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Green Landscaping: Greenacres Case Studies
Case Study No. 1: Native Plants Control Sediment
Safety Kleen Corp., Elgin, Illinois
Cindy Blakely, Manager of Building Services, Safety-Kleen
Kerry Leigh, Landscape Architect, Eco Logic
Safety-Kleen needed a new corporate office building to house its
growing operations as the world 's largest recycler of hazardous and
non-hazardous
automotive fluids. Top management wanted a building and landscaping in
keeping with being an environmental company in its 1993 move to a site
near Elgin, Illinois. About 80% of the 79 acre wooded and fallow site
was left unbuilt. The developed portion includes the 285,000 sq. ft.
building and
two retention ponds for site runoff. The building was constructed in a
compact U shape, around the interior parking garage. The only tree
removal
was for the access road and the building was placed in an open area
surrounded by trees. A very large 150 year old oak tree was retained
as a
prominent landscape feature next to the building. Another site design
objective was to protect the high quality of Tyler Creek. In addition
to its
environmental benefits, the compact site development with the natural
wooded buffer enabled the large office building to fit into a developing
residential area.
An interdisciplinary team planned the site restoration and
landscaping, to retain and enhance the oak-hickory woods, plant native
wet prairie around
the 1.25 acre storm water pond, design a natural vegetated drainage
outlet to the existing creek and planting prairie vegetation in the
open spaces.
Stormwater runoff was reduced due to the compact site design of the
building and parking areas and the water-absorbing capability of deep
rooted
prairie plants. Fire access lanes were constructed with modular
concrete units around the building which still allow a grass cover
over them.
Site management includes removing buckthorn and honeysuckle in the
woods and eventual burn maintenance of the prairies. Corrective
stabilization
work was necessary to repair some erosion and slumpage damage at a
steep slope by the pond. The pond was planted with emergent and
floating
aquatic plants, aerated and treated with a bacterial enzyme supplement
to control algal growth. A large spoil pile was re-graded and seeded
with
prairie species and a settling basin added to control its runoff.
After starting with a native landscaping approach, changes were made
for more
traditional sod and annuals landscaping, combined with an irrigation
system, to provide a welcoming front entrance to the building. Maintenance
programs are being developed as has an educational booklet for
employees.
Safety-Kleen estimates a long-term management cost savings due to
less maintenance, mowing, watering and fertilizing. Installation costs
compare very
favorably to sodding. A compact sites means dealing with a lesser
volume of storm water. Employees appreciate close-in, covered parking
and a
beautiful view as they work.
Case Study No. 2: Restoration of Prairie for Wildlife Habitat
The Modine Prairie and Oak Savannah, McHenry, IL
James Rulseh, General Manager, Modine Manufacturing Company, Racine,
WI
The Modine Manufacturing Company's McHenry, Illinois, plant
manufactures air conditioning components for vehicles, one of the
company's 50
worldwide manufacturing and sales sites. Built in 1961 on 105 acres of
farm land, only a portion of the site is occupied by the factory and
parking lot.
Jim Rulseh was the plant manager from 1979 to 1990 and decided to promote the company's interest in using part of the site as a restored
prairie
ecosystem for wildlife. Much of his personal enthusiasm came from
growing up in a small town in northeast Wisconsin and from his father,
who had
taken a wildlife ecology course from Aldo Leopold as a break from his
engineering studies. The fallow fields and oak woodlands held promise
for
Leopold's idea of the voluntary practice of conservation on one's own
land. As a manager, Jim Rulseh realized that he was making a change in
his site
economics from farm lease land income to committing to the expenses of
restoration. He needed to plan a sound yet economical restoration
project.
Starting in 1984, Rulseh worked with State and Federal agencies and
local groups to get good information about the nature of the site and
the
potential for a 10-acre prairie restoration. The site was plowed and
left fallow to deplete any residual herbicides; it was plowed again to
freeze out the
weeds over the winter. The Illinois Department of Conservation (DOC)
and the McHenry Co. Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD)
prepared a prairie restoration plan for the site. It was planted in
June 1986 with seeds from five sources in Illinois and Wisconsin. Most
seed was
purchased and some was donated by the DOC and SWCD. Grasses were
planted with a broadcast spreader at 12.5 lbs/acre--switch grass, Indian
grass, little bluestem, big bluestem, side oats and Canadian wild rye.
Forbs were hand sown at a rate of 2 lbs/acre, from a purchased mix of
50-60
species. In retrospect, more of the costly forb mix should have been
used, perhaps 6-8 lbs./acre. Total planting cost was $3,600 with the
use of
about 90% native plants; a "purist" approach would have been
closer to $10,000.
Site maintenance also began in 1986, with the hand removal of bull
thistles and other non-natives and an August mowing for weed control.
Another
mowing for weeds was necessary in 1987. Permitted controlled burns
began in the third season, with the supervision of the local fire
department.
Modine employees provide the labor for the project and have gotten
interested in Illinois's native landscapes. There was starting to be
interest from
the public in access to the interesting site. Additional species (34)
were spot planted in 1988 and about 100 additional plants were put in
during 1989,
traded from another local restoration site. Burning continues about
every other year. An additional 4 acres was planted in prairie in 1990
at a cost of
$650/acre; establishment was slowed by hot, dry weather.
Modine employees began manual prairie seed collection in 1989 and
have since provided seeds to the SWCD for use at about 10 other
restoration
sites. Also in 1989 hawthorn and buckthorn removal begun in the wooded
area next to the prairie to restore the oak savannah, with more major
work
in 1993.
A number of lessons were learned from the Modine Prairie. One
person and one organization can make a difference in conservation.
While native
landscaping is not yet "mainstream" those who are involved
are passionate and helpful to others . Don't expect quick results, but
be persistent. If you
plant for wildlife it comes--the site is rich in birds, pheasants, fox
and deer. Modine has been able to share its conservation site with its
employees and
with the community.
School Case Studies
 Amundsen High School, a Chicago public school located at 5110 N.
Damen, is working towards a goal of reducing their lawn area by 50%.
They
are actively involved in projects including a prairie restoration,
wildflower
garden, butterfly/hummingbird garden, and the planting of trees and
shrubs to
provide habitats and feeding for wildlife. The native landscaping at
the school
currently encompasses about one acre of land including a fenced
prairie
restoration area that was first seeded three years ago. The prairie
contains
over 50 species including natives such as big bluestem, prairie
dropseed,
rattlesnake master, bee balm, and prairie roses. The area is currently
managed by mowing, but Amundsen plans to develop a burn management
program once the area becomes more established.
The work at Amundsen has been supported in part by the Chicago
Department of the Environment and the Urban Greening Fund of the
University of Illinois Corporative Extension Service. Students take
part in the beneficial landscaping through growing plants from seed that they then
transfer outside, weeding, pruning, mulching, collecting trash,
building fences, posting signs, and providing other day-to-day
maintenance. The students
have developed a sense of ownership and pride for the landscaping work
that they have put into the land around their school. Amundsen has
received
other positive reactions from the community including an award from
the local gardening club. The biggest obstacles for the project have been damage
to the area from dogs and neighborhood children, especially during the
summer months. Overall, the beneficial landscaping at Amundsen is a
huge
success and their advice to others considering using native
landscaping, is "just get planting".
For more information contact:
Jim Doyiakos
Amundsen High School
5110 N. Damen
Chicago, IL 60625-1397
Tel: (312) 534-2320
Fax: (312) 534-2330
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