PrairieWalk Pond Awarded Environmental Excellence Award

from the Village of Lisle

The Illinois Chapter of the American Landscape Architects (ILASLA) awarded the 2011 Honor Award for Environmental Stewardship. The award recognizes the site’s conservation focus and sustainable design, which results in an exceptional contribution towards the protection and long term management of natural resources.

Planning Resources, Inc., a firm that specializes in landscape design, natural resource protection and management, designed the site.

PrairieWalk is 4.5 acre natural area that replaces a block of floodplain property in Downtown Lisle and prevents flooding. A $400,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources helped transform the site into a wonderful amenity for the public to enjoy. The nature themed site contains a two acre pond, lighted walking trails, scenic overlooks, a preserved wetland, extensive native landscaping, a gazebo, colorful fountains, educational signage, sustainable elements and a creative children’s play area/splash pad called Dragonfly Landing. The site now serves as beautiful gateway into Downtown Lisle.

This is the fourth award the site has garnered since its creation. Other awards include:

• 2011 Chicago Wilderness "Conservation & Native Landscaping Award" for exemplary use of native landscaping, ecosystem restoration and protection, and/or conservation design.
• 2011 International Economic Development Council Excellence Awards for "The Redevelopment of Downtown Lisle"
• 2009 Illinois Association for Floodplain & Storm Water Management (IAFSM) Mitigation Award

For more information about PrairieWalk Pond, contact Economic Development
Director Catherine Schuster at 630-271-4148 or cschuster@villageoflisle.org or visit the www.villageoflisle.org and select Attractions.