Project is part of nine-agency collaborative oak recovery project
(Aug. 27, 2020) — The DuPage Forest Preserve District will continue an oak restoration project at Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville thanks in part to a $40,000 matching grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
Restoration work will continue on 144 acres at Hinterlong Woods and Pond Woods, north and south of 79th Street and west of Greene Road at Greene Valley. Both are class 4 ecosystems — the highest rating.
Starting in January 2021 crews will remove 17 types of invasive and exotic trees and shrubs such as honeysuckle and buckthorn in and around Greene Valley in cooperation with ComEd and local landowners, according to Forest Preserve District Natural Resources Director Erik Neidy. They will also conduct prescribed burns and apply herbicide as needed.
Work will continue in winter 2022 and winter 2023 if necessary, Neidy said.
Hinterlong Woods and Pond Woods contain 391 different species of trees and shrubs, including 32 types of native trees and 29 types of native shrubs, Neidy said. Tha land contains oak, hickory, elm, walnut, maple, birch, willow and hawthorn and is one of the few places in the county where red mulberry grows.
The grant is part of a nine-agency collaborative effort under the Oak Ecosystems Recovery Project, spearheaded by the Chicago Region Trees Initiative. Partners include The Morton Arboretum, Lake County Forest Preserve District, Kendall County Forest Preserve District, McHenry Conservation District, The Conservation Foundation and Openlands, Neidy said.
A component of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative is public engagement, and participating agencies hope to use the restoration projects to show the importance of oak ecosystems on public and private land.
“We want to show people that they’re an extension of all this restoration and they can do restoration work on their property,” Neidy said. “We want to show them how they can promote oak recovery and help juvenile species resprout.”
The District began restoration work in Hinterlong Woods and Pond Woods in 2019 with funds from a grant from the Illinois Conservation, Energy and Community Foundation.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been connecting people to nature for more than 100 years. More than 4 million people visit its 60+ forest preserves, 166 miles of trails, six education centers and scores of programs each year. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
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