Potpourri

KNOCH KNOLLS DEDICATION

By Walter C. Johnson Executive Director

Dale Hench, Illinois Department of Conservation Director of federal grant funding and Karen Correll, Superintendent of Recreation for the Naperville Park District visit at the dedication.

Walter Johnson, Executive Director, Naperville Park District conducting the dedication ceremony.

On Sunday, October 12, 1980, the Naperville Park District held a ceremony to dedicate a 115 acre portion of Bicentennial Park known as Knoch Knolls. This occasion marked the culmination of several years of negotiations. Although planning for the acquisition began in 1974, it was not until 1978 when the Park District received a $750,000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (the largest single grant given in the State of Illinois) that the purchase became possible. The total purchase price was $1,526,000.

Walter C. Johnson, Executive Director, who coordinated the dedication ceremony stated "parks such as these will be our conservation legacy to future generations and will demonstrate a civic pride second to none in this metropolitan region".

The acquisition of this 115 acre parcel of land is the first-in a three phase acquisition project. When concluded, it will become the 250 acre Bicentennial Park.

The proposed 250 acre park, located between the confluence of the east and west branches of the DuPage River, features a well preserved majestic forest, gentle slopes, scenic vistas, and a variety of geological and ecological habitats.

Not only is Bicentennial Park an environmentalist's and a naturalist's dream, it has a rather interesting historic background. The confluence of the DuPage River became the site of the first trading post in the region back in the early 1800's. After Illinois became a state in 1830, the Stephen Scott family were the first settlers of the area. The Scotts settled just north of the confluence and established a trading post which provided the staples of life to other new settlers. Remnants from the first mill which served families from what is now known as Will and DuPage counties, still exist today. In later years, the Scotts moved into Naperville and became leading merchants.

This land was passed on for generations until the mid 1930's when it was purchased by U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Win G. Knoch. Since that time, the lands have served as a summer retreat for the Knoch family. Lands surrounding the retreat have continued to be farmed to this day.

Bicentennial Park will offer the community even more than beauty and history. It also has a variety of unique ecological habitats. While it will be impossible to complete development plans immediately, the Park District has scheduled an opening for the Spring of 1981 for passive recreational activities.

Over 300 people turned out to participate in the dedication activities, including many representatives from local and state government, as well as the Illinois Association of Park Districts, the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, and the National Recreation and Park Association.

The Naperville Park District feels that the continued efforts toward the acquisition of the remainder of Bicentennial Park will go a long way toward meeting the demands of this rapidly expanding community.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 26 March/April 1981

ARBOR DAY, APRIL 24

Arbor Day is for planting trees for future generations. Trees improve the home landscape and assure future lumber and paper when grown in a forest. A forest is basically a collection of trees. It is a living community of plants in which trees are the main-species. The collection of trees in the forest are a home for large and small animals. Here in the forest, plants and animals live and die in both competition and harmony.

Trees are many things to many people. To an artist, it is a thing of beauty; to a lumberman, it is the raw material for future homes, paper, etc.; to the sightseer, it is beauty, peace, and tranquility; and to the forester, it is wildlife, recreation, water basin, source of income, etc. To everyone, it is part of America and the American heritage.

One third of the United States is still wooded, with almost 80 % of it for commercial use. More than 5,000 products are made from wood grown in our forests every day. The average use for each U.S. citizen is 200 board feet of lumber and 480 pounds of paper, plus numerous other products every year.

Forests are a renewable resource, and with proper management will continue to provide for future needs.

Forests are trees . . . and trees are our friends. So ...for Arbor Day (Friday, April 24th) take home a friend—plant a tree.

This information was provided by a Newsletter put out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Agriculture, with the assistance of DuPage County (April 1977).

Illinois Parks and Recreation 27 March/April 1981

PROJECT INSPIRE IS

The Department of Recreation and Park Administration, in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation at Indiana University, was awarded a 3-year grant by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped in 1978. The grant is entitled, "National Training Courses for College and University Recreation Educators on Provision of Community Recreation Service to Handicapped Children and Youth." This is a special project which develops, conducts, and evaluates a series of national, in-service institutes for college recreation educators. These institutes provide educators with an instructional framework to use when teaching students who are preparing for careers in community recreation. At present, many students entering the community recreation field are not being properly prepared to work with handicapped children and youth in community recreation programs. Project INSPIRE—Indiana Special Population Institutes for Recreation Educators—will help assure that the needs of these individuals are adequately met. Find below the relevant information for the next institute.

UPCOMING INSTITUTE

Central Michigan University: March 27-28, 1981 IN-SPIRE Institute for Recreation Educators; Contact: Dean Wallen, Bowe 125, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, OR Lou G. Powell, coordinator. Project INSPIRE, Department of Recreation and Park Administration, Room 133, HPER, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 28 March/April 1981