Daily Herald opinion: Rethinking pesticide use at parks protects children, pets and planet

This editorial is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

A day at the park checks off a lot of boxes for suburban parents who want their kids to get fresh air and burn off some energy. Parents want to know that their parks are safe - and there's more to that than checking the equipment and making sure children don't wander off.

Most suburban parks are maintained with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to keep the grass green and weeds at a minimum. Some communities, however, are now rethinking that approach. And they should: The benefits of changing how we think about lush lawns and perfectly manicured flower beds could offer important protections for our children, our pets and our planet.

While some experts and the Environmental Protection Agency argue that registered pesticides can be used safely if directions are fully followed, that doesn't always happen. And there are concerns that some products used to battle unwanted garden invaders could cause cancer.

Advocates for pesticide-free parks say any doubts should tip toward safety. We agree.

Kit DiViesti, a 32-year resident of Arlington Heights, has been pushing the park district to go organic for more than a decade.

"We need to lower the chemical burden on the kids," she said. "If we can do that by going organic and having a few weeds, let's do it. Let's not fight about whether it's cancer causing or not cancer causing. Let's just not use chemicals where we can. It's all about taking care of the kids and taking care of nature."

The city of Chicago has made huge strides in that regard: Nearly 90% of Chicago parks are pesticide-free, our environmental reporter Jenny Whidden wrote earlier this week.

That percentage does not transfer to the suburbs, however, where many of us came to live to provide our children with safe neighborhoods and good schools. We should strive for fewer pesticides in our parks as well.

There are impressive efforts underway. Elgin has 12 pesticide-free park areas; Naperville has a number as well. Lisle, meanwhile, kicked off a pesticide-free program four years ago with Midwest Grows Green in four of its parks.

Now, Lake Forest is launching a pilot program at Everett Park. There, they'll use natural methods, including composting, to battle weeds.

Ryan Anderson, sustainable communities manager at Integrated Pest Management Institute of North America, told Whidden pesticides should be used a "last resort." When home gardeners and park districts do use them, they should be applied carefully and precisely - not sprayed widely over grass where children picnic and play.

If we can battle weeds without controversial chemicals, we owe it to our families - and our planet's future - to try.