both temperatures and flooding are increasing, and Chicago’s urban trees reduce the impacts of each of these by lowering temperatures and preventing storm water from entering sewer systems to help prevent flooding. In 2019, Chicago experienced a net loss of 11,000 trees. Openlands TreeKeepers aim to mitigate this loss through advocacy and tree care. Chicago’s urban forest:

• Consists of approximately 150 million trees
• Stores approximately 17 million tons of carbon
• Prevents approximately 30 Billion gallons from entering the storm sewer system per year
• Reduces annual energy costs by $44 million per year

Upon successful completion, certified TreeKeepers support the Chicago region’s urban forest by helping to prune, mulch and plant public trees. The hundreds of currently active TreeKeepers across the region have helped Openlands plant over 6,000 trees since 2013 alone, helping mitigate the effects of climate change.

TreeKeepers Summer 2020 Course Details
TreeKeeper Classes will be held August 4 – September 1, 2020 on Tuesdays and Thursdays both from 6-8:30pm. All classes are held online via Zoom. Individuals can register here. For questions, email treekeepers@openlands.org.

The cost of the course is $128, with a limited number of scholarships available. Each participant receives a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety glasses, gloves, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, badge, and t-shirt.

To become certified as a TreeKeeper, participants must attend all eight classes; pass a written final exam; complete practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledge to volunteer 25 hours within a year of graduation. After certification, TreeKeepers can host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, adopt trees, and help maintain public parks.

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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New African American Heritage Water Trail Highlights Rich History Along Little Calumet River And Cal-Sag Channel

Part of the Nationally Significant Calumet Heritage Area, the Trail Highlights the History of Underground Railroad, Tuskegee Airmen, an International Sports Star, and the Birthplace of Environmental Justice Movement

For Immediate Release
Images & B-Roll, Interviews and River photo/video opportunities available on request
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

(CHICAGO, IL – July 23, 2020) – Openlands, together with partners The Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project, Robbins History Museum, The Village of Robbins, We Keep You Rollin’ Bike and Wellness Group, Golden Gate Homeowners Association, and People for Community Recovery debut the African American Heritage Water Trail on PaddleIllinoisWaterTrails.org. Beginning at Beaubien Woods, the water trail traverses the Little Calumet River and the Cal-Sag Channel between the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Beaubien Woods and the Village of Robbins and explores the diverse stories of African Americans that made the Calumet area what it is today.

The trail highlights important moments, sites, and people from the 1850s to today, including:

• Dolton Ferry and Bridge, which helped hundreds of freedom seekers cross the river on their way to Canada via Chicago or Detroit.
• Major Taylor Bridge, which honors the first African American international sports star and a world champion bicycle rider of the 20th century.
• Altgeld Gardens, the neighborhood of Hazel M. Johnson, the mother of the environmental justice movement. Her work documenting incidents of disease in her community and holding polluters responsible led her to receive a presidential award in 1992 and led to the executive order to address environmental injustice in minority populations and low-income communities across the nation.
• The Village of Robbins, one of the very few towns in the US that was governed at its incorporation in 1917 by African Americans. Robbins offered a welcoming suburban setting to some of the thousands of African Americans moving to Chicago during the Great Migration to this day.
• The Robbins Airport was the first airport built, owned, and operated by and for African Americans in the US before a storm destroyed it in 1933. The flight school housed at the airport trained many African American pilots and some of the first female aviators, some of whom became Tuskegee Airmen, helping to secure Allied victory in World War II.

“One of our greatest assets in Robbins is our rich and significant culture and history” said Tyrone Haymore from Robbins History Museum. “ I am excited to have it featured as part of the African American Heritage Water Trail. There is no black town in America like Robbins.”

For those interested in experiencing the trail online, Openlands created a digital StoryMap that gives viewers a more visual experience of what they would normally see from their canoe or kayak. People interested in experiencing the trail can go to PaddleIllinoisWatertrails.org/Calumet-Area-Water-Trails to print the brochure or the digital StoryMap to learn about the area before paddling the trail. While the water trail is best for expert paddlers, or less experienced paddlers with an expert guide, other more beginner appropriate water trails are featured on PaddleIllinoisWatertrails.org. Visit PaddleIllinoisWatertrails.org/resources/notes-on-skill-levels/ for information on safety and skill levels.

The Water Trail is part of a concerted effort by Openlands and its partners to restore the river to better health and to offer surrounding communities meaningful connections and better access to the river. Laura Barghusen, Aquatic Ecologist at Openlands notes that “Openlands works to connect people to nature where they live. River corridors represent significant opportunities to connect with natural areas, even in very urbanized settings. Strong connections to the water inspire recreation, education, stewardship, and advocacy, and can result in greater investment in both the ecological and cultural heritage of communities and their waterways. The African American Heritage Water Trail is meant to inspire this investment.”

The African American Heritage Water Trail was created in partnership by Openlands, The Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project, Robbins History Museum, The Village of Robbins, We Keep You Rollin’ (Bike & Wellness Group), Golden Gate Homeowners Association, People for Community Recovery, FRESH, The Forest Preserves of Cook County, The Field Museum, and The Metropolitan Planning Council. The African American Heritage Water Trail made possible with support from Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust.

Interviews with collaborating partners Ron Gaines from Chicago’s Finest Marina, Tyrone Haymore from Robbins History Museum, and Laura Barghusen, Aquatic Ecologist at Openlands, as well as river photo and video opportunities along the Little Calumet River with Water TrailKeeper Michael Taylor available upon request. Images and B-Roll are available here.

About the Calumet Heritage Area
The African American Heritage Water Trail is a part of the Calumet Heritage Area. To learn more about the nationally significant region, including places to see and things to do, visit www.calumetheritagearea.org.

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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Landowners, Together with Public and Private Partners, Gain Ground in Boone County Conservation Effort

For Immediate Release
Boone County Photos
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

(Boone County – June 24, 2020) Landowners with K-B Farms sparked an important and strategic conservation effort recently, which resulted in the purchase of nearly 340-acres of critical and sensitive lands located in and along the floodplain of the Piscasaw Creek. K. B. Farms Inc., and members of the Funderburg family jointly contributed to this generous bargain sale, equaling 47% of the total property value.

“We understand and value the importance of this land to conservation efforts along the Class A waterway specifically, and to the Boone County Community in general,” said K-B Farms chairman Rob Funderburg. “Conserving and restoring it is a priority for us which is why we approached the Boone County Conservation District.” While the property is now predominantly cropland, woodland-wetland complexes and cattle grazed wet meadow, Piscasaw Creek sinuously tracks through an ancient valley, often hidden from view as one’s eye scans across the flat, fertile farmland of Boone County.

“This landscape is richly steeped in natural history and represents a complex geologic setting” said Stacy Meyers of Openlands, partner in the acquisition and regional conservation organization. “Multiple glaciations left their mark on the grounds and the Piscasaw has been spared from ditching and straightening and still meanders naturally within its floodplain. Bounding the high-quality creek, the natural lands are valuable wildlife habitat and migration paths, especially with the increasing pressure of climate change.” As of 2005, there were eight recorded Federal or State-threatened or endangered species of plants and animals listed for the sub-watershed.

To support this vision, Boone County Conservation District and Openlands teamed up with philanthropic partners. Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation gave nearly $497,000 and Grand Victoria Foundation donated $248,000 to acquire half of the property (the other half was donated by K-B Farms); purchase conservation easements, an important protection for land in the state; restore part of the property, and engage surrounding communities about this new resource. “This grant builds upon previous awards made for the creation of a riparian corridor along the Kishwaukee River and its tributaries in Boone County,” said Dennis O’Brien, Executive Director of Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. “In reviewing the application for this particular project, the Foundation considered the innovative partnership between the District and nonprofit Openlands, the donation from the landowner, and the District’s proven track record as a good steward of the land.” Sharon Bush, Executive Director of the Grand Victoria Foundation agreed. “This project is an excellent example of ensuring an interconnected system of land and water at landscape scale. We are excited to support this creative partnership that will result in protection of an important area that the public can enjoy; and new income to support the restoration and stewardship of the land.”

The Boone County Conservation District has also attained a $520,000 grant to develop a path system that will cross this property and ultimately provide a non-motorized path connection between the City of Belvidere and the Village of Poplar Grove – which will connect to the Long Prairie Trail, a segment of the Grand Illinois Trail. Boone County Conservation District’s Executive Director, Dan Kane, explained, “This land acquisition is so exciting for the county. When the land is restored to its native habitat, it will offer unseen benefits such as enhanced carbon sequestration, improved soil health, and will replenish clean drinking water. And it will be a place for residents to truly enjoy our area’s natural beauty, improving the quality of life in our county.”

About the Boone County Conservation District
The BCCD was established by referendum and became the first Conservation District created in the State of Illinois on November 4, 1964. A five-member board of trustees oversees the District. These trustees are appointed to serve five-year terms by the Boone County Board. The District has eight full-time employees. The BCCD owns and/or manages approximately 3,700-acres of important conservation lands. The BCCD mission statement is: “Preserve and manage natural areas and open spaces for ecological, educational, and recreational benefits of present and future generations.” For more information please visit www.bccdil.org.

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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Get Outside This Father’s Day with
Openlands Get Outside Map

Free, Searchable Map Features 350 Public Parks and Preserves

For Immediate Release
Get Outside Map Photos & B-Roll
CONTACT: Emily Reusswig, 312.925.5700, ereusswig@openlands.org

(Chicago ─ June 17, 2020) Celebrate Father’s Day this weekend with Openlands Get Outside Map! Whether taking a family hike at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie or Forest bathing at Messenger Woods Nature Preserve Openlands Get Outside Map will help you find an outdoor experience that’s right for you. A free online tool designed to help residents find where and how they can take in nature and the outdoors in the greater Chicago region, the Get Outside Map can be accessed anywhere at getoutsidemap.com.

With the Openlands Get Outside Map, users can discover opportunities to explore parks open near them or find new larger natural areas to explore like Glacial Park in McHenry County. Openlands also has resources to help users understand social distancing guidelines and rules for getting outside during the COVID-19 pandemic. As users search specific spaces, they are directed to each location’s website to find updates and alerts on closures and additional guidelines they should follow at each space.

The Openlands Get Outside Map was launched in 2019 to connect residents with the diverse opportunities to engage in nature in our region. The free online tool puts the user experience first, aggregating outdoors information for the Chicago Region into one convenient and easy-to-use tool. The map currently features information on 350 sites, ranging from national and state parks to county forest preserves to natural areas in parks across northern Illinois, northwest Indiana, and southeastern Wisconsin.

Users can filter by activities, such as walking, hiking, and biking; by accessibility, such as paved trails; or by site features, such as pet-friendly policies. Users can also enter an address or zip code to find sites closest to them. Each site includes a list of benefits and activities, site photos, a link for directions through Google Maps, and links to location websites and other information.

“There are so many options for us to experience nature close to home, especially at this time when we’re all looking for activities to do safely. Getting outside to enjoy our region’s natural areas is a great way to reflect and decompress,” said Emily Reusswig, Openlands Director of Communications. “Remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and leave nothing behind. There are many dedicated land management agencies here in the region working to protect nature, and the accessibility of these spaces for us to find a little peace, and rejuvenate. This map makes finding those places a little easier for residents.”

Funding for the Openlands Get Outside Map is provided by the Grand Victoria Foundation and the Central Indiana Community Fund CICF.

About Openlands:
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: The Openlands Annual Luncheon Celebrates the Vital Role of Stewardship and Volunteerism

***Stephen Packard is the Conservation Leadership Award Recipient***

***Wendy Paulson is the Keynote Speaker***

CONTACT: Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – September 4, 2019) The Openlands 2019 Annual Luncheon acknowledges and celebrates the essential role of stewardship and volunteerism in protecting our region’s precious natural resources. The Openlands Annual Luncheon is consistently the largest gathering of conservation-minded organizations, volunteers, and elected officials in the state of Illinois with nearly 1,000 attendees expected. It will take place at the Hilton Chicago on Thursday, October 31 from 10:30am until 1:30pm. A networking reception begins at 10:30am, and the luncheon program begins at noon. JoAnn Seagren and Martina Keller are the Co-Chairs of the 2019 Annual Luncheon.

Wendy Paulson is an environmental educator and activist with decades of hands-on experience in nature-based education, habitat restoration, and community-based conservation. She has dedicated much of her life to teaching, beginning in the Boston Public Schools and later at The Potomac School in McLean, VA, in the Barrington Public Schools as “The Nature Lady,” and as Director of Education for Citizens for Conservation, a community conservation group in Barrington. She helped start and teaches for Birds in my Neighborhood®, a program of Openlands and Audubon Great Lakes. Paulson is Chairman of the Bobolink Foundation and has held leadership positions with international conservation organizations including Rare, the Illinois, New York and global boards of The Nature Conservancy, BirdLife International, as well as with many national and local groups.

Openlands is proud to present the 2019 Conservation Leadership Award to Stephen Packard for his commitment to fostering a culture of conservation through which people and nature can re-establish mutually nourishing relationships in a changing world. Over 40 years ago, Stephen Packard initiated the North Branch Restoration Project, which has become a world-renowned model of volunteerism. Packard is the former Director of Science and Stewardship for the Nature Conservancy in Illinois and Founding Director of Audubon Chicago Region. He initiated and guided the Volunteer Stewardship Network. With thousands of volunteers working at hundreds of sites, these collaborations served as models for the creation of similar projects that are now commonplace at varied organizations.

“As the climate crisis accelerates, the need to organize volunteers and increase stewardship of the environment has never been so apparent, so this year we celebrate the many exemplary individuals committed to acting for nature,” said Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President & CEO. “Throughout his life, Stephen Packard has championed volunteering in support of conservation and has been a catalyst for hope in a changing world. Wendy Paulson is truly a global ambassador for stewardship, having advised and shaped the conservation movement in an immeasurable way. We thank them both for their diligent, dedicated leadership and inspiring service to the Chicago region and to our planet.”

For tickets and sponsorship information, please visit Openlands.org or contact development@openlands.org.

Media inquiries or members of the press wishing to attend the Openlands 2019 Annual Luncheon should contact Brandon Hayes at bhayes@openlands.org or 312-863-6260.

Sponsors as of August 30, 2019

The Openlands 2019 Annual Luncheon Presenting Sponsor is The Negaunee Foundation.

BMO Harris Bank is the Emerald Sponsor.

Platinum Sponsors: Arcelor Mittal, Connie and Tony Bischoff, Shaun and Andy Block, the Bobolink Foundation, ComEd, Martina Keller and Don McLellan, Margot and Thomas Pritzker Family Foundation, Jeanine and Sandy McNally, Northern Trust, Sand Valley, and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.

Gold Sponsors: Jill Allread Family, CenterPoint Properties, Christy Webber Landscapes, The Corwith Fund, Dean Fischer, Leslie Jones and Paul Zeller, Lois Morrison and Justin Daab, Peoples Gas, Barbara and Glenn Reed, JoAnn Seagren and Scott Lang, Adele Simmons, Global Philanthropy Partnership, and Ventas.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Announces Fall Native Tree and Plant Sale

CONTACT: Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ─ August 30, 2019) Openlands announces the opening of its annual online fall Native Tree and Plant Sale. Through the online store, visitors can shop a curated selection of trees, shrubs, and mulch, and place special orders for additional native plant species. Online orders will be accepted Friday, August 30 – Monday, September 30 at OpenlandsPlantSale.org.

All purchases must be picked up at 31610 N. Almond Road, Libertyville, IL 60048. The pick-up location will be open Friday, October 18 from 9am-3pm and Saturday, October 19 from 9am-12pm. Orders of $200 or more are eligible for a 10% discount. Online purchases are processed in the order in which they are received and are subject to supplier availability.

“Fall is the ideal time to add new native trees and plants to your property, with temperatures and weather conducive for them to take root before the winter,” explained Mary Fortmann, Openlands Sustainable Landscapes Coordinator. “Some of our most popular species, such as the white oak, hazelnut, or viburnums, are both beautiful choices for your property and, as native species, are key to providing food and habitat for the wildlife of our region.”

The curated selection being offered is chosen specifically for the plants’ landscaping aesthetics and suitability for private properties. These native species are not generally available at traditional nurseries and garden centers, and have adapted to the northeastern Illinois region over thousands of years. Proceeds from the Native Tree and Plant Sale support Openlands’ programs in Lake County.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Illinois Conservation Organizations Applaud Two Recently Signed Bills That Ensure Conservation Protections on Public and Private Property

***New Laws Increase Penalties For Illegal Logging And Allow For Better Land Protection***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – July 31, 2019) Non-profit conservation organizations in the Chicago region and across the State of Illinois celebrate two bills signed into law by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker in recent weeks. By updating earlier legislation, the new laws now in effect provide stronger, more responsive protection for conservation efforts across the state. Under the Wrongful Tree Cutting Act (HB3105, signed on July 19), trespassers and illegal loggers are now liable for the full cost of damages they cause to parks, nature preserves, conserved farms, and other protected places. The Real Property Conservation Rights Act (HB2601, signed on July 26) clarifies how government agencies and non-profits can adapt conservation easements to align with modern best practices and stronger protections.

Members of the General Assembly from the greater Chicago region led efforts to pass both bills. Representative Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) and Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) sponsored HB3105 while Representative Bob Morgan (D-Highwood) and Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) sponsored HB2601.

“Trees are fundamental to natural areas throughout Illinois because they provide wildlife habitat, prevent soil erosion and filter water,” said Representative Edly-Allen. “Despite all of these essential benefits, perpetrators of illegal logging in conservation areas throughout the state have gotten away without facing substantial consequences. My bill gets us a step closer to resolving that problem and I’m proud to send it to the governor’s desk.”

“Our preservation areas need to be protected so that generations to come can enjoy them,” said Senator Stadelman. “This legislation will make sure that when people take what isn’t theirs, they can be held responsible.”

Organizations that advocated for passage of the new laws include the Illinois Environmental Council, Natural Land Institute, Openlands, Prairie State Conservation Coalition, among many others.

“We thank Governor Pritzker for taking action and demonstrating support for these conservation efforts,” said Jennifer Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “HB3105 and HB2601 will put more tools in the toolbox for our partners who manage conservation lands so they can better preserve habitats and wildlife in Illinois.”

“The Natural Land Institute, a 501(c)(3) conservation land trust suffered trespass and illegal logging on one of our protected preserves,” said Natural Land Institute Executive Director Kerry Leigh. “We have an obligation to our donors and the general public to protect the habitats we say we are going to protect. We are hopeful that this revision to the Wrongful Tree Cutting Act will serve as a real deterrent to illegal logging activities occurring across the state, as the true costs of remediation will be prescribed through this legislation.”

“These bills—which address the complexities of work on the ground—are an important step forward for conservation in our state,” said Openlands President & CEO Jerry Adelmann. “We applaud Governor Pritzker and members of the General Assembly for supporting modern best practices to restore and fully protect our State’s natural legacy for now and future generations.”

“Illinois’ conservation community worked cooperatively together to draft, support, and advocate for both bills,” said President of the Prairie State Conservation Coalition Mary Vandevord. “The update to the Conservation Easement Act provides greater clarification and is a win-win for landowners and land trusts in Illinois. The Prairie State Conservation Coalition thanks the tremendous work of the Illinois Environmental Council, Openlands, George Covington, and many others who worked to see this effort through.”

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: 26 Northern Illinois Communities Awarded Environmental Grants from ComEd, Openlands

** Annual Green Region program powers sustainability with more than $200,000 in funding for open-space projects **

CONTACT:    ComEd Media Relations, 312-394-3500

CHICAGO – (July 17, 2019) – To support habitats and other open-space projects throughout northern Illinois, ComEd and Openlands today announced grants to 26 public agencies through the annual ComEd Green Region Program. Grantees receive up to $10,000 each to plan, acquire, and improve local parks, natural areas and recreation resources. Some grants focus on enhancing pollinator habitats and protecting pollinator species, such as butterflies and bees.

“Together with our partners at Openlands, we are proud to support organizations that are making meaningful differences to restore and enhance natural habitats and biodiversity,” said Melissa Washington, vice president of governmental and external affairs at ComEd. “It’s the perfect balance of meeting our future energy needs and powering a brighter and more sustainable future for our customers and the communities we serve.”

Since the inception of the Green Region Program in 2013, ComEd has awarded more than $1.3 million to municipalities across northern Illinois to help fund their open-space projects. ComEd provides the funding, and Openlands, one of the oldest metropolitan conservation organizations in the nation, administers the grants to local communities.

“The ComEd Green Region Program is an important commitment to sustainability across northern Illinois and a commitment to providing residents with access to natural open spaces,” said Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President and CEO. “Over the last seven years, we’ve seen how the Green Region Program has helped communities enhance many parks and trails for learning, enjoyment, and supporting wildlife, and the support from ComEd has been vital. We extend our gratitude to ComEd, and we want to thank the many partners who have implemented these projects across the region.”

Due to a recent decline in pollinators throughout northern Illinois, and strong interest in pollinator conservation, the 2019 Green Region projects again focus on advancing and protecting the region’s essential pollinator species. Earlier this year, public agencies from across communities that ComEd serves submitted grant applications, which were then reviewed by an advisory committee composed of county government officials and members of the region’s conservation community.

Additional information on the ComEd Green Region Program can be found at Openlands.org/GreenRegion.

The 26 ComEd Green Region Program grant recipients for 2019 are:

Woods Creek Headwaters Pollinator Project (Village of Algonquin): This project will improve the ecological health of six acres of sedge meadow wetlands for the benefit of native pollinator species. It includes invasive phragmites removal, native sedge meadow interseeding, and public education.

Restoration Along the Fox River in Downtown Aurora (City of Aurora): This project will restore native flora along the Fox River, to create a buffer between the river and adjacent impervious pavements, especially public parking lots. The restored site will intercept surface runoff, thereby reducing pollutants flowing into the river, and provide a habitat for native species of birds and insect pollinators.

Lily Cache Beneficial Insect and Pollinator Habitat Restoration Project (Bolingbrook Park District): This project involves the development of six pods, ranging in size from one-quarter to two acres, to provide essential habitat for the life cycle completion of native beneficial insects and pollinators.

Pollinator Habitat Establishment at Sewell Conservation Area (Boone County Conservation District): This project will establish 17 acres of new habitat to benefit both pollinators and conservation area visitors for years to come. This agricultural conversion is part of a 200-acre conservation area that will become a high-quality wetland within the Kishwaukee River watershed in northern Illinois.

Glenbriar Park Phase II (Butterfield Park District): This project will complete the second and final phase of a park project entitled Glenbriar Park Expansion. This land has already been acquired and prepared for development, and the grant will support installation of a shelter, looped walking trails, and a pollinator garden.

Increasing Plant Biodiversity to Support Pollinators at West Pullman Park Natural Area (Chicago Park District): This project will improve the West Pullman Park Natural Area for people and wildlife through the installation of native woody and herbaceous plants to increase biodiversity and provide an abundance of food sources for pollinators. Interpretive signage will also be installed to explain the impacts of the improved habitat conditions.

Doerhoffer and Whitlock Park Detention Area Plantings (Downers Grove Park District): This project involves taking two currently mowed detention basins and converting them to native vegetation. It includes initial herbicide applications and the installation of native seed, native plugs, and interpretive signage. The project eliminates mowing, and provides enhanced habitat, improved water quality, educational opportunities, and the opportunity for passive park uses.

Fox Valley Park District Pollinator Recovery Project (Fox Valley Park District): This project will expand pollinator habitat and food sources, while increasing regional native vegetation presence. The Stuart Sports Complex portion of the project will connect existing prairie by converting nearly 20 acres of turf grass into native wildflower-enriched prairie, which is crucial to the survival of pollinators.

Canoe Launch Access Road and Trail Improvements (City of Genoa): This project will provide a paved trail that connects Citizens Park to additional nature trails, native prairies, wetlands, and the DeKalb County Forest Preserve. The paved access road will also provide a better road surface for vehicles and pedestrians when accessing the canoe launch and adjacent amenities in Citizens Park.

Pollinators for Park Pointe (City of Harvard): This project will restore a portion of one of the city’s parks to a natural and native pollinator park. This project is beneficial in helping to promote an educational outdoor experience for the community as a whole.

Healthy Hedges to Replace Buckthorn – Old Barrington Road (Village of Lake Barrington): This project will demonstrate an alternative to buckthorn and encourage residents to do the same on their private property. Buckthorn is linked to declining populations of songbirds and the disappearance of native ecosystems. Removing and replacing buckthorn with native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers provides habitat to support wildlife.

Restoration and Transformation: The Making of a Local Arboretum from a Forgotten Park (Village of Lake Zurich): This project will direct resources into nearly eight acres of vastly underutilized village park to rebrand the space as a conservation arboretum, with a focus on oak preservation, invasive species, and the importance of pollinators. The Village plans to work with community volunteers and non-profit organizations to rehabilitate an abandoned walking trail and remove invasive buckthorn and huckleberry. Pollinator vegetation, picnic tables, benches, and three interpretive-learning kiosk stations with individual play-pocket areas will be installed as part of the project. The Village will also install a new entry sign for Kuechmann Arboretum.

Northwest Illinois Aerial Combat Memorial (Village of Lena): This project will support improvements to a local military memorial park, including the addition of an F-4 Phantom jet on a pylon as the park’s centerpiece. Other improvements will include brick walkways, trees, grass, bushes, benches, a flagpole, didactic placards, light standards, and a three-foot brick wall along the back.

Hastings Butterfly Path (Village of Lindenhurst): This project will enable public access to Lake County Forest Preserve District’s Hastings Lake preserves via a connective trail to be bordered by native plants. This pathway will benefit both the community and pollinators by extending the forest preserve’s green corridor.

Pollinator Habitat Garden at Terrace View Park (Lombard Park District): This project will transform an area of Terrace View Park into a pollinator habitat to educate visitors on the significance of Illinois native plants and the pollinators that inhabit them. Improvements include native plantings, an educational kiosk, and signage to empower visitors to partake in the conservation mission and vision.

Rock River Parks and Open Space Plan (Village of Machesney Park): This project will create a parks and open space plan for 63 acres along the Rock River in Machesney Park.

Kelly Park Accessible (ADA) Improvements (Village of Orland Hills): This project will provide access from the Kelly Park Walking Pathway to two new asphalt sectional pathways which continue to two paved gazebos/picnic shelters. Under each paved gazebo, new ADA-accessible picnic tables will be installed. The Kelly Park Accessible Improvements are designed to increase accessibility for all patrons to enjoy the park areas.

Ashcroft Lake Native Shoreline Restoration (Oswegoland Park District): This project will restore the exposed mud flats of a lowered lake water table, per village requirements. It will also re-establish emergent, water-level, and upland areas around the lake with native plugs and seed.

Village of Palos Park Pollinator Garden Project (Village of Palos Park): This project will convert part of Centennial Park into a pollinator garden, with emphasis on native plants that provide food and habitat for pollinators. An informational kiosk, benches, and water features will inform visitors of the garden’s ecological importance and create a relaxing ambiance.

Maine Park Pollinator Garden (Park Ridge Park District): This project will revitalize the main entrance to Maine Park Leisure Center and Preschool. Improvements include the installation of a pollinator garden with two educational signs and themed hardscape and native plants selected to attract pollinators. The intent is to provide a habitat for pollinator species utilizing a balance of host plants, nectar plants, and shelter plants, increase awareness and interest in pollinator gardens, and provide an educational opportunity for students and patrons through signage and potential future programming.

Parkways for Pollinators (Village of River Forest – Sustainability Commission): This project will transform resident parkways into native plant oases which mitigate flooding through deep root natives. It will also provide habitats for butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, expand the village’s Native Garden Corridor, involve families in fun planting activities, and educate residents about the benefits of natural garden and lawn care.

Village of Romeoville’s Wetland Pollinator Initiative (Village of Romeoville Parks & Recreation Department): This project will convert degraded wetlands and stormwater management basins into diverse native plant communities. These areas will expand critical habitat and food sources for pollinators, while increasing regional native wetland presence.

Round Lake Invasive Plant Remediation and Native Plant Improvement Project (Village of Round Lake): This project will remove invasive species and repopulate the area with native plants to create educational opportunities, enhance public spaces, and increase pollinator habitats.

Clock Tower Park Expansion (Village of Schiller Park): This project expands Clock Tower Park, which is located in the heart of Schiller Park. The expansion includes a pollinator demonstration garden, rain garden, playground equipment, and enhanced landscaping. The project offers residents additional leisure opportunities.

Otter Creek Bend Wetland Habitat Restoration (St. Charles Park District): This project will create a prairie ecosystem on a slope overlooking the wetland, providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife and greater public visibility of the wetland. It includes invasive species removal and native plant installation in portions of the 69-acre Otter Creek Bend Park.

Winfield Riverwalk-Wetland Restoration and Pollinator Conservation (Village of Winfield): This project will reform unused space into an enjoyable and accessible amenity in Winfield Township and includes a wetland/pollinator area. Located along the recently completed West Branch DuPage River Trail, the Riverwalk will be fully accessible and offer numerous amenities to all visitors and families, including educational opportunities and opportunities to enjoy the natural habitat.

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ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), a Fortune 100 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Statement on Illinois Tollway Decision to End Work on Tri-County Access Project

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – July 12, 2019) Today, José R. Alvarez, Executive Director of the Illinois Tollway, announced the agency’s intention to forgo completion of the proposed Tri-County Access project, an effort by the Illinois Tollway to further extend new highway development through northwest Cook County, Lake County, and McHenry County. The proposed route included the Route 53 Extension, the Route 120 Bypass, and the Lake-McHenry Corridor.

In response, Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann said the following:

“Openlands commends the Illinois Tollway’s decision to forgo completion of the Tri-County Access project in Cook, Lake, and McHenry counties. The proposed route of the Tri-County Access project would have directly harmed some of the region’s most scenic and valued natural areas, including Volo Bog State Natural Area, Lake County’s Liberty Prairie Reserve, Heron Creek Forest Preserve, McHenry County’s Glacial Park, and Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. We look forward to collaborating on the creation of comprehensive, complementary transportation plans that respect the health of communities, our region’s natural heritage, and the need to increase resiliency in a changing climate.”

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For Immediate Release: New Interactive Map Invites People to Get Outside and Explore Nature Across the Chicago Region

*** Free, Searchable Map Features 350 Public Parks and Preserves ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ─ June 19, 2019) Openlands announces the launch of the Openlands Get Outside Map, an interactive resource designed to help residents find out where and how they can enjoy nature and the outdoors in the greater Chicago region. The free, interactive map can be viewed at Openlands.org/GetOutside.

“Connecting the people of the Chicago region to nature close to where they live is fundamental to our mission at Openlands,” said Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President and CEO. “At a time when more and more Americans are expressing greater interest in nature, while believing they have less time and fewer places to enjoy it, we’ve committed to providing a way for residents to quickly and easily find places to explore the outdoors, right here near Chicago.”

With the Openlands Get Outside Map, users can discover opportunities to explore a canyon in Cook County; to try out mountain-biking in the Prairie State; to canoe and kayak through river rapids; to search for bison while wandering through a converted military base; to cross-country ski in the City of Chicago; to zip-line through forest preserves; to watch bald eagles hunt in the Illinois River; or to camp on the shores of Lake Michigan.

The Openlands Get Outside Map puts the user experience first, aggregating outdoors information for the Chicago Region into one convenient and easy-to-use tool. The map currently features information on 350 sites, ranging from national and state parks to county forest preserves to natural areas in parks across northern Illinois, northwest Indiana, and southeastern Wisconsin.

Users can filter by activities, such as walking, kayaking, camping, and biking; by site amenities, such as picnic shelters, education centers, and paved trails; or by site features, such as public transit access, equipment rentals, pet-friendly policies, and free programs. Users can also enter an address or zip code to find sites closest to them. Each site includes a list of benefits and activities, site photos, a link for directions through Google Maps, and links to event calendars and other information.

“There are so many options for us to experience nature close to home, and we want to reinforce the idea that you don’t need to go to Montana or Arizona or even northern Michigan,” said Brandon Hayes, Openlands Director of Communications. “So many people think nature around Chicago starts and ends with Starved Rock State Park, but that’s just not true. There are many dedicated land management agencies here in the region working to protect nature and inviting us to share it, and this map highlights those opportunities.”

Funding for the Openlands Get Outside Map is provided by the Grand Victoria Foundation.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Registration Opens for Summer 2019 Openlands TreeKeepers Course

*** Certification course to be offered at the Garfield Park Conservatory ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – May 6, 2019) Registration is now open for the summer 2019 Openlands TreeKeepers certification course. The TreeKeepers program, which Openlands began in 1991, has trained more than 2,000 volunteers to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s urban forest. Those interested should visit Openlands.org/treekeepers to enroll. The registration period closes on June 3, 2019.

Summer 2019 classes will be held from June 4 – June 27 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9pm. All classes are held at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60624. Weekday courses allow interested individuals with busy weekend schedules a chance to participate in the program.

The course costs $128, with a limited number of scholarships available. Each participant receives a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety glasses, gloves, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, badge, and t-shirt. Classroom lessons and fieldwork cover a broad range of forestry topics including tree biology, identification, planting, pruning, pests and diseases, soils, climate change, advocacy, and stewardship skills. TreeKeepers have helped Openlands plant over 5,000 trees across the Chicago region since 2013.

To become certified as a TreeKeeper, participants must attend all eight classes; pass a written final exam; complete practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledge to complete 25 volunteer hours within a year of graduation; and adopt public trees in a park or a parkway. After certification, TreeKeepers can host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, adopt trees, and help maintain public parks.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Announces Native Tree and Plant Sale, Free Native Species Landscaping Workshops

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ─ March 28, 2019) Openlands announces the dates of the spring Native Tree and Plant Sale, offered online and through a pop-up shop in Lake County. These native species are not generally available at traditional nurseries and garden centers. The curated selection being offered is chosen specifically for the plants’ landscaping aesthetics and suitability for private properties. Proceeds from the Native Tree and Plant Sale support Openlands programs in Lake County.

Online orders will be accepted Friday, April 5 – Sunday, April 28 at OpenlandsPlantSale.org. Openlands will operate a pop-up shop Friday, May 17; Saturday, May 18; Friday, May 24; and Saturday, May 25. The pop-up shop will be open from 10am-3pm and will be located at 31610 N. Almond Road, Libertyville, IL 60048. All orders over $200 are eligible for a 10% discount. Online orders are encouraged as prices are lower and the website offers a much larger selection than the pop-up shop. Online purchases are processed in the order in which they are received and are subject to supplier availability. All online orders must be collected during pop-up shop hours.

“The pop-up shop location is just down the road from our earlier location at Almond Marsh Forest Preserve,” explained Sarah Surroz, Openlands Director of Lake County Programs. “This new location allows us to hold the sale in a barn, so customers will have plenty of time and space to shop at their own pace even if it’s raining. They can also speak to experts and have questions answered. Openlands is especially grateful to a member family who is graciously allowing us the use of their farm for the pop-up shop.”

Openlands will host two “Beautiful Landscaping with Native Plants” workshops to introduce the basic concepts of native tree and plant landscaping. Two of the region’s leading landscape designers will teach the workshops. Participants will learn how to create a strong aesthetic while drawing from an attractive palette of native trees, flowers, and shrubs. The first workshop will be Saturday, April 13 with John Mariani of LandServe, and the second will be Saturday, April 27 with Dave Eubanks of Eubanks Environmental. Both workshops will be from 11am to 12 noon at REI, 901 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, IL 60061.

“These workshops will really be valuable to anyone interested in adding attractive native trees or plants, but who maybe don’t know where to start,” said Surroz. “Adding native species can not only help beautify your home or garden, but it is also an impactful way everyone can support wildlife and take meaningful action to address climate change, right at home.”

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Registration Opens for Spring 2019 Openlands TreeKeepers Course

*** Certification course to be offered at Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – February 6, 2019) Registration is now open for the spring 2019 Openlands TreeKeepers certification course. The TreeKeepers program, which Openlands began in 1991, has trained more than 2,000 volunteers to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s urban forest. Those interested should visit Openlands.org/treekeepers to enroll. The registration period closes on March 23, 2019.

Spring 2019 classes will be held from March 24 – April 18 on Sundays from 11am-3pm and Thursdays from 6-8:30pm. All classes are held at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 Willow Springs Road, Willow Springs, IL 60480.

The course costs $128, with a limited number of scholarships available. Each participant receives a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety glasses, gloves, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, badge, and t-shirt. Classroom lessons and fieldwork cover a broad range of forestry topics including tree biology, identification, planting, pruning, pests and diseases, soils, climate change, advocacy, and stewardship skills. TreeKeepers have helped Openlands plant over 5,000 trees across the Chicago region since 2013.

To become certified as a TreeKeeper, participants must attend all eight classes; pass a written final exam; complete practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledge to complete 25 volunteer hours within a year of graduation; and adopt public trees in a park or a parkway. After certification, TreeKeepers can host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, adopt trees, and help maintain public parks.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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Openlands Statement on MWRD Vote on Isabella Woods

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ─ November 16, 2018) Yesterday, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District voted on a proposal to grant an easement to the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways for District-owned land along the North Shore Channel. The easement allows creation of a road through Isabella Woods, a popular natural and recreational area in the local community. The proposal passed by a vote of 5-4.

In response, Openlands Senior Counsel Stacy Meyers issued the following statement:

“Openlands is deeply disappointed that the District Board approved an easement that rolls back legacy riverfront protections for the North Shore Channel.  This takes us in the wrong direction – it’s contrary to the commitment by the District and its partners in revitalizing Chicago’s rivers. As a landowner, this vote is a lost opportunity to affirm the District commitment to making Chicago’s second shoreline healthy, vibrant and accessible.  We are also saddened that Isabella Woods, such a community treasure of an old oak grove, will be laid to waste by this project. We commend those commissioners, including President Spyropoulos, who voted in favor of protecting the river and community resource.”

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Receives $1 Million MacArthur Grant to Address Climate Change in the Chicago Region

*** Two-Year Agreement Supports Openlands Urban Forestry Program ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ─ October 23, 2018) Openlands is pleased to announce a two-year grant to address climate change in the Chicago region. With the grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Openlands will plant new trees throughout the Chicago region, engage residents in their long-term care, and help cultivate advocates for the urban forest.

“Openlands is proud to stand with MacArthur Foundation in their commitment to address the global challenge of climate change at the local level,” said Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann. “Urban areas have the largest role to play in solving the climate crisis, and that work starts with community education and engagement. As residents of the diverse Chicago region better understand the benefits of trees to address climate change, it is more likely that they will support and advocate for investments, policies, and action towards the protection of the urban forest.”

The Chicago region is losing 13 million trees to the emerald ash borer. As these trees die, removal costs consume limited municipal forestry budgets, and there is no strategy or funding for replanting. In addition to planting new trees throughout the Chicago region, Openlands will expand outreach efforts in 10 Chicago community areas; engage and train residents in tree care through the TreeKeepers program; and advance grassroots advocacy efforts to protect the urban forest such as the Chicago Community Climate Partnership.

“We just got a major wakeup call from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that business as usual will push us over the edge of climate crisis in less than two decades,” said Julia Stasch, President of the MacArthur Foundation, while announcing the grant at the Openlands 2018 Annual Luncheon on October 18. “It’s time for the business community, our government, and fellow citizens to stop arguing about whether we have a problem and who caused it, and move forward with a pragmatic dialogue to solve it. One thing we can all agree on as essential in the fight to keep the planet habitable is the role of trees.”

The grant from MacArthur Foundation supports the recommendations of the Chicago Climate Action Plan, which emphasize the role of adaptive solutions to reduce the impact of climate change that are expected even as we reduce emissions.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Forest Preserves of Cook County Opens New Interpretive Trail

**Four interpretive nodes celebrate restoration at Deer Grove East**

CONTACT:    Stacina Stagner, Forest Preserves of Cook County, 708-771-1159, stacina.stagner@cookcountyil.gov
Patrick Williams, Openlands, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ­­– October 3, 2018) The Forest Preserves of Cook County, in partnership with Chicago-based Openlands, celebrated the opening of a new interpretative trail at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, September 29, 2018. New interpretative elements, such as signage and seating, were installed at four locations with in the forest preserve, each drawing the visitor’s attention to different basic nature themes: land, sky, and water.

“The Deer Grove East interpretative installations are meant to foster a sense of wonder for the Forest Preserves and nature as visitors use this site for walking, hiking, and biking,” said Arnold Randall, General Superintendent for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. “These interpretative nodes can help visitors understand that our relationship with nature requires balance, and they can help us become more in tune with the beautiful nature we encounter on the trail.”

“The amazing restoration project that you see here is the multi-year effort of the Forest Preserves of Cook County and Openlands to restore the wetlands that were here and a functioning part of this landscape for thousands of years,” said Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President & CEO. “Deer Grove East encompasses no fewer than six distinct habitats such as oak woodland and savanna, wetlands, and open water to name several. You’ll see and experience them all as you take a walk around the site.”

The four interpretative areas were installed along the forest preserve’s 2.8-mile paved trail. They each offer seating and rest areas away from the traffic of the main trail system. Design of the interpretative elements was funded by Openlands.

Since 2008, the Forest Preserves of Cook County and Openlands have partnered to restore Deer Grove East. Restoration of native ecosystems is a way to both provide habitat for plant and animal species, while also creating open spaces that help bolster local recreation and manage stormwaters naturally. Over 1,400 acres of wetland, prairie, and oak savanna habitats have been restored through the project. In 2017, portions of the forest preserve were enrolled as a land and water reserve in the Illinois Nature Preserve system, providing additional conservation protections and denoting the high-quality ecological restoration.

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Site and Event Photos available on request.

About Forest Preserves of Cook County

Don’t you sometimes just want to escape? Explore the natural beauty of Cook County for an hour, a day or even a night. When you’re surrounded by 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful there’s no better place to feel free.

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About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Peoples Gas to Be Principal Sponsor of Openlands’ Building School Gardens Program

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ­­– September 12, 2018) Openlands is pleased to announce Peoples Gas as the Principal Sponsor of the Building School Gardens program. The three-year commitment will directly support Openlands’ ongoing efforts to provide support and resources to Chicago Public Schools that have already installed gardens through the program.

Launched in 2007, Building School Gardens currently supports 58 Chicago Public Schools. Openlands hosts workshops for teachers, leads garden workdays for the school community, and works closely with leadership at the schools to create sustainable gardens and expand environmental education. Through this program, approximately 33,000 students are directly impacted by the school gardens each day in addition to the hundreds of teachers, parents, and community members.

“We are thrilled to support this initiative to provide students the opportunity to learn and play in an environment that encourages them to connect with nature and learn about it in a hands-on way,” said Mary Houpt Peoples Gas manager of community partnerships.

“A school campus is often the foundation of a community, and having a school with lush gardens and safe green spaces adds so much to a community’s sense of place,” said Openlands’ Vice President of Community Conservation Daniella Pereira. “Hosting workshops for the teachers, working with the students, and having support from families and school staff has been essential to building the relationships that make a green campus a true asset. We’re honored to be invited into these school communities and we are so excited to keep the work going with the support of Peoples Gas.”

About Peoples Gas

Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC), is a regulated natural gas delivery company that serves approximately 830,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the city of Chicago. You can find more information about natural gas safety, energy efficiency and other energy-related topics at peoplesgasdelivery.com.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Registration Opens for Fall 2018 Openlands TreeKeepers Course

*** Certification course to be offered at Chicago’s Welles Park ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – September 4, 2018) Registration is now open for the fall 2018 Openlands TreeKeepers certification course. The TreeKeepers program, which Openlands began in 1991, has trained nearly 2,000 volunteers to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s urban forest. Those interested should visit Openlands.org/treekeepers to enroll. The registration period closes on September 15, 2018.

Fall 2018 classes will be held from September 16 – October 11 on Sundays from 11am-3pm and Thursdays from 6-8:30pm. All classes are held at the Welles Park Field House, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave., Chicago, IL 60625.

The course costs $128, with a limited number of scholarships available. Each participant receives a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety gloves, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, badge, and t-shirt. Classroom lessons and fieldwork cover a broad range of forestry topics including tree biology, identification, planting, pruning, pests and diseases, soils, advocacy, and stewardship skills. TreeKeepers have helped Openlands plant nearly 5,000 trees across the Chicago region since 2013.

To become certified as a TreeKeeper, participants must attend all eight classes; pass a written final exam; complete practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledge to complete 25 volunteer hours within a year of graduation; and adopt public trees in a park or a parkway. After certification, TreeKeepers can host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, adopt trees, and help maintain public parks.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: The Openlands Annual Luncheon Addresses the Role of Conservation in a Changing Climate

***The Comer Family Foundation is the Conservation Leadership Award Recipient***

***Yale Dean Dr. Ingrid “Indy” Burke is the Keynote Speaker***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – August 16, 2018) The Openlands 2018 Annual Luncheon highlights the pressing need to study climate change around the world and find ways to take action using solutions based in nature and land conservation. At the luncheon, Openlands will present the Conservation Leadership Award to the Comer Family Foundation. For over 20 years, the foundation has been at the forefront of studying the effects of climate change and providing direct support to scientists who seek a deeper understanding of the planet’s climate.

The Openlands Annual Luncheon is consistently the largest gathering of conservation-minded organizations, volunteers, and elected officials in the state of Illinois with over 900 attendees expected. It will take place at the Hilton Chicago on Thursday, October 18 from 10:30am until 1:30pm. A networking reception begins at 10:30am, and the luncheon and program begin at noon.

Openlands acknowledges the Comer Family Foundation for its ground-breaking work as a global leader based in Chicago. The Comer Fellows are a group of climate scientists whose diverse work focuses on mountain glaciers, drylands, Greenland, and other sites to learn the history of climate changes of importance to the future. Through the Medill Comer Scholars program, a partnership with the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, the Comer Family Foundation empowers students who are committed to environmental journalism.

“Openlands is honored to recognize the tremendous support that the Comer Family Foundation provides to addressing the climate crisis globally and right here in Chicago,” said Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann. “Climate change is the most pressing environmental issue facing our region and our world, and the Comer Family Foundation is leading the movement toward finding meaningful solutions.”

Dr. Ingrid “Indy” Burke is Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She is an ecosystem ecologist with expertise in how the grasslands and scrublands of the world are influenced by land use management and by climate change. She has received over $20 million in grant support for research, and published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, books, and reports. Burke has served as a member of numerous national and international advisory committees related to environmental science and policy.

For tickets and sponsorship information, please visit openlands.org or contact development@openlands.org.

Media inquiries or members of the press wishing to attend the Openlands 2018 Annual Luncheon should contact Brandon Hayes at bhayes@openlands.org or 312-863-6260.

Sponsors as of August 1, 2018

The Openlands 2018 Annual Luncheon Emerald Sponsor is The Negaunee Foundation.

Platinum Sponsors are ArcelorMittal, Shaun and Andy Block, ComEd, Andrew and Jeanine McNally IV, and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.

Gold Sponsors are BMO Harris Bank, Christy Webber Landscapes, Liberty Prairie Foundation, Living Habitats, Harold and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation, and Peoples Gas.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: ComEd, Openlands Support Sustainable Communities in Northern Illinois with 26 Environmental Grants

*** More than $200,000 in funding granted to open space projects ***

CONTACT:    Hannah Mills, 312-664-0153, hmills@kivvit,com
Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – August 14, 2018) – To support the planning, acquisition, and improvement of local parks, natural areas, and recreation resources, ComEd and Openlands today announced grants from the ComEd Green Region Program to 26 recipients throughout northern Illinois. The grantees, which range from local municipalities to park districts and forest preserves, will each receive up to $10,000 to support open space projects.

This marks the sixth year that ComEd is partnering with Openlands, one of the oldest metropolitan conservation organizations in the nation, for the Green Region Program. Due to tremendous interest in pollinator conservation during the 2017 grant cycle, the 2018 ComEd Green Region Program again featured a special focus on projects that help pollinators like butterflies and bees. Illinois is home to thousands of native pollinator species, which provide critical support to our region’s flowering and food plant populations. Since the program’s inception, ComEd has awarded a total of more than $1,125,000 to communities in northern Illinois for environmental projects.

“ComEd is committed to powering a cleaner and brighter future for our customers and communities. By advancing green initiatives through the Green Region Program, we help enable grant recipients to transform their local communities,” said Fidel Marquez, senior vice president of governmental and external affairs at ComEd. “Our partnership with Openlands these past six years helps both the environment and helps our customers to enjoy their communities even more.”

ComEd and Openlands share a commitment to supporting communities across the region in their efforts to advance green initiatives. The Green Region partnership is one of the many ways that this commitment is realized. ComEd provides the funding for the program, and Openlands administers the program.

“At Openlands, we believe nature is vital to all people and that everyone should have access to parks, trails, and green space close to home,” said Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann. “ComEd’s continued support through the Green Region Program has brought this vision to life, allowing communities to invest in open space projects that bring joy to citizens where they live, work, and play.”

Earlier this year, municipalities throughout northern Illinois submitted their grant applications, and an advisory committee composed of county government officials and members of the region’s conservation community reviewed the applications.

Additional information on the ComEd Green Region Program can be found at www.openlands.org/greenregion.

The 26 Green Region grant recipients for 2018 are:

Planting for Pollinators (Arlington Heights Park District): This project will rejuvenate the shores and natural areas of Lake Arlington with vast amounts of showy, colorful wildflowers, soft grasses, and tree canopies, providing enjoyment to park users and increased water quality and habitat to wildlife.

Maple Crest Nursing Home Walking Area (County of Boone): This project will create a walking and exercise area for residents at the Maple Crest Nursing Home. An open space currently exists on Boone County-owned land north of the facility that will be modified with landscaping and prairie grass, complete with a walking path and benches.

Aunt Genevieve Pollinator Habitat (Village of Bradley): This project will support a multi-phase process to establish a pollinator habitat, natural playground, community garden, and nature area in a donated parcel of land in the central part of the Village. It will include raised beds to establish pollinating plants, adding to the community’s green space and ultimately serving as an educational tool for the local community.

Illinois Prairie Path History and Heritage Sign Initiative (County of DuPage – Division of Transportation): This project will install two educational and interactive trail signs. Each sign will highlight major accomplishments of the path’s volunteers who helped inspire America’s rails-to-trails movement, with the goal of reaching future generations of grassroots environmental advocates.

NeighborSpace: El Paseo Community Garden Expansion (Forest Preserve District of Cook County): This project will help to create an interpretive experience within the existing garden and along the proposed rails-to-trails path, El Paseo. The experience will include a permaculture site, prairie expansion, butterfly, bird, and bat houses, and beehives.

Ecological Restoration of Oakdale Nature Preserve (Freeport Park District): This project will remove invasive species from approximately 10 acres of native upland forest communities, which provide habitat for native plant and animal species, including cavity-nesting bird species and bats.

Pollinator Habitat Improvement Along the North Shore Channel (City of Evanston): This project will help establish pollinator habitat in public lands bordering the North Shore Channel: Evanston’s Ladd Arboretum, Harbert Park, and Twiggs Park. It will increase recreational and educational opportunities for the community, while providing critical habitat for birds and other pollinators.

Prairie Park Restoration (Village of Frankfort): This project will remove invasive species and encourage the return of native plants and pollinators. Public involvement will increase the visibility of the project, while educating visitors about the importance of native plants in the Frankfort area.

A Plan for Monarchs and Public Gardens in Glenview (Village of Glenview): This project will create four high-visibility, public monarch butterfly gardens that will expand and connect a growing habitat network throughout the Village of Glenview. In conjunction, a research-based monarch conservation plan and a supportive review of codes and ordinances will be completed with public participation, education, and events.

Pollinators in the Parks (Village of Grant Park): This project will expand butterfly and pollinator garden areas and introduce informational signs about pollinators and a seating bench area to the butterfly garden. It will also provide classes (pre-K to 3rd grade) on pollinators and gardens, as well as jobs for teens to care for planted areas and their pollinator inhabitants.

The Gathering Place (Village of Hainesville): This project will convert a deteriorated prairie into a “Gathering Place.” The Gathering Place will serve as a centrally-located area for residents and the public to observe and appreciate the view of native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers designed to attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Brierwood Preserve – A Migratory Monarch Project (Village of Hawthorn Woods): This project will extend the Village’s habitat restoration work to the adjacent public wetland area and connect to a new seven-acre, mono-culture wetland.

Pollinator Support Through Oak Restoration at Irons Oaks (Homewood Flossmoor Park District – Irons Oaks): This project will result in habitat improvement and pollinator protection. It aims to plant and protect young oak trees and educate visitors about the importance of oak forests for pollinator support.

Pilcher Park – Reinvesting in Woodland Ecosystem Management (Joliet Park District): This project will re-establish a 640-acre pollinator habitat, which will begin to heal the woodlands and enable wildflowers, grasses, and sedges to flourish once again.

Limestone Park Pollinator Bioswale (Limestone Township Park District): This project will convert a ditch that drains the Park District’s baseball diamonds into a diverse pollinator bioswale.

Pollinator Habitat and River Landing (Village of Northfield): This project will include the removal of invasive species and the planting of a native pollinator garden along a segment of the Chicago River adjacent to the North Branch Trail. It will improve the area with an ADA-compliant boardwalk and landing, with educational signage to immerse visitors in the pollinator habitat.

Pollinator Meadows at Oak Forest Commuter Train Station (City of Oak Forest): This project will establish pollinator meadows and enhance monarch butterfly habitat near Oak Forest’s commuter train station. Educational signage will serve to inform the public about pollinators and pollinator conservation, as well as provide links to additional resources available online.

Pingree Grove Forest Preserve Park – Butterfly Garden (Village of Pingree Grove): This project will create an inspiring butterfly garden to serve as a gateway entrance to the trailhead of the Pingree Grove Forest Preserve. It will transform the area of open grasslands and wetlands into a colorful oasis of flowers and natural habitat to attract pollinators to the plants and people to the park.

Riverside’s Nature by Design (Village of Riverside): This project will boost Riverside’s natural resources to become a destination for wildlife and wildlife watchers alike.

Riverwoods Village Hall Woodland Restoration Project (Village of Riverwoods): This project will promote the health of woodland pollinators via habitat enhancement and the education of remnant oak woodlands and rare northern flatwoods. The project involves enhancing nearly five acres of old growth oak woodlands and northern flatwoods by removing invasive shrubs and tree saplings.

Leading the Way: Enhancing Suburban Pollinator Habitats (Village of Trout Valley): This project will provide additional pollinator habitat in a heavily-developed suburban site by enhancing the quality of the buffer around an existing natural area. It will also install a monarch waystation that will showcase the benefits of helping pollinators in backyard habitat pockets.

Muingan Park Development (Village of Waterman): This project continues the development of an open lot into a community park. The final phase of development will include additional plantings, a pavilion, a sundial, and educational signs to promote STEM education. It will also resurface the walking path.

Tallgrass Prairie Restoration at Prairie Bluff Preserve (Forest Preserve District of Will County): This project will establish native plants and control invasive plant species. Additionally, the restoration will provide a feeding ground and buffer habitat for the federally-endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the adjacent dolomite prairie preserve.

Cedar Cliff Trailhead Pollinator Habitat (Forest Preserves of Winnebago County): This project will remove invasive trees and understory to establish a shortgrass prairie along a small creek. The goal is to improve pollinator habitat, allow visitors to experience native prairie, and improve site aesthetics.

Triangle Park Restoration Project (Woodridge Park District): This project includes 650 linear feet of stream re-meandering and the mowing of a walking spur trail from the existing asphalt path. Additionally, nearly two acres of turf will be converted into native plantings for pollinator habitat, with the construction of a half-acre of native wetland habitat from existing turf.

Ophir Park – Wetland Pollinator Planting Project (Zion Park District): This project will convert a previous playground and turf area into pollinator and naturalized garden space with educational signage and sitting benches. The project will create a more diverse habitat that provides pollinators with the resources they need to thrive.

About ComEd

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands TreeKeepers Summer 2018 Course Registration Opens

*** Certification course to be offered in Arlington Heights ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – June 20, 2018) Registration is now open for the summer 2018 Openlands TreeKeepers certification course. The TreeKeepers program, which Openlands began in 1991, has trained nearly 2,000 volunteers to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s urban forest. Those interested should visit Openlands.org/treekeepers to enroll. The registration period closes on July 9, 2018.

Summer 2018 classes will be held from 6-9pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 10 through August 2. Weekday courses allow interested individuals with busy weekend schedules a chance to participate in the program. All classes are held at Arlington Heights Public Works, 222 N. Ridge Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL, 60005.

The course costs $128, with a limited number of scholarships available. Each participant receives a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety gloves, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, badge, and t-shirt. Classroom lessons and fieldwork cover a broad range of forestry topics including tree biology, identification, planting, pruning, pests and diseases, soils, advocacy, and stewardship skills. TreeKeepers have helped Openlands plant nearly 5,000 trees across the Chicago region since 2013.

To become certified as a TreeKeeper, participants must attend all eight classes; pass a written final exam; complete practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledge to complete 25 volunteer hours within a year of graduation; and adopt public trees in a park or a parkway. After certification, TreeKeepers can host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, adopt trees, and help maintain public parks.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Summer Paddling Events Encourage Residents, Families to Explore the Lake Michigan Water Trail

Contact: Openlands, 312-863-6260, press@openlands.org

(Chicago – June 8, 2018) Openlands and Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Program announce three family focused paddling events, organized along the Lake Michigan coast in northern Illinois. These events will provide opportunities for kids and adults to explore and enjoy Lake Michigan this summer, and introduce them to the greater Lake Michigan Water Trail. Events will include beginner-friendly paddling experiences and water safety training. In addition, there will also be guided tours of natural areas and other family friendly activities such as fishing, provided by local partners. These events and all activities are free and no registration is required.

“Illinois’ northern coastal region is rich with opportunities for outdoor recreation,” said Catherine Buchalski-Smith, an Outreach & Engagement Specialist with IDNR’s Coastal Management Program. “In speaking with our many partners, we identified the need to develop free public programming to enhance opportunities for Illinois residents to connect with Lake Michigan in new and exciting ways. We hope that visitors to these events will enjoy their experience and return to the area to continue recreating along the shores of Lake Michigan.”

“The Lake County Nature Network (LCNN) is excited about the upcoming water trail events that will show many more members of our communities how much Lake Michigan has to offer,” said Susie Hoffmann, Lake Forest Open Lands’ Director of Education and LCNN representative. “The water trail not only provides recreation, but also allows us to introduce new groups to this ecosystem’s rich natural history and environmental significance.”

“We hope these events will help grow the already popular paddling culture in Lake County and expose new paddlers to the access points on Lake Michigan,” said Openlands’ Aquatic Ecologist Laura Barghusen. “The more access you can provide to the water, the more people will end up using water trails, and we know that greater use and appreciation leads to more advocates and stewards of our region’s water resources.”

The paddling events will take place:

• Saturday, June 30, 11am – 4pm, North Point Marina, 701 North Point Drive, Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096
• Sunday, July 1, 11am – 4pm, Illinois Beach State Park, enter on Wadsworth Road, 1/5 mile east of Sheridan Road, Zion, IL 60099
• Friday, August 3, 1 – 7pm, Waukegan Harbor, 55 S. Harbor Place, Waukegan, IL 60085

Additional information (also in Spanish) on the paddling events is available at PaddleIllinoisWaterTrails.org.

Following the paddling events, Openlands and the IDNR Coastal Management Program intend to host a series of public meetings to gather community input for the design and implementation of an approximately 10-mile stretch of the Lake Michigan water trail from North Chicago to the Wisconsin border. Water trails are designated routes along navigable waterways for paddling and recreation. Information about the planning meetings will be made public when it is available.

Support for the paddling events is provided by Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Program through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Openlands.

About Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Program

The IDNR Coastal Management Program is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environmental, economic, and social value of Illinois’ Great Lakes coast. Our program fosters healthy ecosystems and resilient communities by providing expertise, funding, and other resources that:

• Engage and connect communities with the Lake Michigan coastal region;
• Enhance coastal stewardship;
• Promote balanced use; and,
• Improve interagency coordination.

From local projects to regional initiatives, we support coastal-specific planning, education, conservation, and economic development efforts that are forward-thinking and responsive to community needs.

About Lake County Nature Network

The Lake County Nature Network is a collaborative effort led by several conservation and environmental organizations in Lake County, Illinois that serve to better connect our area’s Latino and African American communities to nature-based learning, science, recreation, and stewardship activities within Lake County.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Environmental Advocates Applaud Passage of Urban Agricultural Areas Bill in Springfield

Contact: Openlands, 312-863-6260, press@openlands.org

(Chicago – May 24, 2018) Yesterday the Illinois State Senate passed HB 3418 which identifies incentives that local governments may extend to farmers – such as reduced water rates, reduced utilities fees, and property tax abatements – to expand access to urban farming. HB 3418 passed in the Illinois House of Representatives on April 25, 2018 and now awaits the signature of Governor Rauner.

To help local governments expand access to urban farming and local food, HB 3418:

• Allows local governments to create urban agricultural areas, where beginning, socially-, and economically-disadvantaged farmers are operating urban farms;
• Allows local governments to abate property taxes on urban agricultural areas;
• Allows local governments to reduce water and utilities fees and rates to rate payers in urban agricultural areas; and
• Allows local governments to use TIF revenues to offset the costs of providing incentives to urban agricultural areas.

The following statement was issued by Laura Calvert, Advocates for Urban Agriculture Executive Director:

“We commend the Illinois legislature and in particular Rep. Sonya Harper for lowering barriers to starting and operating urban farm businesses. This bill will further stimulate our local food system by growing businesses, jobs, produce, and our economy.”

The following statement was issued by Rodger Cooley, Executive Director of the Chicago Food Policy Action Council:

“Representative Sonya Harper and Senator Mattie Hunter’s leadership were invaluable for getting this important legislation passed.  HB3418 will help open doors for urban farmers to supply healthy foods, grow valuable jobs, and revitalize land in communities needing extra support.”

The following statement was issued by Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council:

“HB 3418 will encourage urban farmers and bring the benefits of local food economies to communities across Illinois. We’re grateful to Representative Harper for her tireless advocacy on these issues.”

The following statement was issued by Liz Moran Stelk, Illinois Stewardship Alliance Executive Director:

“This bill will make farm dreams a reality for many urban growers. It levels the playing field for producers across the state to access and afford land. This bill reflects Rep. Harper’s vision for a vibrant local food economy. She has an impressive track record of developing and championing policies that support growers and get fresh, local food in communities.”

The following statement was issued by Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President and CEO:

“This is an important step towards improving equity, community health, and economic opportunity for urban farmers in Illinois. Urban farmers face unique challenges and barriers to access, so this bill allows local governments greater flexibility in addressing those needs. We sincerely thank State Representative Sonya Harper and State Senator Mattie Hunter for leading this effort in Springfield, and we urge the Governor to sign this bill.”

About Advocates for Urban Agriculture

Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) empowers urban growers to foster thriving communities through sustainable agriculture and equitable food systems. To pursue this mission in the Chicago region, AUA educates and trains urban agriculture practitioners; endorses best practices for growing operations; connects growers, consumers and resources through an active network; and advocates for urban agriculture policy at all levels.

About Chicago Food Policy Action Council

Chicago Food Policy Action Council is a not-for-profit organization that since 2002 advocates for food and agriculture policy promoting local, sustainable, fair, humane and healthy food for all communities.

About Illinois Environmental Council

Since 1975, IEC has promoted sound environmental laws and policies in Illinois. We encourage decision makers in the private sector to go beyond minimum standards to establish new environmental best practices. We credit those who lead, innovate, and inspire others to follow their example. Visit us at www.ilenviro.org.

About Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Illinois Stewardship Alliance is a statewide membership non-profit organization advocating on behalf of local food and sustainable farming. The Alliance’s mission is to cultivate a local food and farm system that is environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially just.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: This Arbor Day, The Morton Arboretum and Openlands Ask, ‘Waht’s Your Tree Story?’

***Launching April 27, Tree-mendous Tree Stories asks Chicago-area residents to share stories about the meaningful trees in their lives and communities***

CONTACT:    Patti MacMillan, 630-719-5768, pmacmillan@mortonarb.org
Brandon Hayes, Openlands 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org

(Chicago and Lisle, IL – April 27, 2018) Sweeping branches, lush green canopies, stately trunks soaring to great heights—trees are inspiring with their magnificence and their influence on lives and communities. In celebration of the Chicago region’s trees, The Morton Arboretum and Openlands are partnering to launch Tree-mendous Tree Stories, an online collection of curated stories highlighting people’s connections to trees.

Tree-mendous Tree Stories will debut on April 27, Arbor Day, a tree-planting holiday also dedicated to caring for and paying tribute to trees. Beginning on Arbor Day, people can submit stories about Chicago-area trees they cherish, remember from childhood, or honor for special meaning at their homes, in their neighborhoods, or at other favorite places.

Those who submit a story have the option of tagging it geographically and under a number of themes, including family, history, holiday, or travel. Contributors also have the opportunity to share a photo, video, and audio file to complement their story. Visitors to the Tree-mendous Tree Stories website can peruse an ever-growing collection of stories, with the ability to filter tree tales based on a theme, location, or type of tree.

In addition to enjoying the stories, visitors to the site can also find out how to get involved in tree conservation. The platform provides information about Openlands TreeKeepers, volunteers who work throughout the region to keep trees healthy, and showcases the Arboretum’s Woodland Stewardship Program, a training and certificate program for volunteers in natural areas restoration. Users also can learn about the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, a coalition established by the Arboretum and focused on coordinated action on key issues facing trees. Additional information highlights Openlands TreePlanters Grants, which provide new trees to communities in the City of Chicago. Tree planting and care tips are also among the resources available to visitors.

“Arbor Day is a fitting occasion to reflect on and celebrate the role and significance of Chicago-area trees in your own life,” said Gerry Donnelly, President and CEO of The Morton Arboretum. “Sharing stories about trees you love is a way to raise the profile of trees, and recognize and appreciate the good they do for people, communities, and the environment.”

“Trees are often one of the earliest memories people have with the natural world around them,” said Jerry Adelmann, President and CEO of Openlands. “They hold a special place in our imaginations and in our connections with nature. We’re excited to hear stories of special trees from our friends and neighbors across the Chicago region.”

Tree-mendous Tree Stories can be found at tree-stories.org.

About The Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized outdoor tree museum and tree research center located in Lisle, Illinois. As the champion of trees, the Arboretum is committed to scientifically-informed action, both locally and globally, and encouraging the planting and conservation of trees for a greener, healthier, more beautiful world.  On 1,700 acres are 222,000 plant specimens representing 4,500 different kinds of plants, along with specialty gardens, educational exhibits, the award-winning Children’s Garden, 16 miles of hiking trails and the Visitor Center, featuring The Arboretum Store and the Ginkgo Restaurant and Café. The Morton Arboretum is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, welcoming 1.1 million visitors annually and serving 46,200 member households in 2017. Learn more at mortonarb.org.

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Applauds Village of Elwood’s Decision to Remove NorthPoint Intermodal Proposal from Board Agenda

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – April 18, 2018) On Tuesday, April 17, Mayor Doug Jenco of the Village of Elwood announced a lack of support on the Village Board to approve a land annexation agreement for the proposed NorthPoint Compass Business Park, canceling the public hearing on the project. Per a March 2018 decision, the Village Board of Elwood now has until September 14, 2018 to make a final decision on the project.

The Kansas City-based NorthPoint is requesting to annex 675 acres from the Village of Elwood for the proposed 2,200-acre industrial facility between the small agricultural town and the northern border of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. At 2,200 acres, the completed facility would be among the largest intermodal complexes in the nation.

“Openlands applauds the Village Board of Elwood for listening to the vocal input of residents and making a great decision for their community,” said Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann. “The NorthPoint proposal ran contrary to decisions made by the local community over the future of their village. It would flood the area with over 50,000 additional cars and trucks per day, and dramatically increasing light-, air-, and noise-pollution. And in addition to diminishing the quality of life for people in an area, it would needlessly sacrifice thousands of acres of prime farmland instead of focusing industry in the most complementary and competitive locations.”

The proposed intermodal threatens the health of the region’s groundwater supply and would pollute local creeks; it would ruin globally imperiled wildlife habitat at Midewin; and it would divert scarce transportation funding from regional priorities such as improvements to Interstate 80 and the Des Plaines River Bridge. Further, the proposed intermodal would undermine comprehensive regional plans for growth, such as Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s ON TO 2050 plan, as well as nascent community agreements on comprehensive land use and transportation planning in southern Will County, which provide long-term stability and clarity as to how all the diverse land uses in the area can complement one another and thrive.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Space to Grow Wins the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award at the 24th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

*** Public-Private Partnership Recognized at LISC Chicago’s annual neighborhood awards event on April 5 ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(CHICAGO – April 9, 2018) Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago presented the 24th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) on April 5, 2018 to recognize and honor the top community development, real estate development and architectural design projects in the city’s neighborhoods. Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands received the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award as recognition for work on Space to Grow: Greening Chicago Schoolyards.

Space to Grow transforms Chicago Schoolyards into vibrant spaces to play, learn and be outside. Space to Grow is co-managed by Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands and brings together capital funds and leadership from Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. For more information, please visit www.spacetogrowchicago.org.

“On behalf of the Space to Grow partners, we want to thank LISC and CNDA for their recognition of this partnership,” explained Rochelle Davis, President and CEO of Healthy Schools Campaign. “Space to Grow is a unique collaboration dedicated to creating a brighter, greener, healthier future for our city. Each partner believes that schools are central to community life, making them an ideal focus for collaboration.”

“Space to Grow schoolyard transformations prioritize physical activity, outdoor learning, and community engagement,” said Daniella Pereira, Vice President of Community Conservation at Openlands. “The green schoolyards incorporate landscape features that capture a significant amount of rainfall, helping keep the city’s water resources clean and resulting in less neighborhood flooding. It’s a win for students, neighborhoods, and our city’s environment.”

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award recognizes a successful community-based effort to address the health of a low-to-moderate income neighborhood in the Chicago metropolitan area through creative and collaborative strategies.

“For more than two decades the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design have celebrated Chicago’s neighborhoods by honoring and recognizing the outstanding achievements in neighborhood real estate development, community engagement and neighborhood planning,” said LISC Chicago’s Executive Director Meghan Harte. “At CNDA we take a moment to really recognize and celebrate the creativity and accomplishments that transform our communities. Our neighborhoods are what make Chicago the unique city it is – congratulations to this year’s winners, you have inspired us with your vision and commitment.”

Established in 1995, CNDA was created to celebrate and honor the outstanding achievements in neighborhood real estate development, architectural design and community building, as well as the essential role that both non-profit and for-profit developers play in building healthier neighborhoods throughout Chicago. CNDA is the largest and most venerated celebration of the creativity and accomplishments that transform neighborhoods across the City. During the ceremony CNDA presented six community development awards, three Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Architectural Excellence in Community Design and two awards for personal achievement to individuals. All award submissions were extensively reviewed by teams of judges.

For more information about the CNDA and to learn more about this year’s winners visit, http://www.lisc-cnda.org/.

About Healthy Schools Campaign

Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making schools healthier places for all students. HSC believes that health and wellness should be incorporated into every aspect of the school experience. Founded in 2002, HSC advocates for children to have better access to nutritious school food, physical activity, school health resources and clean air to shape their lifelong learning and health. HSC facilitates collaboration between students, parents, teachers, administrators and policymakers to help prepare this diverse group of stakeholders to lead change for healthier schools at the school, district, state and national levels. For more information, visit healthyschoolscampaign.org.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

About LISC Chicago

LISC Chicago connects neighborhoods to the resources they need to become stronger and healthier. Part of the national nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation, LISC Chicago provides grants, loans, technical assistance and other resources to more than 70 partner organizations in low- and moderate-income communities across Chicago. When neighborhoods are connected to the right resources and work together to advance robust, coordinated community development plans, they are better positioned to participate in the region’s economic growth. For more information, visit lisc-chicago.org.

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For Immediate Release: The Community Foundation For McHenry County Awards Grant to Openlands at March Ceremony

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – April 2, 2018) The Community Foundation for McHenry County has named Openlands as a recipient of a $25,000 grant at The Foundation’s Spring Grants Breakfast held March 28, 2018 at Boulder Ridge County Club, Lake in The Hills, Illinois. This will support Openlands’ ongoing efforts to restore a natural area for Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. The grant supports woodland and wetlands restoration at the 11-acre Blackmon Tract in Richmond, Illinois.

Openlands is among 20 Arts and Culture, Education, and Environment services organizations serving McHenry County that received grants totaling $176,900 from the Community Foundation this spring granting cycle.

The Community Foundation for McHenry County connects the generosity of local donors with community needs through grants to organizations working to create a better quality of life throughout the county. Over the past five years, The Community Foundation has distributed more than $6.5 million to over 100 nonprofit organizations across all types of service areas within the community of McHenry County.

 “The Community Foundation supports agencies that serve our community in all ways, and today we can see some of those very special opportunities for service that truly touch thousands of individuals everyday”, said Robin Doeden, Executive Director for The Community Foundation. “Whether you attend a musical or theatrical performance, attend a gallery show, take a walk through McHenry County’s beautiful natural parks or participate in a training or educational program offered by any number of our community’s agencies. The Community Foundation has had a hand in making that possible.  We are honored to partner with so many agencies whose mission is to enrich the lives of our residents on a daily basis.”

The Foundation’s grant recipients underwent a thorough application and review process and demonstrated their agency’s needs, goals, reach and potential to The Foundation’s grant committee.

“Openlands thanks The Community Foundation for McHenry County for this essential support as we progress with the Blackmon restoration,” said Openlands Director of Regional Conservation Aimee Collins. “We are excited for McHenry County residents to see the tangible result of this grant when restoration of the site is complete. Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge will be an asset for our communities, increase recreation opportunities for families, and help protect the landscapes that define our home in perpetuity.”

The Community Foundation for McHenry County has two annual grant cycles, distributing funds to Arts and Culture, Education and Environment projects and programs as grants in the spring and to Health and Human Services projects and programs in the early fall each year.  Local nonprofits interested in applying for funds should visit www.mccfdn.org or contact Margaret Miller at 815.338.GIVE(4483).

McHenry County residents seeking to make a difference locally by contributing through The Community Foundation can contact Robin Doeden at robin@mccfdn.org or call 815.338.GIVE(4483) or visit www.mccfdn.org.

About The Community Foundation for McHenry County

The Community Foundation for McHenry County is a trusted leader, sponsor and participant encouraging philanthropy and welcoming partnerships to create a positive difference in the quality of life in all of McHenry County.

The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of McHenry County.  We work with nonprofit agencies within the county to help them fulfill their charitable mission and goals.  We play a key role in addressing community needs, opportunities and dreams – now and in the future – in order to help make giving as effective as possible.

We connect People who Care with Causes that Matter in McHenry County.

For more information, please contact The Community Foundation at 815.338.4483 or connect with us: www.mccfdn.org

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Begins Conservation@Home Property Consultations in Lake County, Illinois and Announces Native Plant Sale

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago ─ March 15, 2018) Openlands is pleased to announce the continuation of two popular conservation programs in Lake County: Conservation@Home and the spring Native Plant Sale. These programs continue the work of Conserve Lake County, the local conservation organization that merged into Openlands in January 2018.

Through the Conservation@Home service, Openlands offers a free, one-hour consultation to property owners in Lake County, Illinois who want professional assistance in identifying conservation-friendly actions for their property. Participants spend an hour walking and assessing their property with an Openlands ecologist. Based on the owner’s personal goals and concerns, they can learn ways to care for ecological features that might exist on their property; how to reduce stormwater issues; beautifully add native trees, flowers, or other plants; and create a healthy lawn for pets and children. To schedule a property appointment visit conservationathome.openlands.org.

Through the Native Plant Sale, the public can purchase trees, shrubs, flowers, ferns, and other plants for their homes and properties both online and at an on-site store.

The online store for the native plant sale is accessible at Openlands.org/Native-Plant-Sale. Openlands will accept online orders from Thursday, March 29 through Sunday, April 29. Orders must be picked up between May 18 and May 20 from 9am-3pm at Almond Marsh Forest Preserve, located at 32492 N. Almond Rd. in Grayslake, IL.

The on-site store for the Native Plant Sale will be open from May 18 to May 31 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays), 9am-3pm at Almond Marsh Forest Preserve. Plant experts will be available to assist shoppers at the on-site store.

The native species available at the sale are not available at traditional nurseries and garden centers. The curated selection being offered is chosen specifically for the plants’ landscaping aesthetics and suitability for private properties. Native plant species support songbirds, butterflies, and other local wildlife.

“These programs help Lake County residents who are looking to support clean water, rich soil, and resilient habitats on their property,” explained Openlands Director of Lake County Programs Sarah Surroz. “The Native Plant Sale complements the award-winning Conservation@Home program, which helps property owners support the health of people, pets, and wildlife while retaining their desired aesthetics features.”

Proceeds from the Native Plant Sale will support Openlands programs such as restoration of the Liberty Prairie Reserve, Conservation@Home, and regional advocacy work.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Registration Opens for Openlands TreeKeepers Course

*** Certification course to be offered at Chicago’s Washington Park ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – February 1, 2018) Registration is now open for the spring 2018 Openlands TreeKeepers certification course. The TreeKeepers program, which Openlands began in 1991, has trained nearly 2,000 volunteers to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s urban forest. Interested volunteers should visit www.openlands.org/treekeepers to enroll. The registration period closes on April 7, 2018.

Spring 2018 classes will be held on Sundays and Thursdays from April 8 through May 3. Sunday classes run from 11:30am-3:30pm and Thursday classes run from 6-8:30pm. All classes are held at the Washington Park Fieldhouse, 5531 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, IL 60637. The historic Washington Park is easily accessible to residents of the Woodlawn, Kenwood, Hyde Park, and Washington Park neighborhoods. The Fieldhouse is located one block east of the CTA Green Line station on Garfield Boulevard.

The course costs $128, with a limited number of scholarships available. Each participant receives a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety glasses, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, badge, and t-shirt. Classroom courses and fieldwork cover a broad range of forestry topics including tree biology, identification, planting, pruning, pests and diseases, soils, advocacy, and stewardship skills. TreeKeepers volunteers have helped Openlands plant nearly 5,000 trees across Chicago since 2013.

To become certified as a TreeKeeper, participants must attend all eight classes; pass a written final exam; complete practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledge to complete 25 volunteer hours within a year of graduation; and adopt public trees in a park or a parkway. After certification, TreeKeepers can host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, adopt city trees, and help maintain public parks.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands 2017 Annual Luncheon Raises Nearly $350,000; Examines the Vitality of the Region’s Urban Forest

***2017 Conservation Leadership Award Honored The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative***

***Emerald Sponsors were The Negaunee Foundation and Northern Trust***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – November 21, 2017) The Openlands 2017 Annual Luncheon examined the vitality of northeastern Illinois’ urban forest and raised nearly $350,000 for the regional conservation organization. Over 850 guests considered the opportunities and challenges facing the contemporary conservation movement through the keynote by Ed Collins of the McHenry County Conservation District. The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative received the 2017 Conservation Leadership Award.

“Since our founding in 1963, Openlands has worked to protect the rich lands and waters of our three-state metropolitan region, so that all residents have access to nature close to where they live,” said Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President and CEO. “We can only accomplish this grand regional vision through meaningful partnerships and collaboration, and today we celebrate those loyal and dedicated supporters.”

The Morton Arboretum developed and leads the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, a unique collaborative partnership of Chicago-area organizations including Openlands, to build a healthier and more diverse urban forest. The Chicago Region Trees Initiative is the largest such effort in the country, with leading national, state, regional, and local agencies working together to expand the understanding of the value of trees in the seven-county area.

“As a broad collaboration, the Chicago Region Trees Initiative recognizes the regional forest as a critical asset that needs our attention, protection, and action to ensure that each community forest is healthy and sustainable, and resulting in improved quality of life for all people,” declared Gerard T. Donnelly, Ph.D., President and CEO of The Morton Arboretum. “Everyone has a stake and role to play in planting and protecting trees, and everyone can have an impact, even if it’s one tree at a time.”

Complete video of the program can be found at https://openlands.org/the-openlands-2017-annual-luncheon.

The event was held on November 9 at the Hilton Chicago, and The Negaunee Foundation and Northern Trust were the event’s emerald sponsors. Platinum sponsors were Allstate; ArcelorMittal; Connie and Tony Bischof; Shaun and Andy Block; ComEd; Jeanine and Andrew McNally, IV; and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Gold sponsors were Bartlett Tree Experts; BMO Harris Bank; Bobolink Foundation; Boeing; Christy Webber Landscapes; Draper and Kramer, Inc.; Deborah Lahey; Liberty Prairie Foundation; Living Habitats; Mission + Strategy Consulting; Public Communications, Inc.; J. Timothy Ritchie; U.S. Bank; Ventas, Inc.; and West Monroe Partners.

The Openlands 2017 Annual Luncheon Committee comprised Jill Allread, Alan Bell, Shaun and Andy Block, Christopher Burke, Maureen and Scott Byron, Richard Carlson and Christina Benitez, Barbi and Tom Donnelley, Josephine Elting, Douglas Farr, Kay and John “Ted” Golitz, Scott Jamieson, Donna LaPietra and Bill Kurtis, Carrie McNally and Rick Maechling, Janis and John Notz, Andrew Otting and Laura Hohnhold, Steven Ricchio, Todd Schwebel, Lydia Scott, Hon. Debra Shore, Judith Stockdale and Jonathan Boyer, George and Nancy Sutherland, and Christy Webber.

Keynote Speaker Ed Collins is Director of Land Preservation and Natural Resources with the McHenry County Conservation District, administering restoration and land preservation efforts on 25,000 acres of open space. During his 31 years with the Conservation District, he has been involved in many major projects including the re-meandering of Nippersink Creek in Glacial Park and playing an instrumental role in the creation of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

About the Openlands Board of Directors

The Openlands Board of Directors comprises Jill Allread; Paul J. Anderson; Gary F. Balling; Paul L. Becker; Alan M. Bell; Shaun C. Block (Honorary Director); Richard J. Carlson (Immediate Past Chair); Bill Clarkin; Jonathan Copulsky; George W. Davis; Anthony T. Dean (Honorary Director); Garrett Handley Dee; Josephine F. Elting; Joseph Fedacsek; Marshall Field, V, (Honorary Director); Dean Fischer; Hugh D. Frisbie; Dinesh Goburdhun; Jonathan C. Hamill; Mark M. Harris (Vice Chair); Marilyn Jackson; Scott Jamieson; Leslie Jones; Iris J. Krieg; Carrie C. McNally (Chair); Molly Meyer; Andrew Otting; Wendy J. Paulson; Steven M. Ricchio (Treasurer); Jeffrey R. Rode; Joseph Russo; Charles Saltzman; Jo Ann M. Seagren (Secretary); and Patrick Shaw.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Statement on Reducing Protections for National Monuments

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – August 24, 2017) Today, the US Department of the Interior announced their recommendations to reduce protections for an unspecified number of national monuments. The Secretary of the Interior disclosed that he is recommending changes to a “handful” of monuments, but has not publicly shared any site-specific information.

These monuments were created through the Antiquities Act, and until today, no president has ever attempted to reduce or eliminate a national monument without achieving greater conservation goals. In doing so, the president has jeopardized generations of work by Americans who used laws like the Antiquities Act to protect our nation’s most cherished natural resources, wildlife habitats, and recreation areas.

In response, Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann issued the following statement:

“The lack of transparency is deeply troubling. National monuments protect ecologically unique areas, they enshrine our national history, and they preserve the heritage of indigenous nations. Though no monuments are being rescinded, significant reductions represent a failure to consider objects of scientific interest, such as biodiversity and cultural histories, as noted in the Antiquities Act. Our neighbors in the West supported us when we sought federal protections for landscapes in Illinois, so we are calling on our state’s elected leadership to show them the same support.”

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THE OPENLANDS 2017 ANNUAL LUNCHEON CELEBRATES THE CHICAGO REGION’S URBAN FOREST

***The Morton Arboretum and Chicago Region Trees Initiative are the Conservation Leadership Award Recipients, Ed Collins is the Keynote Speaker***

***ArcelorMittal, ComEd, Jeanine and Andrew McNally, IV, and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. are the Platinum Sponsors***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – August 17, 2017) The Openlands 2017 Annual Luncheon highlights the vitality of Chicago’s trees and the essential work that supports the region’s forest, which provides economic services, improves air quality, and beautifies neighborhoods and parks. At the luncheon, Openlands will present the Conservation Leadership Award to The Morton Arboretum and Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) for their leadership in protecting and improving the region’s urban canopy.

The Openlands Annual Luncheon is consistently the largest gathering of conservation-minded organizations, volunteers, and elected officials in the state of Illinois with over 900 attendees expected. It will take place at the Hilton Chicago on Thursday, November 9 from 10:30am until 1:30pm. A networking reception begins at 10:30am, and the luncheon and program begin at noon.

As the champion of trees, The Morton Arboretum is committed to scientifically-informed action, locally and globally, and encouraging the planting and conservation of trees for a greener, healthier, more beautiful world. The Arboretum, in partnership with Openlands, developed and leads a unique collaborative partnership of Chicago-area organizations, the Chicago Regional Trees Initiative, to build a healthier and more diverse urban forest. CRTI is the largest such effort in the country, working to expand understanding about the value of trees in the seven-county region. Together, the Arboretum and CRTI are addressing key issues facing trees, and producing funding, knowledge, skills, and expertise leading to meaningful improvements in the region’s urban forest.

“Openlands is honored to recognize the tremendous work accomplished by The Morton Arboretum and Chicago Region Trees Initiative,” states Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann. “The Chicago region’s urban forest is a critical asset that needs protection. Openlands, which has a long legacy of working in Chicago forestry, is grateful for the leadership and direction The Morton Arboretum has taken to ensure the region’s residents have access to a healthy urban forest.”

Keynote Speaker Ed Collins is Director of Land Preservation and Natural Resources with the McHenry County Conservation District, administering restoration and land preservation efforts on 25,000 acres of open space. During his thirty-one years with the Conservation District, he has been involved in many major projects including the re-meandering of Nippersink Creek in Glacial Park, the development of the first comprehensive spatial mapping of oak loss in the region, which inspired the Oak Ecosystems Recovery Plan, and most recently, playing an instrumental role in the creation of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.

For tickets and sponsorship information, please visit Openlands.org or contact development@openlands.org.

Media inquiries or members of the press wishing to attend the Openlands 2017 Annual Luncheon should contact Brandon Hayes at bhayes@openlands.org or 312-863-6260.

Sponsors as of August 16, 2017

The Openlands 2017 Annual Luncheon Platinum Sponsors are ArcelorMittal, ComEd, Jeanine & Andrew McNally, IV, and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.

Gold Sponsors are Jill Allread, Public Communications, Inc., Bartlett Tree Experts, BMO Harris Bank, Christy Webber Landscapes, Draper and Kramer, Inc., J. Timothy Ritchie, Mission + Strategy Consulting, U.S. Bank, West Monroe Partners, and Ventas, Inc.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Conservation Agencies and Organizations Dedicate New East County Line Conservation Area on Kishwaukee River

***Publicly Accessible Area Includes Canoe Launch***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – August 10, 2017) Multiple partners, including Openlands, Boone County Conservation District, and McHenry County Conservation District will dedicate a new 89.38-acre conservation area on a half-mile of the Kishwaukee River on Saturday, August 26 at 1pm at 7110 Boone McHenry County Line Road, Garden Prairie, Illinois. The event is free and open to the public. It includes light refreshments and a short program. Paddling on the Kishwaukee River follows the program; interested participants must bring their own canoes or kayaks and equipment including a personal floatation device. Parking for the new East County Line Conservation Area and canoe launch will be directly across the road at the McHenry County Conservation District County Line Road Access Conservation Area.

A six-way partnership included Openlands (which acquired the property before transferring it to Boone County Conservation District), both McHenry County and Boone County Conservation Districts, McHenry County Division of Transportation (McDOT), Marengo Township Highway Department, and Boone County Sheriff‘s Department. The project rebuilt infrastructure and provided new, safe recreational opportunities for residents. The property sits on County Line Road, the dividing line between Boone County and McHenry County, where a bridge dating from the 1920s had been closed for safety reasons since 2011. McHenry County Division of Transportation’s plans to replace the bridge created the opportunity both to create new water trail access to the river and help the Boone County Conservation District open a new public Conservation Area. Openlands allowed McDOT access to the property in order to rebuild the bridge. In exchange, McDOT installed a new public canoe launch, access road, and pedestrian link to an existing parking area owned by McHenry County Conservation District. In order to mitigate some modest impacts to wetlands resulting from the bridge construction, McDOT paid for nearby wetlands restoration and tree planting by Boone County Conservation District. Boone County Conservation District partnered with the McHenry County Conservation District to share facilities and reduce duplication of service. Funding from The Grand Victoria Foundation made acquisition of the land possible.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Fall 2017 TreeKeepers Course Registration Opens

*** Fall certification course to be offered at North Park Village Nature Center***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – August 8, 2017) Openlands announces open registration for the fall 2017 TreeKeepers certification course. The TreeKeepers program, which Openlands has been offering since 1991, trains volunteers to conserve, protect, and advocate for the region’s forest. TreeKeepers, who log over 20,000 volunteer hours each year, plant and maintain trees in public spaces, monitor tree-related problems, and educate communities about the importance and maintenance of the urban canopy.

Fall 2017 classes will be held on Sundays and Thursdays from September 17 through October 12. Sunday classes run from 11:30am-3:30pm, and Thursday classes run from 6-8:30pm. All classes are held at North Park Village Nature Center, 5801-D N. Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60646. The Nature Center, a 46-acre nature preserve and educational facility, provides public programming for all Chicago residents to explore and interact with wildlife and is home to prairie, savanna, woodland, and wetland ecosystems.

The course costs $128, with a limited number of scholarships available. Each participant receives a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety glasses, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, badge, and t-shirt. Courses include classroom and fieldwork, covering a broad range of forestry topics including tree biology, identification, pruning, pests and diseases, advocacy, and stewardship skills. Interested applicants may visit www.openlands.org/treekeepers to apply. The registration period closes on September 16, 2017.

To become certified as a TreeKeeper, participants must attend all eight classes; pass a written final exam; complete practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledge to complete 25 volunteer hours within a year of graduation; and adopt public trees in a park or a parkway. The College of Education at Aurora University will also offer two undergraduate or graduate credit hours for an additional fee. After certification, TreeKeepers can host volunteer workdays, attend advanced trainings, and adopt trees and parks to maintain.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Openlands Launches Website for Paddling In Northeast Illinois

***Online Guidebook is First Comprehensive Resource for Paddling in the Region***

CONTACT: Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312.863.6277, pwilliams@openlands.org

(Chicago – July 10, 2017) Openlands announces the launch of an online paddling guide for the Water Trails of Northeastern Illinois. The website provides detailed information on over 500 miles of water trails for non-motorized boating on 10 of the region’s waterways, and promotes paddling as an inclusive activity for local tourism and outdoor recreation. The free guide is available at paddleillinoiswatertrails.org.

“For more than 50 years, Openlands has partnered with many organizations to ensure our waterways are clean, safe, and accessible to the public,” said Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann. “Friends of the Chicago River was founded as a project of Openlands, we facilitate annual river cleanups around the region, and we host regular paddling events to foster greater appreciation for nature from the Calumet to the Kishwaukee.”

“This resource makes the region’s waterways more accessible to everyone, even individuals new to paddling who might not own their own equipment,” explained Laura Barghusen, Openlands Associate Greenways Director. “This builds upon our work and the work of our partners to make water trails inclusive and to allow people to explore some of the most diverse habitats in Illinois.”

The online guide contains detailed, step-by-step descriptions for over 50 trips throughout the region, with information on skill levels, trail length, directions, and equipment rental locations. Interactive maps are available for each waterway, indicating launch sites, dams, and the paddling difficulty along the trail. Paddlers are also encouraged to help keep the site up-to-date by reporting log jams, unexpected water traffic, wildlife sightings, and other significant observations via the comments for each trail.

About the Water Trails:

• Calumet Area Water Trails: These water trails connect paddlers to waterways of globally significant ecology while exploring the area’s industrial past. Open paddling is an option on Wolf Lake and Powderhorn Lake.
• Chicago River Water Trails: From Skokie Lagoons or Evanston on the Northshore Channel, through downtown Chicago to Portage Park on the southwest side, paddlers can experience wooded areas, huge skyscrapers, and areas of historical significance on the Chicago River. The Chicago Park District’s new boathouses enhance access to these trails.
• Des Plaines River Water Trails: The 95-mile long Des Plaines River begins in Racine County, Wisconsin and flows south through four Illinois counties. With multiple boat launches available in Lake, Cook, and Will counties, the river changes in character from a prairie stream to a large urban river, and then to a major industrial waterway.
• DuPage River Water Trails: The DuPage River is a small-to-medium sized stream flowing through DuPage and Will counties, with east and west branches that meet south of Naperville. The trails include peaceful, scenic trips for beginner paddlers and rapids for whitewater enthusiasts.
• Fox River Water Trails: The Fox River Water Trails begin at the Illinois-Wisconsin border, traveling south from the Chain O’Lakes into highly urbanized areas including Elgin and Aurora, giving way to more natural settings and many islands downstream in Kendall County. These water trails, which include multiple dams and power boat traffic, are trips suitable for all skill levels.
• Kankakee River Water Trails: The Kankakee River provides great opportunities for paddlers to experience high quality aquatic habitat. Many sections have a gentle current and wide, shallow stretches. The water trail begins just east of the Illinois-Indiana border and flows west to the Kankakee’s confluence with the Des Plaines River.
• Kishwaukee River Water Trails: This river’s watershed covers 1,257 square miles across six counties in northern Illinois. The Kishwaukee has some of the highest quality aquatic habitat of the 10 trails, offering chances for paddlers of all skill levels to view wildlife.
• Lake Michigan Water Trails: Approximately 23 miles of Chicago’s Lakefront are almost entirely open, with many boat-friendly sand beaches throughout the city. This trail is for advanced paddlers, and part of the multi-state Lake Michigan Water Trail.
• Nippersink Creek Water Trail: This water trail is an excellent way to experience the landscapes of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in McHenry County. With high quality wetlands and gentle waters, the Nippersink offers an easy and scenic trail.
• Salt Creek Water Trails: Salt Creek Water Trails connect DuPage and Cook counties. Open paddling is available on Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Busse Lake, and the water trail begins below the lake’s dam, passing through high quality natural areas such as the Dorothy and Sam Dean Nature Sanctuary.

Openlands developed the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trail Plan in 1999 in partnership with Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, Illinois Paddling Council, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and multiple local government agencies. Grand Victoria Foundation provided essential support for the implementation of the Plan.

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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For Immediate Release: Conservation Organizations Celebrate the Passage of the Natural Areas Stewardship Act in the Illinois General Assembly

CONTACT: Brandon Hayes, Openlands, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Matt Steffen, Illinois Environmental Council, 847-830-2057, msteffen@ilenviro.org
Gelasia Croom, the Nature Conservancy, 312-580-2175, gcroom@tnc.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – May 31, 2017) Today, the Natural Areas Stewardship Act was passed in the Illinois General Assembly after unanimous approval in both the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives.

The Natural Areas Stewardship Act allows nonprofit conservation organizations such as conservation land trusts to conduct needed stewardship and restoration projects on lands enrolled in the Illinois Nature Preserve System. By applying for existing state funds, conservation land trusts can assist local and state agencies in caring for the 600+ Illinois Nature Preserve sites that provide habitat to 20% of Illinois conservation priority species.

The following statement was issued by Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council:

“Open space provides real environmental and economic benefits to Illinois’ residents and should remain a consistent priority among decision makers. Conservation Land Trusts are experienced in managing natural areas, and therefore make an ideal partner for a public-private partnership designed to promote stewardship of natural areas.”

The following statement was issued by Michelle Carr, State Director, the Nature Conservancy-Illinois:

“Local land trusts act as invaluable stewards of Illinois’ natural resources. This legislation provides conservation land trusts access to existing funds for stewardship purposes. The Nature Conservancy commends Representative Tom Bennett and Senator Jason Barickman for their leadership on the bill.”

The following statement was issued by Jerry Adelmann, Openlands President and CEO:

“The Natural Areas Stewardship Act better protects the last remaining fragments of Illinois’ wildlife and natural landscapes. The Illinois Nature Preserves are living museums, home to tallgrass prairie, oak savannas, sandstone bluffs, ravine ecosystems, and hundreds of rare wildlife species. By accessing state funds that are already dedicated to protecting these natural areas, we can work with public and private landowners of nature preserves to conduct desperately-needed stewardship actions. Openlands sincerely thanks Representative Tom Bennett (R-106) and Senator Jason Barickman (R-53) for their leadership, as well as our many supporters who contacted their elected leaders in support of this bill.”

The following statement was issued by John Sentell, President of the Prairie State Conservation Coalition:

“The Prairie State Conservation Coalition has identified stewardship of our last remaining natural areas as the most important issue facing conservation today and well into the future. The passage of the Illinois Natural Areas Stewardship Act will go a long way to help protect and enhance these gems of Illinois Presettlement Landscapes by bringing private dollars to work with state dollars to provide stewardship to these sites. We thank Representatives Tom Bennett and Charles Meier and Senator Jason Barickman for sponsoring the bill.”

About Illinois Environmental Council
Since 1975, IEC has promoted sound environmental laws and policies in Illinois. We encourage decision makers in the private sector to go beyond minimum standards to establish new environmental best practices. We credit those who lead, innovate, and inspire others to follow their example. Visit us at www.ilenviro.org.

About the Nature Conservancy
Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy is one of the largest conservation organization in the world. Its mission is to conserve lands and waters on which all life depends. www.nature.org/Illinois

About Openlands
Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

Prairie State Conservation Coalition:
Founded in 2005, the Prairie State Conservation Coalition represents the 41- Conservation Land Trust in Illinois. Conservation Land Trusts strive to improve the quality of life in their communities through voluntary protection of land, water and other important natural resources.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BOBOLINK MEADOW DESIGNATED AS ILLINOIS LAND AND WATER RESERVE

*** Designation adds over 900 acres to Illinois Nature Preserve System ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – May 22, 2017) Forest Preserves of Cook County and Openlands announce the designation of Bobolink Meadow Land and Water Reserve by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission on May 9, 2017. The 918-acre reserve is owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and it is located at the junction of Interstate-57 and Interstate-80, near Tinley Park, Illinois. The designation follows nine years of Openlands’ restoration project management, which has been funded through the O’Hare Modernization Mitigation Account (OMMA). Restoration improved habitat for pollinators and more than 150 observed bird species, and included more than 300 acres of high quality wetlands adjacent to other conserved wildlife habitat.

“The Forest Preserves appreciate our partnership with Openlands, and their dedication to conserving and restoring land in Cook County. This project is helping us achieve one of our Next Century Conservation Plan goals of restoring 30,000 acres, in addition to adding to the amount of land that is designated as a Land and Water Reserve,” said Arnold Randall, General Superintendent of the Forest Preserves. “Bobolink Meadow is next to Bartel Grassland, which is also a designated Land and Water Reserve, providing the public with exceptional ecological diversity to explore right here in Cook County.”

“Bobolink Meadow is exemplary for Openlands’ strategic land preservation focus,” explains Emy Brawley, Openlands Vice President of Conservation. “Bobolink Meadow lies in a 2,400-acre network of pristine Land and Water Reserves. By identifying and restoring conservation areas in proximity to one another like these, we create the habitat on the scale needed for wildlife to thrive.”

Bobolink Meadow is adjacent to the 585-acre Bartel Grasslands Land and Water Reserve, and both are in proximity to the 898-acre Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve. It is home to the second largest bobolink population in Illinois, and it is among the state’s largest Land and Water Reserves. Through OMMA funds, Openlands has impacted 1,466 acres of Illinois Nature Preserves.

The Illinois Nature Preserve Commission promotes the preservation of these significant lands, and provides leadership in their stewardship, management, and protection. The Forest Preserves of Cook County currently has 23 dedicated Nature Preserves and four Land and Water Reserves. Openlands has assisted in the creation and restoration of more than 40 sites in the Illinois Nature Preserves system such as Glacial Park, Goose Lake Prairie, and the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve.

About the Forest Preserves of Cook County

Don’t you sometimes just want to escape? Explore the natural beauty of Cook County for an hour, a day or even a night. When you’re surrounded by 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful there’s no better place to feel free.

Connect with us!

fpdcc.com
facebook.com/FPDCC
twitter.com/FPDCC
instagram.com/FPDCC

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OPENLANDS TREEKEEPERS COURSE REGISTRATION OPENS

*** Summer certification course to be offered in Oak Park ***

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

(Chicago – April 25, 2017) Openlands announces that registration is open for the summer 2017 TreeKeepers certification course. Since 1991, Openlands has trained over 1,800 volunteer TreeKeepers to care for Chicago’s urban forest, identifying potential tree-related problems, and leading neighbors in tree planting and tree care.

Summer 2017 classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 1 through June 27. Weekday courses allow interested individuals with busy weekend schedules a chance to participate in the program. Tuesday and Thursday classes run from 6-9pm at Austin Gardens Environmental Education Center, 167 Forest Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302. Interested applicants may visit www.openlands.org/treekeepers to apply. The registration period closes on May 31.

The course costs $128. Tuition includes a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety glasses, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, TreeKeepers badge, and TreeKeepers t-shirt. This summer Openlands will provide five scholarships to local residents and current Village of Oak Park employees.

All certified TreeKeepers go through the TreeKeepers program. Certification includes an eight-day course with classroom and field components; passing a written exam, completing practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledging 25 volunteer hours within the year following graduation; and adopting public trees in a park or on a parkway. Two undergraduate or graduate credit hours are available through the College of Education at Aurora University for an additional fee.

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OPENLANDS RELEASES STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF MAYOR EMANUEL’S TREE PLANTING PROPOSAL

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

OPENLANDS RELEASES STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF MAYOR EMANUEL’S TREE PLANTING PROPOSAL

(Chicago – February 21, 2017) Statement by Openlands President and CEO Jerry Adelmann:

Openlands applauds Mayor Emanuel’s proposal to use unclaimed property tax rebates for tree plantings in Chicago. We wholeheartedly support efforts to reduce crime and enhance community wellbeing on Chicago’s south and west sides. Our urban forestry work has supported those goals for over 25 years. Tree plantings not only increase community greening, which has been repeatedly demonstrated to reduce crime and aid community development, but also can be strong drivers of job creation.

Mayor Emanuel’s tree planting allocation of $500,000 is a small part of the proposed $15 million property tax rebate. The Bureau of Forestry’s budget for tree plantings has been repeatedly cut, and under this plan, plantings of 20 trees will take place in all 50 wards, providing substantial public benefit:

• Trees in Chicago capture harmful pollutants such as volatile organic compounds and improve air quality;
• Children play outside 10% more in tree-lined neighborhoods, and have lower rates of ADHD and asthma;
• Trees provide a mentally restorative effect that decreases the incidence of violent crime by measurably improving mental health;
• They retain storm water to reduce urban flooding across the city;
• And trees mitigate the effects of climate change, which affects low-income and communities of color most.

This is a small, but vital investment in community development and public health that will yield significant results for all Chicago’s residents.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OPENLANDS TREEKEEPERS COURSE REGISTRATION OPENS

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

OPENLANDS TREEKEEPERS COURSE REGISTRATION OPENS

(Chicago – February 13, 2017) Openlands announces that registration is open for the spring 2017 TreeKeepers certification course. Since 1991, Openlands has trained 1,800 volunteer TreeKeepers to care for Chicago’s urban forest, identifying potential tree-related problems and leading neighbors in tree planting and tree care.

Spring 2017 classes are held on Saturdays and Wednesdays from March 18 through April 12. Wednesday classes run from 6:30-8:30pm, and Saturday classes run from 10am-2:30pm at McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd., Chicago. Interested applicants may visit www.openlands.org/treekeepers to apply. The application period closes on March 17.

The course costs $128. Tuition includes a TreeKeepers Program Manual, safety glasses, and upon graduation, a TreeKeepers certificate, TreeKeepers badge, and a TreeKeepers t-shirt. This year Openlands will provide five scholarships to local residents and current Chicago Park District employees.

All certified TreeKeepers go through the TreeKeepers program. Certification includes an eight-day course with classroom and field components; passing a written exam, completing practical exams on tree planting, mulching, and pruning; pledging 25 volunteer hours within the year following graduation; and adopting public trees in a park or on a parkway. Two undergraduate or graduate credit hours are available through the College of Education at Aurora University for an additional fee.

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OPENLANDS HELPS CITY OF WILMINGTON ACQUIRE NEW PARKLAND ALONG THE KANKAKEE RIVER

CONTACT:    Brandon Hayes, 312-863-6260, bhayes@openlands.org
Patrick Williams, 312-863-6277, pwilliams@openlands.org
(Media inquiries only)

OPENLANDS HELPS CITY OF WILMINGTON ACQUIRE NEW PARKLAND ALONG THE KANKAKEE RIVER

***Local Public/Private Partnership Is In Service of the Public Good***

(Chicago – February 8, 2017) On Tuesday, Wilmington City Council voted to finalize the acquisition of land on the South Island in the Kankakee River.  South Island is connected to downtown Wilmington by the historic Route 66, and the City has developed a vision for the South Island that increases open space and public use options.  The vision recognizes the South Island as a natural attraction that will draw tourists, support local businesses, and leverage Wilmington’s uniqueness in the region.  To support this vision, Openlands assembled the land from three separate landowners in 2011, and has held the property as interim owner since that time.  Owning the land now gives Wilmington flexibility and control in shaping the future of the site, and plans include developing a marquis gateway. Through working with Openlands, an accredited Land Trust, Wilmington was able to access grant funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to support the project.

“The effort to build onto and utilize a natural attraction like the Kankakee River, which was designated as a National Water Trail last year, will draw tourists, support local businesses, and leverage Wilmington’s uniqueness in the region,” said Mayor Marty Orr.

“Openlands is pleased to partner with Wilmington on this opportunity to advance open space and economic development goals,” said Openlands Vice President of Conservation Emy Brawley. “The City’s plan to increase open space and public use options on the island is good planning at its best.”

About Openlands

Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure, protect, and provide public access to more than 70,000 acres of land for parks, forest preserves, wildlife refuges, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens. For more information, please visit www.openlands.org.

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