Winter, Nature, Gardens and Conservation in the Chicago Area

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 and Chicago Wilderness today announced the recipients of their annual Conservation and Native Landscaping Awards.

“The Conservation and Native Landscaping Awards are a celebration of conservation excellence: the recipients are inspiring examples of passionate and hardworking stewards committed to restoring and enhancing the health of nature in our region,” said Melinda Pruett-Jones, executive director of Chicago Wilderness.

The awards recognize park districts, forest preserve districts, nonprofit organizations, local governments and corporations for exemplary natural landscaping, ecological restoration and conservation design projects. These practices create and protect habitat for a variety of native plant and animal species and result in important environmental benefits for both people and nature.

The winners were recognized on December 11, 2012, at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Alsdorf Auditorium. The award recipients for outstanding conservation, native landscaping and sustainable design projects during 2012 are (project name, project manager):

• Gaslight Park Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary, Village of Algonquin
• Nature Trails, Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• Henry Palmisano Park, Chicago Park District
• Sherman Park Lagoon Restoration, Chicago Park District
• Bergman Slough Land and Water Reserve, Forest Preserve District of Cook County
• McMahon Fen Nature Preserve, Forest Preserve District of Cook County
• Iroquois Sands, Friends of the Kankakee
• Heatherwood Estates Pond, Heatherwood Estates Homeowners Association
• Red Mill Park Great Lakes Ecosystem Restoration, LaPorte County Parks
• Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo
• Loyola Academy Wetland Restoration, Loyola Academy
• Naper Settlement Stormwater Management Improvements, City of Naperville
• Niles Community Rain Garden and Prairie Plant Project, Village of Niles

Conservation Developments were awarded to the following (project name, project managers):