Your news: Work on Baker’s Lake savannah recognized

More than 120 people attended the Conservation and Native Landscaping Awards ceremony held at the Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago. The awards recognize exemplary natural landscaping, conservation development, and ecosystem protection sites and projects.

Susan Hedman, regional administrator for U.S. EPA Region 5, opened this special event and welcomed the diverse group of local government representatives, park districts, forest preserve districts, landscape contractors, volunteer stewards and other shining lights of the conservation community.

The Baker’s Lake savannah restoration in Barrington was an award recipient. Citizens for Conservation, with a contract from the village of Barrington, initiated restoration of the 17-acre preserve in 1988. Baker’s Lake savannah is now a spectacular showplace of over 125 species of woodland wildflowers, including the rare Lespedeza violacea, violet bush-clover.

For 22 years volunteers have spent thousands of hours collecting seed, removing invasive brush and conducting prescribed burns at the preserve. The work continues and CFC welcomes new volunteers.

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