Black Walnut Park & Conservancy Redevelopment

Exciting changes are coming to Black Walnut Park! Thanks to matching funds from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through an OSLAD grant, our redevelopment project will bring major improvements to this neighborhood park.

Renovations Include
  • New playground
  • Upgraded Basketball Courts (with Fabric Structure that Provides Shade for Benches)
  • Picnic Shelter (Gazebo-Shaped)
  • Baggo court
  • ADA Accessible Walkways
  • Raised Planter Beds
  • Restoration to Wooded Area 

The enhancements to the woodlot will help restore and preserve the park to it’s former natural beauty and include the addition of a small vernal pool and pollinator buffer zone. The vernal pool will alleviate an area previously prone to erosion and yet provide a unique opportunity to create a habitat for amphibians such as frogs and salamanders. The pollinator buffer zone will also provide a unique opportunity to create a vegetative transition from the traditional turf grass area of the park into the woodland. This area will comprise of native plants including an assortment of spring ephemerals, fruiting shrubs and ground covers that will attract Illinois pollinators such as butterflies, moths and other beneficial insects.

Park Open Space Layout

The new park entrance way will be moved to line up with the sidewalk across the road.  Benches will be available at the Basketball Courts as well as near the Baggo Court and Playground. The new picnic shelter will be made of sustainable materials capable of providing shade for generations of picnic goers. The south side of the park will be preserved as open space turf grass along with the currently existing parkway trees and sidewalk.

 

Park Rendering

The playground will feature interactive elements suitable for children 2 to 12 years of age including swings, slides, tunnels, a playhouse, climbing challenges, and a universally accessible synthetic turf grass surface.

                                                                                                                                  

Native Forest

The Native Forest brings together natural beauty and seasonal variety, creating a space that’s both peaceful and vibrant. Designed to blend seamlessly with the park’s landscape, this area will be filled with lush greenery, flowering plants, and features that enhance the park’s charm year-round.  

What You’ll Find in the Native Forest (click to open):  

These natural borders re-establish privacy for the neighboring homeowners.

Seasonal berries adding color and texture.

Soft, natural layers of greenery that complement the trees and shrubs.

A unique addition that adds character to the landscape.

Delicate blooms that signal the changing seasons.

A variety of trees and shrubs that enhance the park’s scenery.

A variety of trees and shrubs that enhance the park’s scenery.

 
 

WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT NOW?

A monitoring phase is in progress and will continue during the Spring, Summer and Fall of 2025 in which experts will be identifying existing native species and making proposals for establishing additional plants as needed throughout the site. Some large debris piles remain in the wood lot though heavy machinery work will pause for the growing seasons and will resume to level remaining brush piles during frozen ground conditions next winter. This pause is necessary to protect the soil from being compacted and to protect the native flora from being destroyed by the weight of the machines.
 
 

WANT TO HELP OUT?

Do you live in the Black Walnut Trails Neighborhood? Are you interested in helping us achieve our goal to re-establish the native forest in the Woodlot? We are looking for volunteers to water the newly planted trees, shrubs, and plants during the Fall of 2025 and Spring, Summer and Fall of 2026. To volunteer, please send us an email at info@sgparks.org.

 

Register online