Trails cleanup and restoration in Lombard, IL open to all volunteers.

All trail supporters are welcome to participate.

The Village of Lombard is seeking your help once again to remove trash and buckthorn from the Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trail. The official time is 9AM-Noon on Saturday, November 9th. However, you may go at any time during the prior week if that suits your schedule better. These trails belong to DuPage County but they have allowed this on-going work to take place. This is a rain or shine event. Autumn is the best time to identify buckthorn since it retains its green leaves and black berries longer than other trees. It is also the best time to treat stumps with herbicide since it will be drawn down into the roots for the winter (as opposed to flowing into the branches for spring and summer growth). Information about removing buckthorn is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5wnyx7Hc1g. Volunteers are asked to bring their own loppers/handsaws, gloves and safety glasses. However, some glasses and gloves will be available for those that need them. Bushes and trees smaller than two inches in diameter may be cut at ground level (very important!) and those larger may be girdled, which is a way of killing them by cutting around the trunk and leaving it in place. A useful identification page is at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/woody/buckthorn/id.html. Please drag cut brush and trash to the nearest cross street where it will be picked up by Village crews on Monday, November 11th. Due to legal complications for the Village to hand out herbicide to non-licensed applicators, it is requested that volunteers bring their own store-bought herbicide, such as Roundup, to apply to each cut stump and girdle line. Two members of the Village's Environmental Concerns Committee that are landscaping professionals will travel amongst the crews on a bicycle to oversee the work. Each group will meet at their assigned section of trail, where they may begin work immediately rather than waiting for the trail advisor. Volunteers for the buckthorn work must be at least 10 years old and sign the attached waiver. The waiver may be either submitted before the event or brought that morning. Volunteers picking up trash do not need to complete a waiver. Please contact Dave Gorman, Assistant Director of Public Works, at 630-620-5765 or gormand@villageoflombard.org to sign up for a trail section. Thanks for being one of those that make a difference! - Dave David P. Gorman, PE Asst. Director of Public Works Village of Lombard p: 630-620-5765 c: 630-769-1868 f: 630-620-5982 gormand@villageoflombard.org