Volunteers spruce up 10,000-year-old Elmhurst prairie

Volunteers worked Saturday to spruce up Elmhurst's stretch of a 10,000-year-old prairie during Great Western Prairie Work Day at the intersection of Berkley Avenue and the Prairie Path.

"I live in the neighborhood," said volunteer Mike Russ of Elmhurst. "Glory to God, our church, does service projects throughout the year. We have something that we call CareFest two weeks from now, and this project gives me a head start on that, just caring for the community and the people around us."

The prairie, a 6-acre strip of virgin land that runs parallel to the Illinois Prairie Path from Spring Road to Salt Creek, is owned by Elmhurst Park District. The Great Western Prairie is the oldest living environment in the city and home to more than 100 different types of native plants.

Volunteers work at the prairie for about three hours on the third Saturday of every month from March through November.