for immediate release

McDonald Woods Entrance Opens This Fall

Features new shelter and council ring

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (August 30, 2007)—The Chicago Botanic Garden is building two new structures in the southwestern portion of Mary Mix McDonald Woods to introduce more visitors to the wonders of the 100-acre oak woodland. A new entrance to the McDonald Woods nature trail will feature a timber and stone shelter and a stone seat wall. Deeper in the woods, a new stone council ring, 30-feet across, will serve as an outdoor classroom for school groups.

One of the Garden's three native habitats, McDonald Woods has undergone extensive restoration in recent years to return it to a healthier, natural state. Existing interpretive signs teach visitors about the complex and inter-related communities that make up an oak woodland and the importance of its management and restoration. A revised garden guide will include information on creating and managing woodland gardens. The entrance is due to open in mid-October, 2007.

The shelter and council ring are replicas of much older structures located in an area of the woods not accessible to the public. In the 1930's, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a work relief program established by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, helped to create the Skokie Lagoons. As part of their project, the CCC built a wood and stone shelter and a stone council ring on the southwest corner of Greenbay and Lake Cook Roads, in what was then known as Turnbull Woods. Though the original structures are not accessible, visitors will now be able to see what a Civilian Conservation Corps structure looked like and learn about this interesting piece of the area's history.

Mary Mix McDonald Woods features a diverse complex of plant associations because of differences in soil type, moisture and topography. Communities such as rich wetland depressions, a small prairie remnant, a wooded moraine and savanna areas are found with the woodland. Over 400 native plant species make up this delicate ecosystem as well as 20 mammal species, 118 bird species, and thousands of species of insects, including butterflies.

Oak savanna and woodland once dominated much of northeastern Illinois. Today, only fragments of these rich and thriving communities remain. Many of the plant species found in the woods are no longer common in the region, and several, including Geranium bicknellii (northern cranesbill), Aster furcatus (forked aster), Rubus pubescens (dwarf raspberry) and Viola conspersa (dog voilet), are either threatened or endangered in the state of Illinois. One species, Deschampsia flexuosa (hair grass), is found nowhere else in the state.

The Garden's woodland ecologist and volunteers have been using accepted management practices to restore the woods, including prescribed burning, brush and invasive plant removal and reseeding. McDonald Woods serves as a research location for Garden scientists who conduct important research projects on soil organisms, nutrient cycling, fungi and threatened plant species. The Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Center for Teaching and Learning also use the woods as a living classroom. With the new structures in place, the Garden hopes more visitors will be exposed to the treasures in the woods and learn the importance of its preservation.

The enhancement to Mary Mix McDonald Woods was made possible by a gift in memory of Medard and Elizabeth Welch.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year, except Dec. 25. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.