Celebrate Earth Day with Palatine Parks
In celebration of Earth Day, Palatine Park District is hosting a community clean-up and planting event at the bike trail near Plum Grove Reservoir, located on the Harper College Campus, in Palatine. This event is open to the community and will be held from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, April 23.
Individuals and community groups are invited to volunteer to help clear debris around the reservoir and along the Palatine Bike Trail. Volunteers will also be planting native plants, shrubs and trees during the event.
According to Palatine Park District's Horticulture Foreman Corey Zak, "We have a large scale invasive plant management program started in the parks to remove teasel and get native grasses, plants and trees reestablished in that area. Volunteer help in establishing native plants will be integral in having native plants in place to start reproducing and filling in the gaps left by the removal of the teasel."
Native plants that will be reintroduced include native Oak trees, a native wetland shrub called Buttonbush, a native dry/open land shrub called Shining Sumac, two species of Milkweed, and a native plant called False Blue Indigo.
Additionally, the Palatine Park District Environmental Committee will be handing out 150 tree saplings that volunteers can take home in commemoration of Palatine's 150th birthday celebration. Volunteers from area scout troops, employees from the Palatine Target store, and employees from the Bank of America branch, on Golf Road in Rolling Meadows, have already registered to give back to the community during this environmental event.
Volunteers should wear work gloves, comfortable closed-toed shoes, and long pants. Goody bags will be available for the first 100 people, along with free raffle entries, water and snacks. Volunteers should meet in the Plum Grove Picnic Shelter located east of Parking Lot 5 on the Harper College Campus.
ConservFS, a provider of fertilizer and seed that Palatine Park District works with throughout the year, has donated work gloves and raffle items to this year's Trail Clean Up Event.
To join the Trail Clean Up, contact Joshua Ludolph at (847) 496-6242 or jludolph@palatineparks.org.
Earth Day is an annual celebration of events worldwide which are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.
The mission of Palatine Park District is to provide a variety of safe, enjoyable and affordable parks, programs and recreational facilities that will enhance the quality of life by promoting good health and well-being for all residents and visitors while being fiscally responsible stewards of community assets and tax dollars.