Wildwood Nature Center

Wildwood Nature Center of the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District is the central location for environmental education for the district. In 2001 the site had eroding shorelines, lack of diversity and large flocks of Canada Geese. The decision was made to restore the existing lawn and eroded shoreline to native flowers and grasses.

Pizzo & Associates, Ltd. removed Invasive plants using fire, cutting, pulling and herbicide. The shoreline was re-graded to a slope that could be maintained and limestone outcroppings were placed. 35 pounds of native seed per acre was installed along with 50 pounds of Mycorrhizal inoculant per acre and 5 pounds of Rhizobial inoculant per acre using both a truax drill and hand seeding. 3,000 native plants were installed as well as a temporary goose control structure. Once the plants were well established they acted as a natural goose deterrent. Paths with limestone screening allow visitors access to the pond.

The restoration has been a success as the shoreline is stabile, the goose population is one-fourth of what it was and the species that occur on site are a diverse mixture of native plants and animals. Three years after the initial installation an additional prairie was seeded. Occasional controlled burns are performed by Pizzo & Associates, Ltd’s professional burn crews to maintain the health of the natural areas, as was once done with natural prairie fires. Fire helps to knock back old brush and recycle nutrients back into the soil for use by native plants. Before the fire, native seed is collected from the area to be dispersed after the fire.

These natural areas now provide wildlife habitat, recreation, and beautiful scenery with much lower maintenance costs than traditional landscaping.