Elgin nature walk offers a lesson in history

About 30 people stepped back in time Sunday to explore a part of Elgin that progress has bypassed and dedicated naturalists have kept alive.

The Friends of Trout Park nature group led 90-minute wildflower walks through the glacier gouged natural area on the city's north side, where visitors saw the rare trees and natural flowers that the group strives to protect.

"People have interfered way too much with our natural areas," said guide Susan Bohn. "We've carved them down to postage-stamp size."

Bohn explained that the city-owned Trout Park Nature Preserve is one of only three places where the white cedar tree still grows naturally, and several spring flowers such as hepatica, marsh marigold, bloodroot and trout lily, cover the forest floor before the trees leaf out.

Bohn told a group of visitors about how the park was formed, starting with Ice Age glaciers that carved the landscape and provided the perfect place for the rare plants that still survive there.

The area was first threatened when an amusement park was built on the west end of the park, near the Fox River, for weekend visitors who rode the train from Chicago. Later, in the 1950s, the nearby tollway road took a toll on the area, and created the northern border of the park. Today, the main struggle is with invasive plants.

Trout Park Nature Preserve is located off Route 25 on Trout Park Boulevard and Sherwood Avenue. The Friends of Trout Park have been guiding the free walks since 1981.