Property transfers p. B10
June 16, 2021
Homes
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ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
DIGGING IN: Oak Park Conservatory volunteers Martha Yount, left, and Mary O’Kiersey, both of Oak Park, work on the vegetable beds outside Cheney Mansion on June 9. The produce is donated to Beyond Hunger.
Oak Park Conservatory offers programs for all ages By LACEY SIKORA
T
Contributing Reporter
he Oak Park Conservatory is a beloved local institution, so beloved, in fact, that it is one of the three most popular historic sites in Oak Park, welcoming over 50,000 visitors in a typical year. The past year was anything but typical. Nevertheless, the Oak Park Conservatory is welcoming summer (and visitors)
Beyond the greenhouse with open arms and a variety of programs for all ages. Patti Staley, director of horticulture for the Oak Park Conservatory, says the building is again open for visitors, no reservations required. She also points out that the conservatory’s reach extends far beyond the greenhouse at 615 Garfield St. Programs spread throughout Park District of Oak Park system and involve numerous volunteers.
Master Gardener Program partnership The Oak Park Conservatory has a longstanding partnership with the University
of Illinois’ Master Gardener Program that Staley says began long before her decadelong tenure in Oak Park. She points out that master gardeners go through a tremendous amount of training, making them helpful in a variety of settings. A master gardener designation is applied after participants complete an 11-week course of classes and an internship of 60 volunteer hours. Classes are taught by University of Illinois specialists and University Extension educators and include classes on botany, soils, vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees and shrubs, grasses, landscaping, insects, and diseases. Once certified, master
gardeners agree to complete 10 hours of education and 30 hours of volunteer service each year. “Some of what they do includes providing hands-on plant care, working in our parks with specialty plants and perennials, educational programs, and planning special events for kids and adults,” Staley said of the volunteers who choose to work with the conservatory. “They are always able to put a different spin on nature education.” One newer program aided by master gardener volunteers is the help desk at the Oak See CONSERVATORY on page B5
June 16, 2021 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review
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