Gilson Park on a chilly January day in 2016; soon Wilmette will construct a bird sanctuary in the park. Photography by George Pfoertner for JWC Media
WILMETTE – The Park District is moving forward to create a migrant bird habitat in Gillson Park. The Park District Board of Commissioners unanimously approved hiring landscape architects Living Habitats to develop a landscape design at a board meeting Jan. 11.
In May 2015 the Park District received a $60,000 matching grant from The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the project that will include a layering of native wildflowers, grasses and shrubs planted beneath existing larger canopy trees. The Ouilmette Foundation has committed to funding the $60,000 balance.
Living Habitats was one of five firms that responded to a Request For Proposal (RFP) issued by the Park District. While two bids were significantly more expensive, three of the proposals were all made by qualified companies at reasonable rates. The Lakefront Committee discussed those three proposals and unanimously recommended Living Habitats to design the bird habitat. Living Habitats’ fees for theservice are $17,895.
“What stuck out with Living Habitats was prior work experience,” said Steve Wilson, executive director of the Park District. “They had glowing letters of reference on those jobs.”
Located in Chicago, Living Habitats has done work for Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Arboretum and Openlands Lakeshore Preserve. “We felt that gave them a good working experience for what we are trying to do,” Wilson said.
Heidi Natura, founder and partner of Living Habitats, received a B.S. in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin and stated in a letter to the Park District on Dec. 10 that she has “developed a reputation for producing work that is grounded in a deep understanding of and respect for local native ecosystems.” Judy Pollock is a project manager for Living Habitats who will work on the Gillson project and was formerly the director of bird conservation for Audubon in the Chicago region.
The design will be implemented in phases over a three-year period, allowing the Park District to observe bird behavior at various stages. The Park District is required to report its findings to the Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of the grant.
Wilson told Daily North Shore that the first phase will be in the northeast portion of Gillson Park between Lake Avenue and the Washington Avenue exit, because that area is removed from the busiest areas of the park. Over time, the bird habitat will be throughout the entire park but hardly noticeable to most people.
Moving forward, Living Habitats plans to attend the Lakefront Committee’s meeting Feb. 1 to outline plans for proceeding. Wilson hopes that some plants will be planted in the park by the spring. It is likely that the Park District staff will do the planting depending on the budget, Wilson said.
