Bannockburn Awarded Grant For Environmental Work By ComEd

BANNOCKBURN, IL — To support habitats and other open-space projects, particularly those that help mitigate impacts of climate change, ComEd and Openlands announced Thursday grants to 23 public agencies through the annual ComEd Green Region Program.

The Village of Bannockburn was chosen to receive a grant for the following project:

• Waukegan Road to North Branch Restoration Project (Village of Bannockburn): This project will help control invasive species growth by establishing native plants and maintaining stormwater infiltration. This project also will help reduce erosion and siltation, enhance air and water quality and improve native habitat.

Grantees each receive a one-time grant of up to $10,000 to support and improve natural areas in northern Illinois communities that are crucial to the quality of residents’ lives according to a news release. These grants will fund a variety of projects, including those that focus on enhancing pollinator habitats and protecting certain species, such as butterflies and bees.

“ComEd understands that it is critical for residents to have access to cleaner and more sustainable public spaces. We also recognize the economic challenges faced by communities to maintain these natural spaces and make them available to the public,” said Melissa Washington, senior vice president of governmental and external affairs at ComEd. “We’re proud to work with organizations like Openlands, which has a deep understanding of these needs, whether they are effective pollinator projects or plans that support climate resilience to benefit the people we’re privileged to serve.”

This marks the ninth year that ComEd is partnering with Openlands. Since the inception of the Green Region Program in 2013, ComEd has awarded more than $1.5 million to municipalities across northern Illinois. This support has helped fund over 200 open-space projects, as well as restore and protect approximately 1,000 acres of land. ComEd provides the funding for the Green
Region Program, and Openlands, one of the oldest metropolitan conservation organizations in the nation, administers the grants to local communities.

“Climate change is here, and it is vitally important that we invest in nature-based solutions that will help mitigate the most severe effects. This includes protecting biodiversity, especially of pollinators,” said Jerry Adelmann, president and CEO of Openlands. “We are grateful to ComEd for their partnership, and the municipal partners that will complete these innovative projects, protecting and restoring land and educating and engaging communities.”

Details of the ComEd Green Region Program can be found at Openlands.org/GreenRegion.