Montrose Dunes Designated an Illinois

Natural Areas Inventory Site

Public education and outreach are important elements of dune stewardship. Julian Rodriguez, an eighth grader at Waters School in Chicago, pulls a mammoth cottonwood sapling at a Montrose Beach Dunes workday.

The Montrose Beach Dunes (this is the official state name) located on the lakefront at Montrose Beach were recently designated an Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) site by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The INAI is a statewide list of high-quality natural areas. This is the first time a Chicago Park District parcel has been recognized as an INAI site.

The dunes, which cover a 9.25-acre natural area owned by the Chicago Park District in Cook County, are located at the east end of Montrose Beach, Chicago's largest beach. The site has been under restoration for the past six years by the Park District and many dedicated volunteers. The goal of the restoration is to encourage the growth of native grasses, sedges, rushes, and other plant life adapted to beach, dunes and swales in the area. Volunteers monitor several state-listed plant species for the Chicago Botanic Garden's Plants of Concern Program, as well as monitor resident and migratory birds.

The move for INAI designation came about last summer after Debra Nelson, a heritage biologist from the IDNR, was consulted on ways to control several troublesome invasive species at the site. Nelson and a colleague visited the dunes and were immediately impressed by the unique flora and fauna, including uncommon geological features such as a panne (a wet depression in a dune/swale system). Nelson noted that pannes are "globally imperiled with fewer than 200 acres worldwide." IDNR subsequently nominated the site for INAI status. The lengthy application and supporting documentation were approved by the Natural Areas Evaluation Committee in Springfield in early October.

The INAI designation opens the door for further protection and enhancement of Montrose Beach Dunes. Several changes will soon go into effect at the site to increase protection of its flora and fauna. The fence around the dune, which has been in place for five years and sustained much wear and tear, will be dismantled so that sand, snow, and ice can move around freely in the unique habitat over the winter. A new fence will be installed in the spring. The Park District will also put up temporary signs demarcating the habitat. There will also be some ongoing thinning of the large cottonwood trees on the big dune, which will reduce the need for volunteers to weed the thousands of cottonwood seedlings that crop up each year (the trees produce millions of fluffy seeds that sprout in damp sand).

If you are interested in volunteering at the Montrose Beach Dunes, please contact Leslie Borns, site steward, at birdperson@juno.com.