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Glencoe Beach Nature Passport

Explore the natural world of Glencoe Beach with our new Nature Passport! Designed for school-age kids, this hands-on activity guide is filled with fascinating information and fun challenges about the unique land, water, animals, rocks, and plants that call our shoreline home.

Passports are available for free at Glencoe Park District facilities, or you can download it here.

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ecological stewardship

Embracing sustainable practices and ecological stewardship, the Glencoe Park District is proud to introduce initiatives such as rain gardens, natural prairie land areas, bluff stabilization projects, and environmental education to the community. These endeavors not only enhance the beauty of our parks but also serve as crucial components in preserving biodiversity, managing stormwater runoff, and ensuring the safety and well-being of all who enjoy these natural spaces. Join us as we strive to harmonize environmental conservation with community recreation, creating spaces that are not only inviting but also sustainable for generations to come.

The Great Lakes were formed by glacial activity during the last Ice Age, around 12,000 years ago. As the massive ice sheets advanced and retreated, they carved out the basins that would eventually fill with meltwater, creating the lakes we see today. This geologic activity shaped the surrounding landscape, including the formation of dunes along our shoreline.

The Glencoe Beach shoreline is a dynamic ecosystem, shaped by wind, waves, and ice. Rocks play a role in preventing erosion, protecting infrastructure, and stabilizing the beach and bluff by absorbing wave energy. Without the rocks, the beach could lose more sand, and the bluff could become less stable.

While sandy beaches may appear permanent, they are constantly changing. Water levels on Lake Michigan rise and fall over time, while storms, waves, ice, and wind continually reshape the shoreline. During periods of high water and strong storms, significant amounts of sand can be washed away in just a few days. Shoreline protection measures, including rocks, help reduce the force of these waves and slow the loss of sand.

Healthy beaches require a balance between natural processes and thoughtful stewardship. The rocks work alongside the bluff support measures, native vegetation, and beach management efforts to help maintain the shoreline, protect wildlife habitat, and ensure that Glencoe Beach remains a safe and enjoyable place for future generations.

The bluff at Lakefront Park is composed of a mixture of clay, silt, sand, and rocks left behind as layers of glacial till. The glacial till is exposed to erosion from a variety of sources, which can lead to bluff instability. To combat instability, the Glencoe Park District uses a combination of natural elements like native plants and trees and man-made structures such as retaining walls, shoreline protection, and stormwater drainage to help combat erosion and stabilize the bluff. The Lakefront Park Bluff includes native plantings with long roots that help give it stability, as well as flowering plants (including Butterfly Weed, Prairie Phlox, and Prairie Sunflowers). There are also native grasses and shrubs, like Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, and Wild Rye, planted on the bluff.

Located in Shelton Park, our native prairie area supports a diverse array of plant and animal species that have adapted to this unique habitat. Native prairie areas can also help to reduce soil erosion and improve soil health by promoting deep root growth and preventing the loss of topsoil through wind and water erosion. Prairies are important for carbon sequestration and can help to mitigate the effects of climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They are an essential part of Illinois' natural heritage and ecosystem, and important for stormwater management. Their deep-rooted native plants act as natural sponges, absorbing and filtering stormwater runoff. This helps to reduce the volume and velocity of stormwater, which can prevent flooding and erosion. In addition, prairies can also help to improve water quality by trapping sediment and pollutants before they enter Lake Michigan.

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Located in Shelton Park and in parkland near Green Bay and South Avenue, Glencoe Park District installed two rain gardens in 2023. The rain gardens contain native plants, including Swamp Milkweed, Ohio Goldenrod, and Little Bluestem, to collect and absorb stormwater runoff. Their deep root systems filter the water by removing excess nutrients, sediments, and pollutants before entering the groundwater. By using well-adapted native plants, we hope our rain gardens will withstand drought and flooding, while providing food and habitat for local wildlife.

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