Fox Valley Park District's mission is to fill parks with new trees

The trees have performed another undress rehearsal, shedding their leaves for the season in preparation for their winter nap.

Before they go dormant, however, many will have new companions taking root alongside - at least those lucky trees that reside in any of the Fox Valley Park District's 152 parks.

By the end of this month, the park district will complete another highly productive fall planting season that has seen crews put more than 800 new trees into the ground. But that's only one third of the story.

In 2008, the park district launched its innovative "Plant 1,000 Trees" initiative. It seemed a lofty goal, and it was. At the same time, the project was so well-received that officials decided to make it even bigger and better.

So the bar was raised. When crews finally put away their spades and shovels after Thanksgiving, they will have planted 1,500 trees in 2009. For those scoring at home, that's 2,500 new trees that have been planted within our parks and natural areas in Aurora, North Aurora and Montgomery over the last 20 months.

While that means a lot more leaf-mulching, branch-trimming and watering, the beauty and benefits far outweigh the added maintenance. Trees are community assets that improve air quality, protect our water, save energy and improve environmental sustainability.

Aesthetically, they're darn good looking with an easygoing nature, and a great friend to have on a hot, sunny day.

The park district plants a variety of native trees that are best-suited for a particular location. One major incentive has been to plant naturalized "buffer zones" around the district's 24 lakes and up and down its 11 miles of Fox River shoreline.

These buffer zones enhance aquatic health by reducing runoff and erosion and ensuring groundwater supplies are replenished. Working as pollution filters, trees also aid in keeping lakes cooler, which benefits fish populations.

Since these areas are more prone to flooding, the District plants trees suited to these areas, including red maple, sycamore, cypress and swamp white oak trees.

A second area of emphasis has been to plant trees in and around the district's 45 ball fields. District staff have gone so far as to study Google Earth images to pinpoint where people congregate and then plant trees accordingly to best provide shady areas for fans and players.

So when you see an assortment of maple, oak, horse chestnut and Kentucky coffee trees at the next ballgame, you'll know why they are there.

New parks - which often begin as open spaces barren of tree cover - also have seen plenty of new residents in the form of oak, pine, maple and locust trees. New trees have a magical way of transforming landscapes instantly.

More than one-third of the 2,500 new trees come from the Park District's nurseries at Barnes Road, Blackberry Farm and the Stuart Sports Complex. These homegrown beauties are helping to convert our towns into urban forests. Additionally, more than 200 volunteers from Cavalry Church and local Boy Scout troops take part in the planting annually.

"Fifteen hundred trees again next year," said Bill Donnell, director of Park Operations and Natural Resources. "With 2,300 acres of parkland and open space, we'll keep finding more places."

Now that's seeing the forest for the trees.

• Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net