About the Park
Oak Ridge Marsh is a 14-acre park owned by the
Village of Lake Zurich.
It is on the east side of Lions Drive about a half-mile north of
Main Street, just north of the gazebo at the Bird Observation Area. From the small entrance
with three parking lots, it stretches to the east and north between residential areas,
reaching the southwest side of Echo Lake.
Largely left in its natural state, there is a simple dirt path and a couple
benches for rest and contemplation. The habitat is forest and wetlands, with a mix of
oaks and hickories, some up to ten feet around, smaller trees like cherry and cottonwood
and a variety of plants at the ground level. This includes many spring wildflowers, such
as rue anemone, shooting star and mayapples.
About Oak Ridge Marsh Conservation Group
We are a group of volunteers working under the direction of the Parks and Recreation
Department of the Village of Lake Zurich to restore the native habitat of
Oak Ridge Marsh Nature Park. Join us on a
workday
in 2009 as we continue restoration. The schedule is the first
and third Saturdays of each month from 9 to noon (come when you can).
Planting, seed collecting and weeding are our primary summer activities. We would love to
have you help in making our dream of
restoring the Oakridge Marsh woodland to its natural beauty, free from invaders.
Leave No Child Inside
June is
Leave No Child Inside month. The Oak Ridge Marsh Conservation Group encourages
you to Leave No Child Inside. We're teaming up with
Chicago Wilderness
and many other national and local interested parties to urge you, your kids, grandkids, nieces,
nephews or any child you know to get outside and explore! On the workday pictured here, a local
Cub Scout pack helped clean up last fall.
In a world of TV, internet and other indoor activities, children today are suffering from
Nature Deficit Disorder which may be linked to obesity, attention deficit disorder and poor
social skills. So encourage the child you love to go outside and discover the wonderful
world that nature offers. Parents don't need to be knowledgeable about nature to encourage
their children to explore. A new adventure may be right outside your door! Along with the
Oak Ridge Marsh Nature Park, the Village of Lake Zurich offers these natural areas for kids
to roam:
- Whispering Creek Trail - 935 Lorie Lane
- Kuechmann Park- 626 N. Old Rand Rd.
- Manor Park - 5 Miller Rd.
- The Bird Observation Gazebo -340 Lions Drive
- Buffalo Creek Park- 675 Old Mill Grove Rd.
If you would like to learn how to help your child explore and enjoy nature go to
www.funoutside.org for local nature activities in the
Ela/Cuba area. The Chicago Wildernesses offers
www.KidsOutside.info where nature based activities and venues are listed, including
the
Children's Bill of Rights.
A Podcast of Oak Ridge Marsh is Available
We now offer a podcast for a self-guided walking tour of Breezewald Park and Oak Ridge Marsh.
It starts at Breezewald Park on Old Rand Road, and takes 45 minutes to an hour, depending
on your walking pace. Through this podcast audio tour of Lake Zurich's natural areas, you
will learn about the forces of nature which made Lake Zurich a unique area. You'll learn
about the wildlife that calls Lake Zurich "home" and the efforts to provide this wildlife
with a good place to live. And you'll get an invigorating walk through one of Lake Zurich's
most beautiful areas! Download the
small podcast
file(9.5MB) or the
large podcast file(19MB).
(You may need to right-click on the link to save the podcast on your computer...Mac users
with the original one-button mouse can control-click on the link).
Restoration Begins
Trillium blossoms in April and May. This is a great time of year to see what Oak Ridge
Marsh has to offer, as the spring wildflowers put on quite a show. In addition to the
trillium (named after the three leaves and three petals), there is the wild geranium,
shooting star, rue anemone and others.
In the first couple years during the transition period, it will take some time for
the high-quality plants and shrubs to fill in where the buckthorn and boxelder trees
had taken over. We ask for your patience during this important transition.
For more information and pictures, please continue visiting our website, using the links
to the left.
