The Lakota Group, aQity Research and Insights, and BerryDunn held a kickoff meeting for the Greenprint Master Plan Update on February 24, 2025 with staff and the Park Board Master Planning Project liaisons. Staff provided a progress update on the Master Plan progress.
Staff provided construction updates for the development of Club Pickle and Padel, the New Facility and Site Improvements at West Ridge Park, Park Avenue Boating Facility North Beach Improvements, and Sunset Woods Park Improvements.
March 18: Finance Committee Meeting
Staff reviewed the request for proposals for the 2025 Hidden Creek AquaPark and Rosewood Beach Concessions License.
Staff reviewed the bids via NIMEC (Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative) and Satori Energy for electricity rates for the entire District.
Staff would like to enter into a reciprocal agreement with the Glencoe Park District. Staff reviewed the proposed terms.
Staff reviewed and provided contractor recommendations for the Centennial Ice Arena Roof Top Unit Bid, the Centennial Ice Arena Dehumidification Unit Installation Bid, the Hidden Creek AquaPark Fence Improvements Project Bid, the Recreation Center of Highland Park Pool Filter Change, Pool Deck Renovation, and Pool Grate Replacement Bids.
Several maintenance vehicles and equipment have met their useful lives and need to be replaced. Staff reviewed the recommended vehicle and equipment purchases.
March 19: Regular Meeting of the Park Board
The Park Board of Commissioners approved the Rejection of the 2025 Centennial Ice Arena Roof Top Unit Replacement Bids, the Purchase of 2025 Capital Replacement Tractor, the 2025 Centennial Ice Arena Dehumidification Unit Installation, the 2025 Renewal of the 2023 Weeding & Landscape Services Bid, the 2025 Hidden Creek AquaPark Fence Improvements Project Bid, the 2025 Renewal of the 2023 Routine Grounds Maintenance – South Route Bid, the 2025 Renewal of the 2023 Routine Grounds Maintenance – North Route Bid, the 2025 Recreation Center of Highland Park Pool Filter Change, Pool Deck Renovation, and Pool Grate Replacement, the Dynegy Energy Services, LLC Electric Service Agreement bid via Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative (NIMEC), the 2025 Hidden Creek AquaPark and Rosewood Beach Concessions License Agreement with Judy’s Pizzeria, the Purchase of an Electric Transit Van, and Ordinance 2025-04: Authorizing and Providing for the Conveyance or Sale of Surplus Personal Property.
Staff evaluated the 2025 capital plan vehicle replacement list and determined that three 4×4 pick-up trucks have met their useful life and need to be replaced. Staff recommended purchasing three gas-powered trucks through the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative. While the purchases were under budget, the Park Board of Commissioners requested staff explore electric vehicle options.
Staff provided an annual report for the Recreation Center of Highland Park comparing budgeted vs actual programming revenues, expenses, and membership utilization.
The Park Board of Commissioners went into closed session pursuant to Section 2(c)1: The employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees, specific individuals who serve as independent contractors in a park, recreational, or educational setting, or specific volunteers of the public body or legal counsel for the public body. The Park Board of Commissioners reconvened into open session and approved a six-month contract extension to the Employment Agreement for the Executive Director and a new Employment Agreement for the Executive Director.
For kids, some of summer’s most wonderful adventures happen outdoors. In the woods. On a trail. At the beach. Around a campfire. At your Park District, all of those sights, sounds, and experiences are possible at our popular Nature Camps. Registration is in full swing, and these camps fill fast. (Girl’s Outdoor Challenge already has a waitlist!)
There’s plenty of information about these exciting Nature Camps, but we also get requests to put it all in one place. So, here we go. (No sunscreen required).
HIGH TIDE, LOW TIDE
If playing with friends on the beach along the shore of Lake Michigan, swimming almost every day, building towering sandcastles, seeing how the tides change the landscape, and finding newly uncovered treasures sounds like your kind of summer, then this is your camp.
Each week has a different theme that includes a local field trip, swimming lessons at Hidden Creek AquaPark, and fun activities like meeting live animals, creating one-of-a-kind artwork, fishing, scavenger hunts at The Preserve and so much more of what the Park District has to offer.
“One of the very special things that these campers get to experience at Rosewood Beach is seeing bullfrogs in the ravine… and hearing them sing!,” said Meghan Meredith, Program Manager at Heller Nature Center. Now there’s a memory that will last a lifetime!
High Tide, Low Tide is for rising 1st and 2nd graders. New this year, you can register for one week at a time, to fit your family’s vacation schedule. Register for four weeks or more and you’ll get a discount. But as you know, “Time and Tide Wait For No Man,” so sign up soon!
NATURE ADVENTURES CAMP
Eight great weeks await, each with its own nature-focused theme! And yes, this year you can pick the weeks that fit your schedule.
Designed for all kids ages 8–11, this camp is chock full of all the exciting activities that make summer camp so memorable. Encouraged by our experienced, caring counselors, every camper enjoys the healthy physical and mental play that inspires creativity every day. Outdoor fun includes wandering through the woods at Heller Nature Center and finding wildlife large and very small. Geocaching—those mini treasure hunts using GPS—is always a camp favorite. There’s lots of exploring at The Preserve and Danny Cunniff Park, learning about nature close up with unique and fascinating activities like pond dipping (don’t knock it ’til you’ve dipped!), fishing, and canoeing. We travel to some of the best indoor adventure sites for rock climbing and more on weekly field trips.
If being outdoors in summer means nature-based activities with a team of like-minded adventurers (rather than a team of sports enthusiasts), check out the wide world of nature that comes your way in this special camp. As Meghan says, “You never know what wonders you’ll find when you turn over that next log!”
OVERNIGHT ADVENTURES CAMP
Take your summer camp experience to the next level as you take on the challenges that come with the team building, fire building, life-skills building, and confidence building activities at the core of this 3-week camp for ages 11–14. Mark Bryant, Heller’s Naturalist and host of our popular video series “Wild Insights with Mark Bryant” leads campers as they boldly go into the woods, tackle the Teams Course, climb the crates, discover their hidden strengths—leadership, communication, empathy, ziplining, axe throwing(!)—and prepare for the overnight camping trips in weeks 2 and 3.
Every exciting week also includes paddle sports at the Skokie Lagoons, tips and tricks of successful outdoor cooking—including those new fire-building skills—learning to connect with the great outdoors in real-time, and gaining a whole new perspective on the world.
The featured events are, of course, the overnight camping trips. This year, in week 2, we’re off to Pratt Wayne Woods, the largest Forest Preserve in DuPage County for outdoor exploring, bonding with new friends, and a fun night of live-fire cooking—and s’mores!
During Week 3 our overnight is at the beautiful Chain O’ Lakes State Park, with exceptional hiking trails, abundant fishing, and wildlife at every turn. Outdoor cooking, campfire fun, and creating lasting friendships are the hallmarks of why kids come back year after year.
Don’t wait. Sign up for these adventures before they’re gone!
You can find out about these camps, and dozens more, 24/7 on our website. Summer’s coming and our counselors are ready. All we need is you!
Until next time… See you around the parks!
Are you ready to write the next chapter for your Park District? Our parks, trails, and recreation facilities are more than just places—they are the heart of Highland Park. These vibrant spaces bring families together, offer children a place to play, provide athletes with grounds to compete, and allow everyone a chance to connect and find community. The Park District of Highland Park is excited to launch the New GreenPrint Master Planning project — a community-based process to continue enhancing the quality of life in Highland Park and respond to your needs.
The GreenPrint Master Planning team will gather resident ideas, aspirations, and concerns at the Egg Hunt events at Sunset Woods Park on Saturday, April 5 from 9:30-11am, and at the Recreation Center of Highland Park from 11:30am-1pm.
The New GreenPrint Master Plan is our commitment to ensuring that our beloved parks and recreation system continues to serve everyone, now and into the future. Your voice is crucial in shaping a future that keeps our community at its best.
At last Friday’s annual Champion’s Celebration, we honored incredible individuals and organizations making a lasting impact in our community. We are thrilled to share more about each of our award recipients—below, you’ll find articles highlighting their inspiring stories.
Pictured: Cal Bernstein, Park District Board President, and Brian Romes, Park District Executive Director
For more than two decades, Cal Bernstein has been a guiding light at the Park District and in our Highland Park community. This year, it is our great pleasure to present him with the award named for the past Executive Director of the Park District of Highland Park—the Liza McElroy Legacy Award.
25 years ago, Cal was well-known in our recreation department as a great coach of the Park District’s House-League Baseball Teams and the Travel Baseball League. Eric Golmon, long-time Athletic Supervisor for the District, has fond memories of those days. “Cal would always have his dad coach the kids with him. They were huge Cubs fans, and always wanted their teams to be called the Cubs,” Eric said. He continued, “The kids loved Coach Cal, and called his dad Coach Poppi. One of the first things the players learned from Poppi was a chant they used against opposing pitchers. Coach would yell “Cubbies” and the kids would answer “Woo”! So all the pitcher could hear was a constant Cubbies – Woo! Cubbies – Woo! It was great!”
Sports and coaching runs in the family. Poppi introduced Cal to baseball, took him to an infinite number of Cubs games and inspired a love of all things sports. Cal coached both of his sons, Joey and Jason, and they both went on to coach youth baseball leagues at the Park District. It’s a key part of the wonderful Bernstein legacy in Highland Park that has brought joy to so many people in the community.
Golmon thinks one of Coach Cal’s winning teams was called the Devil Rays. “People still talk about that team,” he said, “and everyone knows Jason Goldstein who went on to play at the University of Illinois and was drafted by the Dodgers in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft.”
Cal’s love of baseball and his love for youth sports in Highland Park are an important part of his legacy at the Park District. Executive Director Brian Romes added, “Cal has always cared deeply about providing the best opportunities for young players in Highland Park.”
As a former member of the City of Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals and as a charter member of the Highland Park Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Cal has been dedicated to serving the community for many years. In 2007, Cal was elected to the Board of Park Commissioners, and for the past 18 years he has provided us with his unique insight, forward thinking, and bold leadership. As a Board member and currently as President—serving in that capacity for the very first time this past year—Cal has chaired the Finance Committee and a number of advisory committees. Beginning in October 2017, Cal chaired the Sunset Valley Golf Club Renovation Committee, overseeing the extensive 18-month, $7 million project that made the historic course a must-play destination for golfers. He has played a critical role in the success of the GreenPrint 2024 Master Plan as the Park Board liaison on the project team.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance Cal has had on the growth of the Park District, the programs and events we offer, and the impact his foresight and vision have had on the communities of Highland Park and Highwood.
Liza McElroy came to the Park District of Highland Park in 2009, having been the Executive Director in Winnetka for 28 years. Cal had already been on the Park Board for 18 months, and Liza remembers that among the many important questions Cal posed in her interview were the very direct ones about youth baseball. “Winnetka Park District had a parent-run baseball program,” said Liza, “but Cal was so passionate about the Park District running the house-league program in his community that he made it a point to make sure I was 100% on board with that and wasn’t going to change it. That was my first indication of how important the District’s youth sports programs were to Cal.”
“For Cal, family is first,” Liza said, “but the Cubs are right up there, as are his beloved Wisconsin Badgers! And, there was always equal time given to girls’ sports.” 15 years ago, for girls in middle school sports were not necessarily a priority, “but Cal and the other commissioners made it a goal to increase girls’ participation in sports.” For Cal, that included coaching his daughter Molly in basketball, and going to every one of her figure skating performances.
Girls sports continue to be a powerful force at the Park District, perhaps best exemplified by the Girls Play Strong program, developed by the Recreation Staff and championed by Cal, which is now one of the premier summer sports camps for girls in Illinois.
“When I think about Cal,” said Liza, “I think about how much he loves this community. He and our other Commissioners always put their personal goals aside and do what’s best for the community, for the kids and their families. That’s why his accomplishments will last. Because they made the community better.”
That goes well beyond sports, and deep into the long-term strategies that Cal brought to the Board. In 2013 the District had a Capital Plan. It was a good plan. But it wasn’t a Comprehensive Master Plan. Cal was the biggest advocate for that and he was involved from start to finish. Liza made it clear, “that Comprehensive Plan is one of our most important documents, and one of the main reasons the Park District continues to be successful year after year.”
Brian Romes added, “Cal has high expectations and always shows his appreciation for the hard work the Park District staff does. He often asks tough questions, but they are the right questions, and that’s the mark of a great leader.”
Those of us who know Cal, have worked with him and have watched him shape the Park District he loves, will understand what Liza thought when what was then called The Legacy Award was first developed during her time as Executive Director. “I remember thinking that one day Cal is truly the person who should be given this honor.”
All of us at the Park District could not agree more, and we’re so happy to be able to celebrate Cal Bernstein with the now appropriately named Liza McElroy Legacy Award. He is a true Champion.
Pictured: Luisa Espinosa-Lara, School Community Liaison, and Jessica Soto, Assistant Director of Recreation
De Padre a Estudiante at Highland Park High School is our 2025 Community Partner Award winner!
Family is a powerful force. The families who make up De Padre a Estudiante in Highland Park and Highwood work tirelessly to educate our communities, build bridges connecting cultures, create long-lasting relationships with people and organizations, and perhaps most importantly ensure that their children—students at Highland Park High School—can navigate the path to success in high school and college. That path is often filled with obstacles for parents whose own educational experiences in other countries do not match the requirements their students are expected to meet, making it harder to provide the basic knowledge of how things work in the high school system—things we take for granted having grown up here and come through that system—so they can support their kids during a critical time in their education.
Luisa Espinosa-Lara is the School Community Liaison at Highland Park High School. She, too, is a powerful force and a guiding light for families in Highland Park and Highwood. Since its inception in 2014, the goal of the De Padre a Estudiante program at HPHS has been to provide a social-emotional program for Latino parents. Luisa has been leading the group for the last 3 years. Parents have weekly 2-hour meetings at the high school, they bring in speakers for workshops, and host a book club. Hispanos Unidos provides babysitting for the parents who come to De Padre a Estudiante. The group members go on field trips to important cultural institutions across Chicagoland and attend state-wide conferences. They educate themselves so they can educate their students and other families. All are welcome, and everyone is better because of their efforts. Their story, their goal, and their importance to families in Highland Park and Highwood is much, much bigger than what we’re presenting here. These are kind, generous people. They are people in your community you should get to know.
Social media is an important communications tool for the group. Their Facebook page, HPPS de padre a estudiante is run by Luisa. It has 367 followers and provides a wealth of information, in Spanish and English, so parents can help their students be successful in high school.
De Padre a Estudiante, and Luisa, have connected with the Park District in deep and meaningful ways, bringing Latin culture to our programs and events, and bringing together people from up and down the north shore and the surrounding suburbs. The parents say that De Padre a Estudiante is their voice in the high school. Their voices are now heard across the Park District at the annual Día de los Muertos celebration, in our Spanish Immersion Summer Camp, and so many other programs and events. They bring joy to all of us at the Park District, and we’re grateful for that.
Luisa has also had a significant and long-lasting impact on the Latino community through her work on the Parks Foundation of Highland Park’s Board of Directors. Scholarship funds raised by the Foundation allow Highland Park/Highwood residents of all ages to enjoy the Park District’s athletic and recreational programs and summer camps. Of particular importance, the FYI Learn-to-Swim programs are available for qualifying Highwood families and cover 50% of the fees.
It is with great pleasure, and sincere humility, that we celebrate De Padre a Estudiante at Highland Park High School as our Community Partner for 2025.
Pictured: Katie Wiswald, Highland Park Bank & Trust Vice President, and Brian Romes, Park District Executive Director
Highland Park Bank & Trust is our Community Business Partner of the Year!
When bank president, Jon Levey, took the helm of Highland Park Bank & Trust, our local Wintrust Community Bank, 10 years ago, one of the first decisions he made was to engage with the Park District as our premier corporate sponsor. As a result, Levey increased the Bank’s commitment to the District and Highland Park Bank & Trust became our first corporate champion. That support has been critical to the success of many programs and events we offer. We are profoundly grateful to Jon, the Bank and Wintrust for their continued efforts on our behalf.
Jon said, “A healthy, thriving community almost always has as one of its anchors a really successful, healthy, and thriving Park District. The facilities and programs that the Park District provides are absolutely integral to the fabric—the quilt as it were—that is our community.” As Parks & Recreation professionals, that’s our goal every day. Having a business partner as committed to the community as we are makes us a better District.
Personally, Jon has been intensely involved in all things Highland Park since moving here almost 25 years ago. “One of the main reasons we chose our house was because it backs up to the largest park, where our whole family could take advantage of being able to walk to the playground, use the courts, and enjoy the open space.” His son and daughter, now adults, were what we like to call Park District Kids, participating in a wide variety of the sports programs at the District.
Many of you know Jon because he has always been a strong proponent of community service. He is active in many Highland Park and Highwood community groups and organizations, including serving on the Board of the Highland Park Community Foundation— where Jon serves as Secretary of the Governing Board and chairs the Investment Committee—as well as serving on the advisory board for Community Partners for Affordable Housing, the board of the Anti-Defamation League Midwest, previously serving on the Steering Committee for Highland Park’s 150th Anniversary in 2019, as well as many other community and non-profit boards and committees. We appreciate that his dedication to the community has forged this important business alliance between the bank and the Park District.
“The dedicated Park District staff has done a tremendous job building first-class facilities that our community is proud of,” said Jon. “When you think of Highland Park, you think of the beaches, the tennis and pickleball courts, the multiple parks, green spaces, and walking paths, the sports programs for kids, the workout facilities for adults, our world-class public golf course—and that’s why the community is so connected to the Park District.”
We deeply appreciate those kind words, and we are proud to celebrate Jon Levey, Highland Park Bank & Trust, and Wintrust as our Community Business Partner of the Year!
Pictured: Tyler Jacobs, Park District Coach, and Jessica Soto, Assistant Director of Recreation
Our 2025 Coach of the Year is Tyler Jacobs!
The Park District’s travel baseball program is one of our best. It’s uniquely important to young players who truly love the sport. If you’re the parent of a ballplayer who is passionate about the game, Tyler is the guy you want coaching your kid.
Tyler is a Highland Park native. Like so many of you, he grew up in the parks. He played Baker Ball, coached by the great Marv Baker, and started playing travel baseball on the Park District team when he was 9 years old. Tyler said, “I had a bunch of great coaches when I was playing baseball, but one named Chris took an interest in our team and had a really big influence on me.” That’s all it takes. One great coach can change a kid’s life, and now that’s what Tyler is doing for the ballplayers on his travel baseball teams.
Troy Hoffman, one of our Athletic Supervisors, said Tyler has been working at the Park District since he was about 16 years old, as a camp counselor and a coach. Tyler added, “I pretty much worked everything at the Park District, from flag football to Jr. Varsity Sports Camp and Varsity Camp — I’ve touched it all.” He also played varsity ball in high school and is a 2023 graduate of the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.
Hoffman had some other things to say about Tyler that will give you an idea of why he is so deserving of this award. “He’s an incredibly dedicated, selfless coach who invests 110% of himself in the program. He’s always at the ballfield early, and he’s always the last one to leave. Tyler is driven to get the most out of his players, in the best possible way. He has a great way of being intense, of showing a player what he needs to do, and it just works. It’s hard to describe, but fun to watch. When it comes to being a coach, he’s excellent at it.”
In summer 2024, Tyler coached the Highland Park 13U White team. In the fall, he started coaching the 10U Blue team. And yes, his players are passionate about the game. Because that’s what they see in their leader.
Tyler said, “My favorite part of coaching is demonstrating a strong work ethic and being a role model for the players.” And then he adds, “I try to make them better humans, as well.” That’s why you want Tyler Jacobs coaching your kids.
It gives us great pleasure to celebrate Tyler Jacobs as our Coach of the Year!
Pictured: Elliot Richardson, Park District Coach, and Jessica Soto, Assistant Director of Recreation
Elliot Richardson is an important part of our successful sports programs here at the Park District, and we are so pleased to honor him with the award as our Volunteer Coach of the Year!
Elliot is originally from Morton Grove, and he and his family have lived on the Northshore for more than 15 years. He first got involved in coaching youth sports to spend time with his kids as they were growing up. Elliot coached baseball, coached his younger son in football for many years, and his daughter in the Highland Park girls’ feeder basketball program. Being a part of their lives on the football and baseball fields, and on the basketball courts, has been very meaningful to Elliot.
The summer of 2024 was a critical juncture for the Highland Park Youth Football program. It was relaunching its own program after participating in a Co-op program with Deerfield. Elliot’s experience with youth sports programs has been essential to the success of that revitalization. “There are so many dedicated people at the Park District, on the high school coaching staff, at the Giants Football fund, and throughout the community who worked very hard to restart the Highland Park youth football program. I was just happy to be a part of it.” That’s a typically humble statement, but we know we could not have done it without him. Troy Hoffman, Athletic Supervisor at the Park District, has known and worked alongside Elliot since 2018. Troy said, “Elliot has been a great advisor for me personally, and especially for the athletic staff at the Park District. He really understands the dynamics of youth football.”
Why coach youth sports? “I really enjoy teaching and motivating kids and showing them how to be part of a team,” Elliot said. “It’s about bringing our youth athletes together, creating a positive environment, and helping them grow as players and teammates.” We couldn’t agree more. It’s what great coaches do. It’s what Elliot does for the kids in our sports programs. He continued, “I have also found families to be engaged and encouraging, which is so important to a young athlete’s success. We work to create a strong community.”
All of us at the Park District are grateful to have Elliot as part of our team. His knowledge, his energy, and his commitment to our youth sports programs make us a better Park District, and he’s been a wonderful, positive influence on young athletes in our community.
We are proud to celebrate our friend Elliot Richardson as Volunteer Coach of the Year!
The Park Board and project team broke ground on Wednesday, March 12, for the new recreation center at West Ridge Park. The center will feature a 10,000-square-foot gymnastics gym, a 1,500-square-foot dance studio, three state-of-the-art childhood enrichment rooms, a community gathering room, and an event lawn.
“Together we are building an extraordinary recreation center, more importantly we are building community,” said Park Board President Cal Bernstein. “Residents of all ages will fill these spaces to build life skills, friendships, and lasting memories that will sustain for generations to come.”
Estimated completion of the new recreation center at West Ridge Park is early 2026.
Staff reviewed Ordinance #2025-02, An Ordinance Amending the Appropriation Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2024 that will transfer a total of $145,000 from Recreation Fund Item Type 610, Salaries and Wages to Recreation Fund Item Types 680, Cost of Goods Sold, 650, Maintenance & Landscaping, and 720, Capital Outlay, in the amounts of $36,000, $100,000, and $10,000, respectively; plus a transfer of $20,000 from General Fund Item Type 610, Salaries and Wages to General Fund Item Type 660, Utilities; lastly, a transfer of $18,459.28 from Special Recreation Fund Item Type 620, Contractual Services to Special Recreation Fund Item Type 720, Capital Outlay.
Staff reviewed Resolution 2025-02 to allow the bidding of electricity for the District from Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative and Satori Energy.
Staff provided construction updates for the New Facility and Site Improvements at West Ridge Park, Club Pickle and Padel, and the Recreation Center of Highland Park (landscaping plan for shared parking lot located at 1207 Park Avenue West, emergency repairs due to flooding, and the proposal from Williams Architects to provide architectural and engineering services for Phase Two of the locker room renovation).
Staff reviewed and provided contractor recommendations for the Park Avenue Dredging bid results and the Larry Fink Tot Lot Renovation bid results.
February 24: Master Planning Committee Meeting
The Lakota Group (designers, planners, and communication experts), aQity Research and Insights (survey consultant), and BerryDunn (Recreation Services Assessment consultant) held a kickoff meeting for the Greenprint Master Plan Update.
February 26: Regular Meeting of the Park Board
The Park Board of Commissioners approved the 2025 Park Avenue Dredging Project Bid, the 2025 Larry Fink Tot Lot Renovation Bid, the New Recreation Facility at West Ridge Park Construction Material Testing Proposal, the Williams Architects Recreation Center of Highland Park Locker Room Shower Area Remodeling Proposal, Ordinance 2025-02 An Ordinance Amending the Appropriation Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2024, Ordinance 2025-03: Authorizing and Providing for the Conveyance or Sale of Surplus Personal Property, and Resolution 2025-02 Authorizing the Purchase of Electricity for Park District Facilities and Meters and Authorizing the Director to Approve a Contract with the Lowest Cost Electricity Provider for a period up to 3 years.
Staff provided an annual report for Heller Nature Center and the Rosewood Interpretive Center comparing budgeted vs actual programming revenues, expenses, and participant utilization.
Saturday, April 5 • 9-9:15am
Dog Egg Hunt
Sound off! Your dog will help sniff out eggs that are filled with treats special for pups! One handler age 18 or older per dog. All dogs must remain on leash for the entire event, be at least 4 months old to participate, and wear current rabies tags. This event is free; however, owner registration is recommended to receive the detailed information.
Designed just for the little ones! Bring your Tots to climb, play, and discover hidden treasures as they collect colorful eggs throughout the playground!
Step into a world of inclusivity and wonder at our Sensory-Friendly Egg Hunt, a heartwarming event that embraces the joy of the season while accommodating the unique needs of individuals with sensory sensitivities. This one-of-a-kind egg hunt is thoughtfully designed to ensure that everyone can join in the fun, fostering an environment of understanding, compassion, and, above all, celebration.
This hunt is specifically for children ages 3-14 with disabilities.
Don’t be late for this Very Important Date! Featuring scenes and characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and thousands of plastic eggs filled with treats, the Wonderland Egg Hunt is family fun for children and their parents.
This event for families is free; however, registration is recommended to receive detailed information.
Hop on over and join the GreenPrint Master Plan team on April 5 at Sunset Woods Park as the Park District of Highland Park kicks off this planning process! We’re excited to engage with you and gather your initial ideas, aspirations, and concerns.
We will start the day engaging with residents at the Egg Hunt event at Sunset Woods Park from 9:30-11am, and then move to the Recreation Center from 11:30am-1pm. Find our booth at either location to get involved!
Your insights are crucial to shaping the future of our community. Let’s build a vibrant future for Highland Park together!
Join us at the Recreation Center of Highland Park’s indoor pool for our Floating Egg Hunt event! There will be hundreds of eggs to swim for and collect, make sure to bring your own basket. Guests are welcomed to stay and swim afterwards until their group time slot is over. The egg hunt begins promptly at the times listed so please arrive early for check-in!
Age Groups (max of 25 per time slot)
Ages 3–5* starts promptly 1:00–1:45pm
Ages 6–10 start promptly at 2:00–2:45pm
*Parents are allowed in the water to help their non-swimming children. Life jackets are available.
Recreation Center of Highland Park 1207 Park Avenue West
Thursday, April 10 • 8-9pm
Glow and Egg-Splore – Flashlight Egg Hunt
Join us for an egg-citing twist on the traditional egg hunt—designed just for the “older kids”! Each child participant must be registered, and accompanied by an adult (adult need not register).
Ages 8-12
Location: This unique event takes place at night in a secret park location, revealed one week prior to the event. Registered participants will receive all the details ahead of time.
Keep your kids busy and active during spring break and participate in one of our programs during the week of March 24-28!
Friday, March 21 – Friday, March 28 • 9am-3pm
STREAM Explorers Spring Break Camp
The STREAM Explorers Spring Break Camp offers a fun experience for children during spring break. Held at West Ridge Center, this camp features a variety of activities in Science, Technology, Recreation, Environment, Art, and More. Participants will engage in hands-on technology projects, creative art activities, exciting recreational games, and environmental explorations. The camp provides an ideal way for kids to spend their spring break, making new friends and exploring new interests in a dynamic and supportive environment.
Ahoy! Become a pirate and follow the tracks in the sand to discover where animals have hidden their treasure. Create treasure boxes to collect our treasures of stones, fossils and sea glass along the shore.
This is a drop off program. Pre-registration required. Program is outdoors so please dress for the weather. Participants also attending Mix, Splatter, Sculpt may bring a peanut-free sack lunch and stay at Rosewood between programs.
Using natural elements, sculpt some clay animal figures, crate splatter paintings, and mix up a new color for your nature art pieces.
This is a drop off program. Pre-registration required. Program is outdoors so please dress for the weather. Participants also attending Tracks to Treasures may bring a peanut-free sack lunch and stay at Rosewood between programs.
Become a member of the Sasquatch search squad! Follow a map and investigate clues through the forest. Keep alert for signs like footprints and tree markings. Each clue draws you deeper into the mystery: where is the Sasquatch?
This is a drop-off program. Pre-registration required. Program is outdoors so please dress for the weather. Participants also attending Incredible Insects may bring a peanut-free sack lunch and stay at Heller Nature Center between programs.
Who’s hiding at Heller? Join our Heller naturalists for a day of rolling over logs and peaking under stones to find out what insects live in our woods and what kinds of homes they prefer. Then, we will capture a few to observe before releasing them back into the wild!
This is a drop-off program. Pre-registration is required. The program is outdoors, so please dress for the weather. Participants also attending Sasquatch Search Squad may bring a peanut-free sack lunch and stay at Heller Nature Center between programs.
Participants will get a chance to use tools and practice motor skills as they work on a project they get to bring home at the end of the day. When your creation is ready, test it out!
This is a drop off program. Pre-registration required. Program is outdoors so please dress for the weather. Participants also attending Wild Powers may bring a peanut-free sack lunch and stay at Rosewood between programs.
Come on a Creature Mission! Imagine that you had the powers of some of our forest animals, how WILD! Learn about some animal characteristics or “powers” that can help us on our wild mission to save our furry forest animals.
This is a drop off program. Pre-registration required. Program is outdoors so please dress for the weather. Participants also attending Make, Create, Build It! may bring a peanut-free sack lunch and stay at Rosewood between programs.
How do animals stay warm in the winter? Join Mark on the snowy trails of Heller Nature Center and discover how some of our aquatic friends survive the cold.
By Melanie O’Brien, Restoration Technician with our Natural Areas Department
The winter landscape at Heller Nature Center currently sports some curious clues about our ongoing restoration work. Behind the nature center, neon pink tags adorn native understory trees and shrubs, such as Hazelnut and Redbud. Piles of brush, dark burn scars among the leaf litter, and patches of scorched ground and vegetation in our northern prairie might have piqued your interest. The Park District’s natural areas crew, along with hardworking members of our volunteer program, have been busy taking advantage of the benefits of these cold months!
You might think outdoor work slows down with the plunging temperatures, but winter weather makes important restoration techniques possible. The cooler weather and low humidity of late fall produces dead leaves and vegetation, which means plenty of fuel and optimal atmospheric conditions that make prescription burns possible. Prescription burning has been part of Illinois’s ecosystems for thousands of years; our native plants have evolved and adapted alongside wildfire and the indigenous peoples of Illinois used controlled fire to clear brush and provide space for game and hunting. At Heller Nature Center, our natural areas crew utilizes controlled fire as a cost-effective tool to control non-native species such as buckthorn and honeysuckle. The blackened, exposed ground you see in our north and south prairies also provides excellent conditions for seeds of native flowers and grasses to germinate and thrive come spring.
When December and January turn frigid, trees, plants, and insect life are dormant. This winter, our crew and volunteer members focus on our oak and hickory woodlands, cutting invasive brush and removing the plant material through brush pile burns, a method that leaves a distinctive ground scar that can be reused for multiple burns. In these dormant conditions, plant matter can be disturbed and removed without causing harm to living insects and plants. When the ground is frozen, the soil won’t be torn up or trampled as crew members and volunteers (carefully) walk the woods and haul cut brush, performing the important work of creating excellent growing conditions for native woodland flowers that thrive in Heller’s open woodlands, such as Trout Lily, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Red Trillium.
Heller’s outdoor winter workload can benefit more than our Park District’s native habitats – it can benefit your health as well! If you’re tired of the treadmill, or want to experience a little more sunlight during these short days, or simply need a breath of fresh air, why not attend a weekly volunteer workday hosted by our natural areas team? Volunteer workdays take place every Friday, 9-11am, all year around, with tools and training provided by our crew of experienced restoration technicians. Cutting and hauling brush is such great exercise, you won’t even need to depend on our burn pile to keep warm! If you’d like to be added to our list of volunteers and receive our workday emails, please contact our Natural Areas Manager, Liz Ricketts, at [email protected].
Winter only feels like it lasts forever; before long, the ground thaws, the trees bud, and green shoots grow toward the warming air. The soil where a stand of dense buckthorn grew the previous year is blanketed in native ephemerals like Bloodroot, Rue Anemone and Mayapple. These positive changes to our native habitats wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing interests and efforts of our Park District community, or without the boons we gain in our coldest months. When we look at the big picture, it’s not hard to envision wintertime as a fruitful season.
