Wilmette’s Elmwood Beach Cleanup Set for April 13

Friends of Elmwood Dunes, a group made up of people interested in the 80-foot wide and 600-foot long strip of lakefront property in Wilmette, will hold its first village sanctioned Elmwood activity between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 13, Wilmette Life reported. 

Last fall, members of the group walked the site with staff from Wilmette’s forestry division and engineering department to get a sense of the cleanups needed, next month the group will be hauling out deadwood and trash as well as tagging invasive plants for removal, those interested in participating can contact Friends of the Elmwood Dunes at: Elmwood.Dunes@gmail.com, Wilmette Life reported. 

Last year, the village’s Municipal Service Committee recommended turning the Elmwood Avenue property into a public nature preserve, which would allow anyone to access the property from sunrise to sunset, would prohibit boat launchings and use of motorbikes and includes plans for a path to be built over or through the area’s nature preserve portion. 

Patch reader Susan Gaines Gatto shared this comment in a poll last year about whether people agreed with the committee’s recommendation:

“I sincerely hope that this beautiful property will not become a full use beach like Gillson and Langdon Beach. If a small pathway can be established, the overgrown brush cleaned up, and proper signs with rules are posted, it will be so much better. I do not want porta-potties, dogs, boat launching, etc. Rather, a beach preserve would be best.” 

Related Coverage

• Committee Recommends Public Nature Preserve for Elmwood Avenue
• POLL: Do You Agree with the Elmwood Avenue Beach Recommendation?
• Property Gallery: Residents Clean Up Elmwood Beach in 2011
• Wilmette to Narrow Ideas for Elmwood Beach