Theodore G. Munz S.J. Campus

Soon after Loyola Academy acquired this 60 acre site for the development of an athletic campus the Loyola Science Department saw an exceptional opportunity for environmental restoration and education.  Our project began with developing upland prairies on the steep slopes, then we restored the wetlands on the east edge and now we are restoring the river and its corridor.

The first phase is complete with the planting of five acres of prairies and special plantings for detention basins.  Perennial prairie plants have very deep and fibrous root systems which will stabilize the steep slopes.  These plants are well adapted to control runoff and filter nutrients and pesticides from the playing fields.  The wild flowers provide color throughout the growing season and the grasses add color and texture to the winter slopes. The prairie is in its third summer and the perennial wild flowers and native prairie grasses are well established.  The prairie has become a frequent study site for our Biology and environmental classes.

The wetland phase of the project is well along; the north wetland was cleared of invasive weeds and planted with native wetland plants in the spring of ’04 and the south wetland in ’05.  A control structure was installed this May to regulate the water level in the wetlands.  The wetlands are an important buffer between the upland fields and the river.  The wetlands are providing habitat to numerous frog species, turtles, ducks and wading birds.  Students and faculty are monitoring the gradual shift in the plant community as native species replace the invasive weeds that dominated the site.

The river repair is well underway this summer; we will restore 1600 feet of the river, its channel, banks and adjoining forest.  Much of the bank has been cleared of buckthorn brush and our E-Team volunteers have cleaned up trash, tires and some old appliances.  Our restoration will open the river to sun light so native plants can stabilize the eroded banks.  The stair-step logjams will be replaced with scattered rocks and boulders which will aerate the flowing water and provide diverse habitat for aquatic organisms.

We see extensive educational benefits from the project.  Our advanced Environmental Science and Biology classes have made several trips to the campus for water quality testing, invertebrate sampling, soil studies and plant identification.  Total academic use of the facility during the year ‘04 – ’05 was over 900 student hours.  129 E-Team volunteers contributed over 500 hours to the project.  The site is now accessible to Glenview residents by way of the community walking path along the river.  Our campus is becoming a demonstration site for land owners and community leaders interested in ecologically sensitive stewardship.

Our major partners in this effort have been the Village of Glenview and Friends of the Chicago River .  The prairie phase of the project was primarily funded by a grant from the IEPA section 319 of the Clean Waters Act.  The wetland restoration has been funded through grants from the Conservation Fund, the Brach Foundation and Rice Foundation.  The river restoration is funded by another IEPA 319 grant, the Scholl Foundation and a private donation.  We have additional grant applications pending to complete the project.