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Parks superintendent details Hinsdale—s Integrated Pest Management plan, tracks tree and turf work
Summary
Public-works and parks staff summarized the village—s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) activities, including turf seeding and aeration, prescribed prairie burns, tree treatments, rain-garden restorations, mosquito-abatement coordination, and plans for 2025.
John Fennell, superintendent of Parks and Forestry and the village—s pest-management coordinator, presented Hinsdale—s annual Integrated Pest Management (IPM) report and an outlook for 2025.
"Integrated pest management or IPM is a program which manages insects, disease, and weeds through environmentally sound and economically sensitive practices," Fennell said. He said the village uses best management practices first and relies on pesticides only as a last resort.
Fennell said public-services staff maintain more than 114 acres of turf in village parks and about 23 additional acres in other green spaces. In 2024 the village applied more than 3,500 pounds of bluegrass and perennial ryegrass seed, aerated over 16 acres, repaired irrigation infrastructure (including replacing 7 broken heads and adjusting 11 additional heads), and oversaw restorations of rain gardens and prairies.
The village performed prescribed burns at the Charleston Road Aquatic Garden (~1.5 acres) and at the Hinsdale Prairie (~3 acres) and reported positive native-plant responses. Fennell said the village has roughly 14,826 trees on public property; in 2024 staff treated hundreds of American elm trees for Dutch elm disease and ash trees for emerald ash borer, removed 212 public trees and planted 249.
Fennell recommended continuing scheduled aeration and overseeding at parks (Burlington, Burns, Robbins and Beck), further prairie and tree preservation work, targeted rain-garden restorations (seven rain gardens were rebuilt last year of 78 total), and continued coordination with Clark Mosquito Control and the Des Plaines Mosquito Abatement District for mosquito abatement.
Trustees thanked parks staff for the work and noted residents and businesses have given positive feedback on planting beds and planters in the village center.
