The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently notified the Woodridge Park District that the application for an Illinois Park District Habitat Improvement Grant for $2,000 was approved. The program provides grants to park districts to purchase native plant material and to partner with students (grades prekindergarten through 12 in Illinois) or with a local youth group to develop pollinator gardens and/or native tree habitats.
The District plans to engage the Community in Spring 2024 by partnering with local students from Woodridge School District #68 and/or Woodridge youth groups to install native tree & shrub plantings at Jubilee Point Park to improve the biodiversity of the natural management areas by providing improved flora habitat and food sources for native wildlife in accordance with the goals recommended in the proposed Jubilee Point Park Natural Area Improvement Plan.
This grant combined with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) $225,000 grant to be used for infrastructure improvements and approved Illinois Department of Natural Resources $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Grant, will further reduce the District’s local funding towards this community park and natural areas improvement project.