• This column is written by Jeff Long (jlong@fvpd.net), the public affairs and communications manager at the Fox Valley Park District. Visit www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org for more information and be sure to “Like” Blackberry Farm on Facebook.   

In the Fox Valley Park District’s ongoing mission to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability, this was a natural fit.

As a major stakeholder of parks, lakes, riverside land and linear corridors of green (most folks call them trails), the FVPD has an enormous ability to impact land practices, with a coverage area that includes 168 parks, 2,500 acres of parkland, open space and natural areas and 48 miles of linear parks, aka, trails.

Protecting and preserving these areas for public enjoyment has been a priority during all of FVPD’s 70-year existence, and that commitment is growing even stronger now thanks to another collaboration with The Conservation Foundation.

For several years, CF promoted its Conservation@Home program that has helped more than 700 property owners transform their landscapes into natural, water-conserving havens for wildlife and native plants.

They’ve now expanded the program to include regional businesses, churches and schools — some of the largest landholders in our communities. In April, the FVPD became the first public agency in Kane County to adopt the new Conservation@Work program.

Four of the FVPD’s most prominent sites were nominated for recognition — Lippold Park, New Haven Park, Stuart Sports Complex and the Cole Administration Center, the district’s headquarters near downtown Aurora on the Fox River.

But it wasn’t just a simple election process. To gain consideration, each site must meet a series of criteria. Does the site have native plant components and benefit water conservation? Is there clear evidence of stewardship such as invasive species control? Are lands adjacent to creeks, rivers and ponds managed to reduce erosion and pollutants?

To these questions, the FVPD answered repeatedly with a resounding “yes.”

“The Fox Valley Park District strives to a leader in environmental stewardship, and this program allows us the opportunity to inspire our residents in a way that is educational as well,” said Jeff Palmquist, senior director of planning, research and grants.

The program is a winning combination for both agencies, and the residents they serve. Sustainable landscape practices cost less to maintain, as the deep roots of native plants reduce erosion and require less water than traditional turf grass, which aids storm water management.

Lippold Park was a perfect nominee. This 40-acre natural area just north of Red Oak Nature Center is adjacent to the Fox River and bisected by the Fox River Trail, serving as a veritable classroom for outdoor education. One of its main features is a prairie restoration project that brings back an Illinois landscape of yesteryear with a backdrop of centuries-old savannah, a panorama of natural diversity.

Stuart Sports Complex is also a beautiful ecosystem at work. Stuart showcases its natural elements throughout as naturalized riparian wetland plants and upland prairie are woven around the dozens of athletic fields. Carefully managed to be a showpiece focal point, these features provide an aesthetic amenity, complimented by pedestrian pathways that wind among the native areas to offer up-close vantage points for exploration and enjoyment.

New Haven Park – a 19-acre oasis of green on Aurora’s near west side – is fronted by a striking vision of five acres of naturalized plantings and ponds – unique to FVPD parks in such an urbanized setting. This welcoming “front door” is not only aesthetically pleasing, but highly functional as the major centerpiece to an intricate storm water management system. Storm runoff from the adjacent parking lots is conveyed through the picturesque ponds, where it is filtered through a naturalized network of wetland plantings.

And, finally, the Cole Center is a striking and sustainable representation of the FVPD’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by renovating, reusing, restoring, recycling and reinvesting. Retrofitted from an existing 72,000-square foot warehouse, the Cole Center hosts over 125 sustainable features – including a large, permeable paver parking lot and an underground storage tank for storm water runoff used for vehicle cleaning and irrigation. Buffered by naturalized plantings that require little maintenance or irrigation while attracting wildlife and a variety of birds, this native prairie with wildflower forbs presents a naturalized contrast in the shadow of downtown Aurora.

Conservation@Work is certainly not a job but, rather, a business pursuit of environmental passion.

• FEATURE PHOTO CAPTION: Lippold Park is one of four Fox Valley Park District sites recognized by the Conservation@Work program that highlights local agencies whose practices focus on sustainable landscape practices.