Budget & Appropriations Hearing on January 13
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Budget & Appropriations Hearing on January 13
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PARK DISTRICT INFORMATION

Sustainability & Green Initiatives

Sustainability Plan banner image

The Wilmette Park District adopted their inaugural Sustainability Plan in April 2024. The Plan outlines 72 objectives, intentionally organized into five categories: District Operations, Education Initiatives, Energy and Emissions, Land Stewardship and Waste Management.

  • View the April 2024 Sustainability Plan presentation to the Board of Park Commissioners here.
  • View the Plan development project web page here

Explore Our Green Initiatives

 

Dive into our initiatives below for information of interest and to learn how the Wilmette Park District strives to blend environmentally-friendly practices with the joys of outdoor recreation. From conservation projects to energy-efficiency upgrades, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey toward a greener, healthier, and more vibrant Wilmette!

Land Stewardship

Native Habitats
Our aim at the Wilmette Park District is to not only increase and enhance our natural areas but also to preserve the beneficial existing trees and shrubs that grace our community.

Across all 17 parks within the District, you’ll find a rich array of diverse plants and wildlife. These elements play a crucial role in maintaining and supporting the varied ecosystems present throughout Wilmette. As stewards of these natural resources, we are committed to fostering a deeper connection between our community and the environment, inviting patrons to explore, learn, and appreciate the beauty and significance of our local ecosystems.

Sustainable Stormwater Management
Sustainable stormwater management, also called green infrastructure, aims to reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality through natural hydrologic cycles. This includes site grading, vegetation, and natural processes that aid in the absorption and filtration of stormwater.

The Wilmette Park District utilizes sustainable stormwater management practices through the installation of rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements. Rain gardens and bioswales can be found at Shorewood Park, Hibbard Park, Wilmette Golf Club, and Keay Nature Center. Permeable pavement can be found at Keay Nature Center.

Tree Inventory
The Wilmette Park District began inventorying the trees on our land in 2021. The inventory records various characteristics, including, but not limited to, location, park type, tree status, tree type, size, risk level, condition, native status and arborist recommendations, all using GIS software. This inventory enables Park District staff to monitor trees without the need to travel to each location, aids in planning tree maintenance, and facilitates the development of landscape plans. As of April 2024, there were 3,610 trees inventoried on Park District land.

What Are Invasive Species?
Invasive species are plants that were once introduced to an ecosystem where they do not naturally belong. These species are harmful to the environment because they can often have rapid reproduction rates and lack natural population control methods. Therefore, they spread very quickly and freely, often outcompeting and choking out beneficial, native plant species.

The District’s Parks and Planning Department works hard to continually monitor and remove invasive species to help keep our parks’ ecosystems healthy and thriving.

Native Landscapes
Click each box below to learn all about Wilmette Park District’s
distinct native landscapes:

Keay Nature Center

Keay Nature Center, located at the corner of Skokie Boulevard and Hibbard Road, is a nature park featuring a winding path, water feature, and myriad native plants.

When visiting Keay, you will be met with a plethora of flora and fauna, including various native habitat gardens. Gardens within Keay Nature Center include rain gardens for greater water absorption and filtration, and native woodland, wetland and prairie gardens. A variety of animals can be found throughout the park. Consider checking out the pond located at the southwest end of the park to see fish, geese, ducks and more!

If you find yourself in Keay Nature Center in the spring, you can see native ephemerals such as Prairie Trillium, White Trillium Mayapples, Trout Lillies, and Virginia Bluebells. Come summertime, you will find Black-Eyed Susans, Joe-Pye weed, Goldenrods, Purple Coneflowers, Nodding Onions, Culvert’s Root, and various Milkweed and Aster species. Additionally, the tree collection at Keay features native trees such as Northern Catalpa, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, White Pine, Hackberry, and Redbud.

Gillson Bird Habitat

In 2015, the Park District secured a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Ouilmette Foundation to establish a bird habitat in Gillson Park. In 2016, with the support of the community, over 250 volunteers and a landscape designer, they successfully planted 20,000 plants in Gillson Park, creating a welcoming haven for migrating birds.

Wilmette’s beautiful lakefront plays a crucial role for migrating birds. Over 325 bird species make round-trip flights annually utilizing the Mississippi Flyway, which comprises the Great Lakes region, to reach their breeding grounds up north. These birds travel at night, and as the sun rises, they need a spot to rest and refuel. If they find themselves over the water, finding land becomes a necessity.

Once they land, the birds require a suitable habitat with the right shelter and food. The ideal habitat provides variety in terms of height and ground litter– something that migrating bird habitats naturally offer. For sustenance, they rely on caterpillars and bugs, which thrive in areas with native plants. These caterpillars are quite selective about their diet, and only consume plant material native to the area.

To learn more about the birds traveling through our region, visit Audubon’s Bird Migration Explorer.

Centennial Prairie Garden

 

The Wilmette Park District developed a Native Illinois prairie garden within the detention area located at the north end of Centennial Park. 

Seed plantings began in the fall of 2010. Now established, the garden attracts numerous birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

To learn more about Centennial Prairie Garden, go here

Mallinckrodt Gardens

The Mallinckrodt gardens were initially established in the fall of 2007, when the Park District acquired the property. The garden was revitalized in 2015, when the soil was amended and supplemental plantings were added. There are a wide variety of plants at Mallinckrodt, including native species such as Black-Eyed Susans, Joe-Pye weed, Goldenrods, Purple Coneflowers, and various Milkweed species.

Community Gardens

The Wilmette Park District offers community garden plots in two locations:

Centennial Park, adjacent to the Centennial Recreation Complex near the intersection of Old Glenview and Hibbard Roads. There are 69 plots at Centennial Park.

West Park, located at 3555 Lake Avenue. There are 85 plots at West Park.

To learn more about Wilmette Park District’s garden plots, go here

Wilmette Golf Club

The Wilmette Golf Club employs a variety of environmentally-sustainable landscaping practices. Natural areas on the course include three acres of low/no-mow area; a one-acre bioswale; and six acres of water habitat.

Our Golf Club attempts to conserve water whenever possible. The course utilizes two 800-foot wells and a reservoir for irrigation and maintenance water. Additionally, the driving range (5 acres) is not watered in the summer to save water for more crucial areas.

Energy and Emissions

 

LED Lighting
The Wilmette Park District continues to transition its lighting to LEDs for both indoor and outdoor lighting installations. The transition of interior lighting to LEDs is 72.66% complete has been funded with the help of ComEd rebates that have covered an estimated 50% of the process. LED lighting uses at least 75% less energy and lasts 25x longer than traditional incandescent lighting, therefore saving District money and reducing the energy demand from our facilities.

Electric Equipment
The District began the transition to electric equipment in 2022 and has continued to replace end-of-use gas-powered equipment with electric alternatives. Current electric equipment includes a van, hand-held tools, mowers, backpack blowers, chainsaws, pole saws, line trimmers, and 70 electric customer golf carts at the Wilmette Golf Club. Electric-powered equipment is environmentally conscious due to the reduction in associated emissions, and parkgoers benefit from their quieter operation.

EV Charging
The Wilmette Park District has three charging stations available for public use. Charging at these stations is free, and consecutive use is limited to three hours. Please note that only electric vehicles may park in designated EV charging station spaces, and unauthorized use by non-EVs is prohibited by Illinois Vehicle Code (ILCS 625 ILCS 5/11-1308). The District’s EV charging station locations are:

  • West Park, 513 Lake Ave., Wilmette
  • The Community Recreation Center, 3000 Glenview Rd.
  • Wilmette Golf Club, 3900 Fairway Dr.

Resources

Sustainability Resources

 

 

Park and Recreation Agencies

National Recreation and Park Association
National nonprofit that assists Park and Recreation Agencies

 

Illinois Association of Park Districts

State-wide nonprofit that provides services to Park and Recreation Agencies

National Park Service
Government agency that manages the country’s national parks

 

Waste and Recycling

Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County Intergovernmental agency for recycling, waste, and composting education and resources

Illinois Recycling Foundation and Illinois Recycling Association Nonprofit state-wide coalition of recycling professionals

Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition State-wide nonprofit focused on food waste diversion and composting

Natural Resources

Forest Preserves of Cook County Governmental commission that owns and manages land

Morton Arboretum Botanical garden and research center in the Chicagoland area

Friends of the Chicago River
Nonprofit organization focused on restoration of the Chicago River and Calumet River system

The Field Museum
Natural history museum located in Chicago

Midwest Grows Green Nonprofit collective of Midwest-based lawn and landscape care initiatives

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
Special purpose government agency responsible for treating wastewater and managing stormwater

 

Energy

Citizens Utility Board Utility advocacy organization for residents

Energy Star U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy program focused on energy efficient products

Resident Resources

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency working in the state of Illinois

Cook County Environment and Sustainability Cook County’s sustainability department

Illinois Native Plant Society Nonprofit focused on promoting native plants in Illinois

Go Green Illinois State-wide nonprofit for sustainability education and resources

Go Green Wilmette Community-based nonprofit for sustainability education and resources

Illinois Audubon Society State-wide nonprofit that promotes native plants and animals and the habitats they are supported by.

Nature Conservancy in Illinois State-wide sector of a global nonprofit focused on environmental conservation

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