Fire, Work with Me: Native Urban-Landscape Restoration and Prairie-Burn DemonstrationFS-13, Friday, November 6, 2015 10:45 am - 4:00 pm

Learning objectives:• Compare the strategies and management techniques for bringing nature into a public, urban setting

• Learn about the design, restoration, and long-term maintenance of native Midwestern ecosystems

• Experience first-hand the processes and protocols of a prairie burn

• Examine the public perceptions of “native” or “restored” landscapes

Overview map:

Field Session Speakers:Bradley McCauley, site design group, ltd. bcmccauley@site-design.comJack Pizzo, The Pizzo Companies jackp@pizzo.infoMitch Murdock, site design group, ltd. mitchell.murdock@site-design.comHana Ishikawa, site design group, ltd. hana.ishikawa@site-design.com Claudine Malik, Chicago Park District claudine.malik@chicagoparkdistrict.comZhanna Yermakov, Chicago Park District zhanna.yermakov@chicagoparkdistrict.com

START + END: MCCORMICK PLACE

1: COLUMBUS PARK

2: SOUTH SHORE

3: PALMISANO PARK + PRAIRIE BURN

LAKE MICHIGAN

NAVY PIER

CHICAGO RIVER

LOOPWEST SIDE

BRIDGEPORT

SOUTH SHORE

NEAR SOUTH SIDE

AUSTIN

SOUTH SIDE

MIDWAY AIRPORT

HYDE PARK

MARQUETTE PARK

BACK OF THE YARDS

DOUGLAS PARK

GARFIELD PARK

About the sites:Columbus Parklocation: 500 S. Central Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60644size: 135 acre park, 11 acre natural areayear: 1912 (park built)ecosystems: forest, prairie, wetland, lagoon

Widely considered one of Jens Jensen’s most successful parks, Columbus Park has stonework footpaths and waterfalls which lead through the forested area and along the restored lagoon edge.

South Shorelocation: 7059 S South Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60649size: 65 acre park, 4 acre natural areayear: 1905 (park built)ecosystems: forest, savanna, wetland, dune, prairie, shrubland

A looping boardwalk path ventures through a variety of habitats. Located on the South Side, the site also boasts downtown views and a lakefront setting, making it an ideal demonstration of urban landscape restoration.

Henry C. Palmisano Park (formerly Stearns Quarry)location: 2700 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois 60608size: 27 acresyear: 2010ecosystems: wet prairie, mesic prairie, short grass prairie, prairie, tall grass prairie, savanna, wetland, pond

This site was transformed from a former limestone quarry and construction waste site into an active and educationally-focused environmental park that includes nature trails, wetland habitat, native plantings, and bioretention.

What is a prescribed burn?A prescribed or controlled burn is a very important land management tool. Prescribed burns are conducted by crews of trained professionals, and in the Chicagoland region they generally take place during seasonal windows in the spring and fall when the weather and site conditions match the specific requirements needed in order to conduct a safe and effective burn. Burns remove invasive species, recycle nutrients back to the soil and promote the growth of native plants. Prairie plants are not harmed during a controlled burn as their extensive root systems grow deep in the soil. A burn typically leads to a positive response from native vegetation in the following growing season.

Additional Resources:Chicago Wilderness: www.chicagowilderness.orgInvasive Plants in the Chicago Region: www.chicagobotanic.org/research/identifying_threats/invasiveColumbus Park: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/columbus-parkSouth Shore: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/South-Shore-Cultural-CenterHenry Palmisano Park: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/Palmisano-Park

Fire, Work with Me: Native Urban-Landscape Restoration and Prairie-Burn Demonstration