Above / Surrounded by folks who helped plan and plant the attractive Pollinator Station with native prairie plants, Mayor Steve Chirico cut a ribbon for the new garden at City Hall to launch Earth Week in Naperville. Councilmen Judy Brodhead, Paul Hinterlong and Rebecca Boyd-Obarski and City Manager Doug Krieger also attended the event.
UPDATE, May 13, 2017 / In reply to readers who have asked who will take care of the City’s prairie plants in the recently established Pollinator Station, it appears the weather is cooperating and somebody has!
Above / The garden of native prairie plants with milkweed to attract monarch butterflies is growing beautifully.
Original Post April 22, 2017 / Naperville’s inaugural Earth Week was kicked off at noon, today, Sat., April 22, to recognize and promote environmental activities happening in Naperville from Earth Day to Arbor Day, April 29.
PHOTO GALLERY / Click any photo to enlarge.
[shareprints gallery_id=”72619″ gallery_type=”squares” gallery_position=”pos_center” gallery_width=”width_100″ image_size=”small” image_padding=”0″ theme=”dark” image_hover=”false” lightbox_type=”slide” titles=”true” captions=”true” descriptions=”true” comments=”true” sharing=”true”]As was stated during the reading of a Mayor’s Proclamation earlier in the week, “Cities have a civic responsibility to manage public resources and facilities in sustainable ways that promote the public interest. Naperville is an environmental leader marked by milestones such as becoming the first Illinois city to offer curbside recycling in 1986, implementing smart meters and Emerald Ash Borer treatments in 2012, opening a regional household hazardous waste facility in 2014, converting to LED streetlights in 2016, and much more.”
“So let’s make a bow to the Earth’s green leaves with a ‘thank you’ for things they give.” —May Watts
The Pollinator Station Garden, a 21’ x 42’ plot, is located on the east side of the Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street, above the east entrance (Webster Street) to the lower level of the Municipal Center parking deck.
During remarks at the ribbon cutting, Mayor Chirico added, “I invite residents and visitors to explore the garden in hopes that they might be inspired to plant native species in their own yards, around Naperville and beyond.”
Naperville’s Earth Week will culminate on Arbor Day with its annual tree sale from 8AM to noon on Sat., April 29, at the Public Works Service Center, 180 Fort Hill Drive at Jefferson Avenue.
Prices for individual trees range from $25 to $65. Payment accepted is by cash or checks payable to the City of Naperville. Click here for a PDF of the tree list.
Did you know? Naperville has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for 27 consecutive years thanks to its work to develop a thriving urban forest. This Tree City joins more than 3,400 communities that are recognized with the distinction throughout the nation.
Above / Enjoy the winding brick path through the woods along the Riverwalk in this distinguished Tree City USA.
RELATED POSTS / Save your ash / Plant milkweed, attract Monarchs
Editor’s Note / With 487 words, then-Naperville resident May Theilgaard Watts (1893-1975) changed history in the 1960s. Her letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune, published on Sept. 30, 1963, proposed a public footpath, now the Illinois Prairie Path. She has been recognized as the founder of the rails-to-trails movement in the United States and throughout the world. In Naperville, the environmentalist also is honored with her name on May Watts Elementary School and May Watts Park.
