Nature's Edge - "Watershed" Event - July 2005

The residents of Sutton Place and Friends of the Chicago River got together on Saturday, June 18th, for a "watershed" event. This event was the culmination of resident meetings where Friends provided educational information on issues related to the watershed – including the benefits of native plants. A handbook on native plants was prepared by Friends, with site specific information for the residents of Sutton Place, i.e., how to care for native areas, planting suggestions, etc.

On the 18th Friends of the Chicago River came out to Sutton Place with hundreds of native plants and a few volunteers to help the many resident volunteers of Sutton Place plant native plants in their woodland along the Chicago River. The weather was beautiful and everyone had a good time while at the same time protecting the watershed.

You don’t have to live in the Chicago River watershed to be part of an environmental effort to protect the waterways in the Village. Most residents live either in the Chicago River watershed or the Des Plaines watershed. Following are some things you can do to help protect the water quality of our waterways:

1. Take care to water your lawn not the street or other hard surfaces where the water will be washed into the stormwater system.

2. Collect your rain water in rain gardens on your property. Planting native plants in your yard helps to absorb water where it falls. Native plants do not require much, if any, supplemental watering – reducing your water bill and conserving water.

3. Don’t put chemicals or detergents in the storm sewers where they might pollute the waterway.

4. When picnicking or visiting the Village parks or other areas adjacent to the waterways, be careful to dispose of trash and other debris appropriately so that it does not get into the rivers.

Our waterways are a wonderful asset to the Village – let’s all work to protect them!