The Oak Lawn Park District is hosting a Conservation Jamboree featuring Monarch Festival on Saturday, September 21, at the Oak Lawn Park District Prairie, 105th Street and Menard Avenue in Oak Lawn. (Supplied photos)
Oak Lawn Park District’s Conservation Jamboree to feature Monarch Festival
The Oak Lawn Park District is hosting a Conservation Jamboree featuring Monarch Festival on Saturday, September 21, at the Oak Lawn Park District Prairie.The Oak Lawn Park District is taking its Monarch Festival to new heights this weekend.
Residents are invited out to recognize and take pride in Oak Lawn’s natural beauty with this new family fun event, the Oak Lawn Park District Conservation Jamboree combined with its annual Monarch Festival. The free event will be held on Saturday, September 21 at the Oak Lawn Park District Prairie, 105th Street and Menard Avenue in Oak Lawn.
“It’s important to keep in mind that Monarch Butterflies are pollinators, helping many different plant species,” said Justin Waters, Marketing Manager for the Oak Lawn Park District. “They also have a unique migration pattern that spans the entire continent. The species is in decline, so events like this are geared towards building awareness and education. Specifically for Oak Lawn residents, we want to inform them of what we do to help the Monarch, such as setting up pollinator gardens at our facilities, along with simple things they can do at home to help sustain the Monarch population.”
The Oak Lawn Park District is hosting a Conservation Jamboree featuring Monarch Festival on Saturday, September 21.
One way residents can get involved is by planting milkweed in their yards. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants and their flowers provide nectar for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
The Conservation Jamboree was created by the Oak Lawn Park District to celebrate all the efforts the Park District does to help preserve and protect natural areas, including the migration of the monarch butterflies, protection of native plants to increase pollination, and overall recycling efforts.
The event will also educate the public about one of its hidden gems, the Oak Lawn Park District Prairie and will feature vendors, games, educational walks, crafts, and picture opportunities with the park district’s mascot, Duke Mallard.
Monarch Festival was held at the Oak View Center for nearly a decade. “We felt it was time to change things up a bit and celebrate everything we do in addition to the Monarch Butterfly, including prescribed burns, protection of native plants, insects, birds, and animals in our area, and our overall recycling efforts,” said Waters.
Taking it outside to the Oak Lawn Park District Prairie made perfect sense, according to park district officials, because people can interact with the elements, rather than just see them inside on a table.
“We are looking forward to seeing people outside and interact with nature and learn all about native plants, animals, insects, in addition to what we’ve offered at Monarch Festival,” Waters said. “Like everything we do, it’s going to be fun for everyone.”
There are going to be specialists talking about the prairie and what it means to have a place like this in town and we hope people take advantage of it.
“We also hope that we can educate people about all the things we do as a district to protect our natural areas and learn from the people that care for outdoor spaces the effort it takes to do so,” Waters said. “We have pollinator gardens, do prescribed burns, have volunteers that plant flowers and native plants, and have people that donate food from our community garden. It’s a great way for people to learn about how they can get involved, as well.”
Oak Lawn Park District’s Executive Director, Tom Hartwig, agreed.
“We are excited to build off the success that Monarch Festival has had over the years with this new event,” Hartwig said. “There so much at the Oak Lawn Park District Prairie for people to learn about our conservation efforts in addition to what we do at the Park District for the Monarch Butterfly.”
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