Forest Preserve acts to improve health of tree landscape in Wentworth Woods
(CALUMET CITY) JULY 24, 2017 – The Forest Preserve of Cook County (FPCC) continued this week the cleanup work associated with restorative tree removal at Wentworth Woods just north of Michigan City Road. A Forest Preserve spokesperson estimated that 2.5 acres of non-native tree removal (mainly black locust) and native tree thinning (mainly sassafras) was accomplished. This work was done to further increase light levels to the swale in the hopes of regenerating a plant community that has long been shaded out by the dense canopy.
Aside from general clean up from the tree removal project, no further cutting is planned, the spokesperson said.
Partially funded by a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wentworth Woods restoration project began in December of 2014 and is slated for completion by September.
Invasive brush was removed via brush mowers on the properties north of Michigan City Road and west of Burnham Ave in the winter of 2014-15 as well as the property south of Michigan City Road and west of State-Line Road in the winters of 2015-2017. In total, about 59 acres of brush was removed to open sunlight to the ground. The main target was Asian honeysuckle and glossy buckthorn, both non-native and highly invasive brush species.