Radio host Mike Nowak featured speaker at Glen Ellyn Park District celebration of National Public Lands Day

We're rolling up our sleeves to join the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands American's enjoy.

Created by the National Environmental Education Foundation in 1994, National Public Lands Day celebrates the enjoyment and volunteer conservation of public lands. Locally, people are encouraged to celebrate at Churchill Park, one of Glen Ellyn's true "natural" parks. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to help restore the ecological health of Churchill's wetlands, prairie and wooded sections.

This year's event will feature radio host Mike Nowak, co-founder of the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association and award-winning columnist for Chicagoland Gardening Magazine. An Illinois Master Gardener and Openlands Treekeeper, Nowak currently hosts "The Mike Nowak Show" on WCPT 820 AM Sundays from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and is the former host of "Let's Talk  Gardening" on WGN radio.

A hidden treasure in our community, Churchill offers a peaceful retreat close to home. Snow-covered trails in the winter melt into the toad-filled ponds in the spring. Prairie flowers are spectacular mid-summer and fall is a great time to see migrating birds. Visitors can enjoy a walk along the trails, search for turtles and herons along the water’s edge, and join us for a morning to help with ecological restoration efforts.

NPLD activities will include planting a tree for each School District 41 school and St. Petronille School, harvesting seeds and trail work. This is a great activity for families, scouts, community groups and individuals interested in a healthy habitat for native vegetation and wildlife. Light refreshments will be served. Volunteers will receive a small gift as a thank-you for helping. Please wear appropriate clothing such as long pants and closed-toe shoes.

Churchill is a 23.3 acre site bordered by St. Charles Road on the north, Geneva Road on the south, Churchill School on the west and Glen Ellyn’s Saddlewood neighborhood on the east.

Sponsors for the NPLD celebration are Caribou Coffee,  Make a Memory Foundation and College of DuPage. For more information, please contact the Glen Ellyn Park District at 630-858-2462 or visit www.gepark.org

Date: Saturday, September 24
Time: 9am-11am
Location: Churchill Park, 271 St. Charles Road (on the south side, just east of Bloomingdale Road) in northwest Glen Ellyn
Fee: Free