Streamwood, IL
Home MenuPreserving Our Natural Resources
The Village is proud of its long history of protecting and preserving our natural resources. The Village has one of the most comprehensive tree preservation ordinances and one of the most stringent storm water management ordinances in northeastern Illinois. As a result, the Village is a steward of over 350 acres of open space, including natural wetlands, tree conservancies, and trailways along Poplar Creek.
The Public Works Department serves as our management force to ensure all of these areas are properly maintained and preserved. And, we encourage our residents to be good environmental stewards as well. If you see debris in our wetlands, or garbage being dumped on village property - please report it immediately!
Branch Pickup
The Village offers a branch pickup service as a convenience to our residents. It is also part of our preservation strategy. Collecting the branches reduces yard waste in landfills. And, the Village uses the chips collected as mulch. This saves money and the environment! Read more in our Branch Pickup page.
50/50 Parkway Tree Program
Streamwood's 50/50 Tree Program gives residents the opportunity to purchase a tree for their parkway at 50% of the cost - you pay 50% of the cost of the tree and the Village pays the other 50%.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
The Village offers curbside recycling in cooperation with Groot. For more information on our general recycling program, click here. Our refuse company doesn't take hazardous materials.
The Village also partners with the Battery Network to recycle and properly dispose of household batteries - including lithium-ion batteries. A container is available by the front door of the Public Works Department (565 S Bartlett Road) to accept various sizes of household batteries. Simply drop the batteries in the container. Car batteries can be dropped off behind the Public Works building.
If you have a lithium-ion battery that is swollen, please bring it into the Public Works Department during regular business hours (8 am-4:30 pm) for proper disposal. If it's outside of normal business hours, please call 911. Fire department personnel will collect the battery for proper disposal. Damaged, swollen or defective lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous. Please let us help you dispose of them properly!
As part of the Illinois Paint Stewardship Act, select retailers will now accept leftover paint, stain and varnish year-round. Acceptable products, drop-off locations and tips to reduce waste are available online at paintcare.org. PaintCare reuses or repurposes the collected paint as much as possible, with program oversight provided by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Many local stores also take items, such as plastic bags, small electronics, ink cartridges, and batteries. To help residents recycle these and other items, view a list of recycling locations in and around the community, prepared by our Cultural and Environmental Awareness Commission. We also recommend Earth911 for up to date recycling locations in the area.
Remove Invasive Species
Public Works strives to keep our street trees and natural areas healthy. We have trained arborists who work to manage and maintain our natural areas. We monitor and inventory our tree stock. We take action to keep our urban forest thriving!
Invasive species - whether plant pests or non-native plants - can cause extensive damage. In July 2010, Streamwood was confirmed to have the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive wood-boring beetle, leading to the removal of hundreds of trees throughout the Village. To combat future concerns, the Village modified its planting schemes and permitted tree species. We continue to monitor and report any concerns. Residents can help to slow the continued spread of this pest by using only local firewood. For more information on this and other plant pests, visit the website of the US Department of Agriculture.
Did you know 1 out of 3 plants in Illinois woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands are non-native? Plant invasions can cause economic damage, displace native species, alter ecosystem functions, and interfere with ecological restoration goals. Aggressive invasive species form a monoculture, competing with native plans for resources. Some native plants have allelopathic tendencies and put toxins into the soil that inhibit the growth of other species. In ecosystems dominated by invasive species, wildlife struggle to find food and shelter.
Common buckthorn is an invasive plant in Illinois and should not be planted according to The Morton Arboretum. It forms dense thickets and reproduces very freely, crowding out other plants and disrupting ecosystems in forest preserves and other natural areas. In woodlands, it can completely replace existing understory plants, including native wildflowers. Buckthorn berries and seeds are spread by birds. The seeds geminate at a very high rate and remain viable in the soil for 2-3 years.
Buckthorn is very common in gardens and yards in the Midwest but should be removed where it is found. Buckthorn is a large shrub or tall tree with glossy oval leaves that can easily be recognized in fall when it remains green after most other leaves have fallen. Under the Illinois Exotic Weed Act, buckthorn cannot be sold in our state.
Other plants regulated by the Illinois Exotic Weed Act: Japanese honeysuckle, multiflora rose, purple loosestrife, common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, saw-toothed buckthorn, dahurian buckthorn, Japanese buckthorn, Chinese buckthorn, kudzu, exotic bush honeysuckles, exotic olives, salt cedar, poison hemlock, giant hogweed, Oriental bittersweet, teasel, and knotweed.
Restore Natural Areas and Plant Native Species
After removing invasive species, existing plants may need help recovering. In some cases, replanting with native plants may be necessary for restoration. When planting native species, try to use local ecotypes of seeds or plants from within 100 miles of your location as they are adapted to local climates and easier to grow. They also provide food and shelter for pollinators and other wildlife.
The Public Works landscape department spends a lot of time removing invasive species, while planting/seeding to help restore native plant communities and prevent future invasions. Help us remove invasive species from our neighborhoods. To learn more about the different types of native plants for your yard, click here.
Tree Care and Maintenance
Bushes and trees may sometimes block the sidewalk, forcing pedestrians – especially schoolchildren – to walk on the parkway or in the street. If parkway tree branches are hanging over the sidewalk and interfering with pedestrians, or trees have been knocked down by cars or storms, please report the location to the Public Works Department at (630) 736-3850. Homeowners should also trim any private landscaping that blocks the sidewalk. Please note that a permit is often required to remove a tree - even from private property. There is no charge for the permit, but we ask that you complete the Tree Removal Permit Application so we can check the tree prior to its removal.
Tree Conservancies
Throughout the Village there are a number of large standing groves of trees, which are managed by the Public Works Department. These protected tree preservation areas were created when subdivisions were built in an effort to preserve old growth trees. No one may cut down the trees, remove the undergrowth or otherwise disturb these areas without the express permission of the Public Works Director. There are also a number of smaller areas within the community, sometimes on private property, which have similar tree protection status. If you have questions on tree conservancies, please call Public Works at (630) 736-3850.
Wetlands Protection and Conservation
Wetlands are key elements of the Village's storm water management system. Storm water run-off, from driveways, parking lots and rooftops, can be collected in wetlands before they are discharged into the waterways. Wetlands allow for the natural cleansing of this water, improving the water quality before it reaches our water supply. The Village also utilizes a system for treating storm water runoff. It is an underground filter system tied to the wetland detention areas, which further removes oil, grease, nutrients, grit and floating objects. Learn more on our Water Quality and Conservation page.
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