A team effort: Bike clubs, nature lovers take part in Earth Day clean-up events
Those of us old enough to celebrate the first Earth Day (1970) connect the modern environmental movement’s birth with current efforts to tidy up our planet.
Saturday, April 26, brings together cleanup volunteers to two lengthy suburban trails that transport walkers, bikers, joggers, photographers, birders and sundry nature lovers from Cook to Kane County and onward to DeKalb County.
Winfield resident Don Kirchenberg, volunteer chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trails, claims April 26 as the GWT cleanup’s 30th anniversary. Four volunteers working on Lombard’s 2.5 mile stretch of the trail in 1995 grew to include “probably a thousand people across all 30 trail miles,” Kirchenberg said.
Illinois Prairie Path’s annual cleanup, stretching back even longer, is also April 26. Volunteers can select a specific trail section at ipp.org/cleanup. GWT volunteers should contact Kirchenberg at frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com.
Rain or shine
“Both are rain-or-shine events,” Kirchenberg said. “Municipalities gear their crews and equipment on Monday morning post-event to pick up trash bags placed in designated spots.”
Familiar with both trails, he served as IPP board president from 2001-2006.
The two cleanups share similarities: assigned trail sections, section coordinators, cooperating municipalities and, besides plenty of individuals, participation from churches, food co-ops, bike clubs, social agencies, businesses and government officials.
Among the latter, per Kirchenberg, are DuPage County Board members Grant Eckhoff (4th District) and Greg Schwarze (6th), plus West Chicago Alderman Sandy Dimas (4th Ward). Dimas’s crew, including Mayor Ruben Pineda, cleaned the GWT from Sassafras Drive past the Route 59 bridge.
Schwarze, a retired 28-year professional firefighter and former Carol Stream village trustee, and wife Julia, Carol Stream village clerk, lead “Team Schwarze.” Since 2023, they’ve collected trash along the Gary to Schmale roads section. Previously, they’d led groups in the Carol Stream Pond and Stream sweeps.
“Both of us are big fans of the GWT,” Schwarze said. “As a longtime Carol Stream firefighter, I spent many years at our Station 29, corner of St. Charles and Schmale. I was very familiar with this stretch, as the firehouse would receive alarms of various nature out on this trail.”
Kirchenberg also credited annual efforts by members of Elmhurst Bicycle Club and Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club.
He especially extolled Dave Gorman, Lombard’s public works assistant director since 2006.
“Gorman is best at what he does because he gives it his all. Due to Dave's leadership and commitment, both trails are in the best shape. One example of his leadership is the online signup for Lombard cleanups. That idea should be adopted across DuPage and the region.”
Lombard Pride cleanup
Per Gorman, the “Lombard Pride Cleanup” website, villageoflombard.org/496/Lombard-Pride-Cleanup, was started 20 years ago. Individuals and groups can select cleanup assignments either at local parks or on IPP or GWT sections threading through Lombard.
“Getting the parks beautiful for Lombard Lilac Time (May 3-18) has a very long tradition in the village,” Gorman said. “The website ensures volunteers are used in a good fashion. It lets people register and sign waivers.” They can submit photos through the website as well.
Gorman estimated 100-150 volunteers work the cleanup annually in Lombard. Trash bags and safety vests are currently available during business hours at Lombard Public Works, 1051 S Hammerschmidt Ave.
Over 30 years, Kirchenberg’s role has expanded from organizing DuPage County teams to other counties. It involves coordinating the cleanup with the Illinois Prairie Path. Each winter he still emails hundreds of various individuals, groups and governmental units.
Separation of the Great Western Trail into two distinct corridors involves efforts in Kane and DeKalb counties, not just DuPage. GWT’s nearly 12-mile section extends from its Villa Park rendezvous with the Illinois Prairie Path to a mile past its intersection with the IPP near West Chicago, all in DuPage.
Its western section runs 18 miles from near St. Charles in Kane County to just north of DeKalb. Kirchenberg credits Robb Cleave, Kane County Forest Preserves volunteer coordinator, with support since the district has trail jurisdiction in Kane.
Kirchenberg said that active rail traffic still serves various businesses between the two sections. According to Ted Villaire’s Best Rail Trails Illinois book, the railway originated regionally near St. Paul in 1885, before expanding to connect Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City and Omaha. Nicknamed the Corn Belt Route, it merged in 1968 with the Chicago and Northwestern Railway.
DuPage Trail feedback
The DuPage County Division of Transportation (DuDot) hosts an open house from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, at Butterfield Park District, 21W730 Butterfield Road, Lombard, for community members to learn about and provide feedback on the East Branch DuPage River Trail project.
Based on recommendations from a completed alignment study, DuDot is conducting two distinct Phase I preliminary engineering and environmental studies: trail extensions from St. Charles Road to the Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) and from the IPP to Route 56 (Butterfield Road).
Glen Ellyn resident Ginger Wheeler, president since 2019 of the Illinois nonprofit Friends of the East Branch DuPage River Trail, looks forward to a positive community turnout.
“I’m cautiously optimistic about the project. Hopefully, this event means good news.”
A planned 28-mile north-south trail, the project was first conceptualized in the 1990s as a nonmotorized route connecting county municipalities, forest preserves and parks, including the Morton Arboretum. In October 2023, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (6th) secured $1.2 million in federal funding for Phase I engineering work, with DuPage County contributing the local $300,000 match.
• Join the ride. Contact Ralph Banasiak at alongfortheridemail@gmail.com.