If you do not play the very traditional game of cricket, you may not know that the Carol Stream Park District’s McCaslin Park is home to a cricket field. The field is located just northeast of Coyote Crossing Mini Golf. The American Cricket Conference of players are often seen playing for hours on the field.
Just what is the game of cricket? It’s a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the center of which is a 22-yard pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising of two bails balanced on three stumps. One team takes a turn to bat a ball and score, while the other team will bowl and field the ball to restrict the other team from scoring. The main objective in cricket is to score as many runs as possible against the opponent. It is similar to baseball except it has different rules, terms and organization. (Credit: Google)
The park district typically aerates and overseeds the field annually and treats it with various weed control measures during the growing season. The park site currently has a clear dropoff in the field of about 18 inches, meaning from east to west there is an 18-inch change in the grade which isn’t conducive for competitive and safe game play. We plan to level the entire cricket field in April to make it a better overall player experience for the cricket leagues.
How are we doing this? Remember the renovation of the Bierman Park/Heritage Lakes trail early last fall? By the way it’s a beautiful trail now! Well the dirt we removed from the renovation of the trail was stockpiled at the southwest end of McCaslin Park, adjacent to the cricket field. If you drive down North Avenue often, you may recall seeing these dirt mounds. With the help of a contractor and in-house labor, the cricket field will be graded with this “recycled” dirt. Our parks staff will fine grade, removing rocks, and then seed the area.
We plan to start as soon as the weather breaks, anticipating mid April. The work will take a couple of weeks to complete, and then we can sit back and watch the grass grow. The cricket season begins in May. If you are interested in the game of cricket, contact Sohail Bari, President at the American Cricket Conference. Here’s is Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/231860493599819
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Did you know that Carol Stream has been on the annual Monarch butterfly’s migration route of thousands of miles from Mexico to Canada? Did you also know that over the last three decades, the monarch butterfly population has decreased by more than 80%, designating the beautiful insect an endangered species? The decrease is due to climate variations and the use of herbicides in the US that kill the milkweeds essential for the butterfly’s reproduction.
What is Carol Stream Park District doing to save the monarch butterfly? At the Park Board of Commissioners meeting on December 12, the Board passed Resolution 22-05, authorizing the Executive Director to enhance and expand available habitat for monarch butterflies and other native pollinators with, but not limited to, the following actions:
Carol Stream Park District
Resolution No. 22-05
DuPage Monarch Project
A Resolution Authorizing the Executive Director to Enhance and Expand Available Habitat for Monarch Butterflies and other Native Pollinators.
WHEREAS, the Carol Stream Park District recognizes the importance of protecting open land and park space for the recreational use of Carol Stream residents; and
WHEREAS, a wet area located inside the large dog area at the Bark Park was transformed from turf grass to a Monarch Butterfly Weigh Station with additional native plantings; educational signage was added in 2019 and the area has received ongoing management; and
WHEREAS, the parking lot islands at the Simkus Recreation Center have been designated monarch butterfly weigh stations and subsequently planted with milkweed and signage was added in 2022 to denote the weigh stations; and
WHEREAS, Jan Smith Park continues to be the model of the District’s native areas by bringing together volunteers and District staff to create a well maintained showcase area for the residents of the District to enjoy; and
WHEREAS, a Natural Area Master Plan is being put together for Park District properties to guide the maintenance, construction and overall management of native areas; and
WHEREAS, many of the 4,000 species of native U.S. bees providing critical pollinating services to food, ornamental and wildflower species have experienced significant decline; and
WHEREAS, the Carol Stream Park District, located in northeastern Illinois, has long been on the annual monarch butterfly’s migration route of thousands of miles from Mexico to Canada and has provided monarch caterpillars with native milkweed species, their sole source of food; and
WHEREAS, Illinois designated the iconic monarch butterfly as the official state insect in 1975 as the result of lobbying by Illinois schoolchildren; and
WHEREAS, scientific studies point to the rapid decline of the monarch butterfly due to the loss of milkweed habitat needed for laying their eggs and for the caterpillars to eat, resulting from development, land management practices, and chemically-aided agriculture in the United States and Canada; and
WHEREAS, because the decimation of pollinators, including the eastern migrating monarch, which serves as an iconic species, has potential negative consequences for natural ecosystems as well as for human food production, in 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that adding the monarch butterfly to the list of threatened and endangered species was warranted but precluded by work on higher-priority listing actions. With this decision, the monarch becomes a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and its status will be reviewed each year until it is no longer a candidate; and
WHEREAS, the Mid-America Conservation Strategy has identified a monarch habitat restoration target of an additional 1.3 billion stems of milkweed by 2038 which will sustain a resilient population size; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Monarch Project developed a state-wide monarch conservation plan calling for 150 million new stems of milkweed, Illinois’ share of the Mid-America Conservation Strategy; and
WHEREAS, because there are many different species of milkweed in the U.S., it is important to recognize that only native milkweed is vital to the recovery and survival of the monarch butterfly in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, River Prairie Group of the Illinois Sierra Club, The Conservation Foundation, and Wild Ones of Greater DuPage, a native plant advocacy group, are collaborating as the DuPage Monarch Project to encourage communities to plant native milkweed and valuable nectar plants where appropriate;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS OF THE CAROL STREAM PARK DISTRICT, DuPage County, Illinois, as follows:
SECTION 1: The Recitals set forth above are incorporated herein and made a part of this Resolution as if set forth fully herein.
SECTION 2: The Board of Park Commissioners hereby authorizes the Executive Director to increase and improve available habitat for Monarch butterflies and other native pollinators with, but not limited to, the following actions:
SECTION 3: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage and approval by a majority of the Board of Commissioners.
Dated:
Board President of Carol Stream Park District
ATTEST:
Secretary of Carol Stream Park District
The Winter 2023 guide offers you an exciting season as we move into a new year! Browse the guide for winter holiday camps, winter sports, adult trips, fitness membership specials, the new Daughter Dance and more! We have something for everyone!
Looking for Forever Young programs? They are now called Adult Trips & Events so they can be right up front in the guide. This winter guide contains new camp sections for both holiday/winter and spring break camps. Look for the colorful calendar pages to see them all at a glance.
Holiday fitness specials feature a $0 enrollment special from November 16 to 30 – this special is offered for an extended period of time over Black Friday and Cyber Monday too! Want to give fitness a try for just a month or home from college? Take advantage of the December 1-month special for only $40. The sooner you enroll, the more time you’ll have to take advantage of this all-inclusive fitness opportunity during the month of December.
The winter guide sports schedule builds excitement for spring leagues and tournaments. This guide features winter/spring baseball, tee-ball, softball, soccer and volleyball leagues and classes for youth and adults. Don’t miss the deadlines!
The Winter Activity Guide brings you so many opportunities for fun, art, education, exercise, performing arts, school year care, trips and sports. Browse it from our website or download the park district mobile app for easier access.
The Winter guide is in a digital format, so we can offer so much more. The PDF format gives customers the ability to download the program pages they want to refer to or print from their home! Program codes are clickable for quick registration, and buttons bring you to more information about our programs and services. We are pleased to present this guide to you!
We are renovating Park on the Green, a neighborhood park located at 1N547 Bob O’ Link Drive in Winfield, which is in Carol Stream Park District boundaries.
Park on the Green construction is on pace with anticipated completion date of early November. An Oodle swing, low playground interactive panels and low level play opportunities like a connect-the-dots feature enable fully inclusive play for kids of all abilities.
Reconstruction of the Bierman Park-Heritage Lake Trail is complete!
Come to walk, run, skate, walk the dog, fish! Access points to the park/trail are at Bierman Park – 1253 Woodlake Drive; or enter at Kent Park – 955 Woodhill Dr.
Trail Completion photos 10-2-22
Reconstruction of the Bierman Park-Heritage Lake Trail is underway, and dependent on weather, be completed early November. Parks staff have trimmed trees around the trail and have relocated portable toilets and trash cans so paving equipment has clearance. A small section of fencing was removed. When complete the path will be a uniform eight-feet wide, and ready for our residents to enjoy! During construction the path is closed to expedite the reconstruction and keep everyone safe. You are welcome to use the park and not the trail, but asked to use caution during the trail construction. The District will post the reopening date on our website. Thank you for your patience!
See how the trail is progressing:
On Friday morning, Aug 12, 2022 a Little Library was installed for children and families of Carolshire Park, a pocket park within the Carolshire/Klein Creek neighborhood, built in Oct of 2019.
Representatives were present from Northwestern Medicine, the Carol Stream Rotary Club and the Carol Stream Park District – all sponsors of the Little Library.
Some of these photos have special effects.
In August’s Enews:
