Speak up regarding Evanston Parks

Evanston is Reimagining Its Lakefront and Many Parks

Speak up to enhance pollinator and bird habitat with native trees, shrubs and wildflowers.

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Areas up for reconsideration:

• Lakefront shoreline repairs - lawn on the lakefront doesn't halt erosion. Add bird habitat with deep rooted native plants such as willows. Stop mowing to encourage deep roots.
• Beck Park (photo) - Lots of potential for large natural areas on the North Shore Channel, just like Ladd Arboretum and Harbert-Payne woods. This is a big open grassy park on the Channel in the 5th ward.
• Fountain Square - Couldn't we add container/s with pollinator plants and signage spreading the word?
• Independence Park. Add a large natural area around the edges of the park, and enhance the central display pollinator garden.
• James Park (Lighting) keep lights shaded to where they are needed, and off by 11pm. Amber-red for birds and fireflies.
• Larimer Park - A magnet already for migrant songbirds. Keep the mature trees around the playground and enhance the bird habitat.
• Lovelace Pond reconstruction. Empty and house the turtles at the Ecology Center during construction. Naturalize the pond.
• Skate Park in Twiggs. During the construction, take out the buckthorn along the Channel slope and fund native plantings, like those at Ladd Arboretum. Add straight natives (not nativars) to the skate garden.  Here is the bid information on the park - see pages 273-279.

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To Submit Comments: See the contact form is on each park page, including here.  Best if you can speak to individual parks that you know.  But you can also write about all the projects to city staff and the city engineer managing the projects: Stefanie Levine and Lara Biggs.

Thanks!

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