Naperville Park District to conduct seasonal controlled burns

In March 2020 Naperville Park District crews will be conducting prescribed ground-level burns in various areas throughout the District in an effort to improve the habitat for native plants.

“Controlled burns mimic nature’s way of keeping weeds under control so that native vegetation can thrive in the natural areas of our parks,” explained Kevin Finnegan, director of parks.

Timing of the burns depends on ground temperature after the snow melts. “There’s actually a small window of time during which we can complete spring burns,” added Finnegan. “The ground needs to be sufficiently warm, but the grass must remain dormant for the burn to be successful.”

Additionally, weather conditions and wind velocity and direction permit only a few sites to be burned each year, during either the spring or fall burn seasons. Trained crews supervise this process, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Naperville Fire Department issues an annual permit to the park district for this activity.

Weather conditions permitting, staff may conduct controlled burns at the following parks, either in the spring or fall of 2020:

Arrowhead Park, 711 Iroquois Avenue

Ashbury Park, 1740 Conan Doyle Road

Baileywood Park, 1588 Oxford Lane

Brighton Ridge Park, 775 Torrington Road

Carol Acres, 787 Fort Hill Drive

Clow Creek Greenway, 4616 Haviland Court

Commissioners Park, 3704 111th Street

Country Lakes Park, 1835 N. Aurora Road

Dorothea Weigand Riverfront Park, 2436 S. Washington Street

DuPage River Park, 808 Royce Road

Heritage Woods, 1067 W. Fifth Ave.

Hobson West Ponds, 1047 S. West Street

Hunters Woods, 2007 Lakeview Court

Kingsley Prairie, 160 Ring Road

Knoch Knolls Park, 336 Knoch Knolls Road

May Watts Park, 804 S. Whispering Hills Drive

Meadow Glens, 1303 Muirhead Avenue

Nike Sports Complex, 1520 N. Mill Street

Oakridge Parkway, 478 E. 87th Street

Pioneer Park, 1212 S. Washington Street

Rivercrest Estates Park, 11 S087 Sheri Street

Rock Ridge Park, 1316 Green Trails Drive

Seager Park, 1163 Plank Road

Sindt Woods, Riverwalk Park, 500 W. Jackson Avenue

Sportsman’s Park, 735 S. West Street

Springbrook Parkway, 2359 Nottingham Lane

Summerfield Lake Park, 2003 Skylane Drive

Veterans Park, 303 E. Gartner Road

Westglen Commons, 467 Westglen Drive

Wildflower Park, 2122 Aurora Avenue

Wil-O-Way Commons, 1701 W. Jefferson Avenue

Winding Creek Park, 144 W. Bailey Road