As weather permits Naperville Park District crews will be conducting prescribed ground-level burns in natural areas of various parks throughout the community to improve the habitat for native plants.

“Controlled burns accomplish what prairie fires did for years in the Midwest, which is to control weeds and allow native vegetation to thrive,” explained Director of Parks Kevin Finnegan.

Controlled burns may be conducted in spring and fall. Timing of spring burns depends on ground temperature after the snow melts, with only a small window of time when conditions are right.  The ground needs to be sufficiently warm, but the grass must remain dormant for the burn to be successful. “Our staff is ready to conduct a burn in selected parks with short notice,” added Finnegan.

Additionally, weather conditions and wind velocity and direction permit only a few sites to be burned each year.  Trained crews supervise this process, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Naperville Fire Department issue an annual permit to the Park District for this activity.

The parks listed below may have the natural areas burned this year:

• Winding Creek
• Springbrook Crossings
• May Watts
• Ashbury
• Rock Ridge
• Westglen Commons
• Pioneer
• Sportsman’s
• Fort Hill