Volunteers dig in to help Fitchie Creek preserve regain its past

Fitchie Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin isn't exactly new.

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County bought some of the land in the early 1990s, and a large chunk in 2000.

But officials had a "grand opening" Saturday morning to mark the completion of many amenities they say will make the 373-acre preserve much more user-friendly.

And it prompted at least 200 volunteers to do some dirty work in celebration of Earth Day.

"We're trying to recreate the oak savanna that was lost here," said Drew Ullberg, the district's natural resources director. Before people started turning it into farmland in the early- to mid-1800s, about 30 acres near Nesler Road was filled with white and bur oaks, according to Ullberg.

At Saturday's festivities, Alex Lopez of Glendale Heights was there with his wife and two young daughters, enjoying a family activity with lasting impact.

"In about 50 years, I want to drive back with my two daughters and my grandchildren and say, 'Look we planted this,'" he said.

For Ryan Green, 7, of Geneva, it was about the planet. "We're giving back to the Earth," he said.

Volunteers dug holes in furrows that were about 18 feet apart. They placed saplings every 8 feet, then firmly tamped the ground around the saplings' root collars.

The goal was to plant about 6,000 saplings at Fitchie. The Elgin chapter of the Izaak Walton League, a conservation group, donated $300 for the effort. (The district also gave away saplings). That sounds like a lot, but only about 25 percent will survive 10 years, Ullberg said.

Fitchie Creek's main entrance is on Russell Road. New amenities include parking lots, trails, restrooms, interpretive signs and shelters. There also are restored prairie areas, horse-riding trails and multiuse trails.