2024 Conservation@Home Cook County Residential Application

Conservation@Home Cook County recognizes and certifies properties that demonstrate environmentally sound landscape practices. This program is brought to you by the partnership of Forest Preserves of Cook County and University of Illinois Extension.

Through the Conservation@Home certification program, residents of Cook County have the opportunity to shape their private landscapes in a conservation minded way with guidance and criteria provided for them. The biggest reward for integrating sustainable practices on your property is being aware that you are contributing to clean water, rich soil and resilient ecosystems that support people and wildlife. Guidance is provided through our residential criteria.

If you're interested in certifying a school or community property, please fill out either the school or community application, respectively.

Conservation@Home is a program of The Conservation Foundation. University of Illinois Extension is pleased to be a partner.

Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Street Address

Street Address 2

City

State

ZIP

Daytime Phone

Evening Phone

E-mail Address

Address of Property and City/Town:

I learned about the Conservation@Home program from: Please check all that apply.

Yard certification sign

Programming at Forest Preserves event

Programming from Illinois Extension or Master Gardener/Naturalist

The Conservation Foundation program

Program flyer at library/community center

A website

A letter in the mail

Other

The approximate size of my property is: 1 acre = 43,560 square feet, 1/2 = acre 21,780 sf., 1/4 = acre 10,890 sf., A typical city lot is 25 x 125 which is 3,125 sf.

Less than 1/4 of a acre

1/4 acre to 1 acre

Over 1 acre

I have been integrating conservation efforts into my yard.

Yes

No

If yes, for how long?

Beginning to add changes

1 - 2 Years

3 - 4 Years

5+ Years

I have planted native flowers, grasses, shrubs or trees on my property.

Yes

No

Please check all options that apply to your management of your property:

Incorporate a variety of native flowers and native grasses

Incorporate a variety of native trees and native shrubs

Create or restore native woodland, wetland or prairie

Inherited a native woodland, wetland or prairie on my property.

None of the above

Do you have a list of the plants that are currently present on your property?

Yes

No

Do you have milkweed (genus: Asclepias) on your property? If so, how many stems? The Urban Monarch Conservation Program and Illinois Monarch Project are surveying how many milkweed stems are in the Cook County Area. Please indicate the amounts below.

None present

1-3

4-10

10-15

15 plus

I am unsure

Which of these common invasive plants do you have on your property? Please note, the presence of invasive species on your property does not disqualify you from applying.

Autumn olive

Buckthorn

Burning bush

Bush honeysuckle

Callery pear/Bradford pear

Japanese barberry

Multiflora rose

Other

No invasive species

Do you have any other invasive plant species on your property? If yes, please list them below. If you're unsure which species are considered invasive, visit https://extension.illinois.edu/invasives or https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/.

How are you managing the invasive species on your property?

Mechanical - hand pulling, digging up, cutting down plants, etc.

Prescribed fire

Chemical - herbicide treatment

Other

None of the above

If you marked "other", feel free to use this space to describe your efforts to manage invasive species on your property.

How do you provide habitat for wildlife?

Provide bird feeders

Provide bird bath, pond or other water features

Leave native plants standing in fall

Landscape with native plants that attract birds or butterflies

Offer bird or bat houses

Retain brush piles, dead trees (where safely possible) and logs

None of the above

How do you manage and conserve water on your property?

Use a rain barrel to gather and conserve rainwater

Use permeable patio, walk or driveway to reduce water runoff

Direct water from downspouts to areas vegetated with native plants (including rain gardens and bioswales) to help retain and filter water.

Direct downspouts to a bed of rocks to slow the flow of water

Provide effective shoreline buffer to filter water and minimize erosion

None of the above

How do you use chemicals (such as herbicides, pesticides, synthetic fertilizer) on your property?

Minimal/non-use of synthetic fertilizers

Minimal/non-use of synthetic pesticides

Utilize integrated pest management (IPM), apply pesticides as a last resort

Use organic fertilizers when needed

None of the above

Which of these management practices do you currently implement?

Leave grass clippings in place or adds clippings to compost pile

Limit use of turfgrass in landscape

Use fallen leaves to mulch trees, shrubs, flowers or vegetable bed

Maintain a compost bin or pile

Hand pull or cut back weeds in landscape

Limit artificial irrigation

None of the above

Please list any unique features present on your property: (i.e. pond, shoreline vegetation, permeable pavers, storm water collection system, etc.)

Conservation practices are important to me because:

I am interested in certifying my property OR I'm not quite ready to certify, but I am interested in being educated on sustainable landscaping and receiving resources.

Certification

More information on sustainable landscaping techniques

Chicago Living Corridor Alliance (CLCA), developed of a central map of our northeastern region of Illinois to capture the earth friendly efforts made by private landowners. By gathering data in a central platform, valuable information can increase our understanding of the quantity, quality, and connectivity of habitat across the region. As a member of Conservation@Home in Cook County, I would be interested in having my property be a part of this regional mapping exercise? Participation is voluntary.

Yes, I agree to have my property listed on the CLCA map

No, I do not agree to have my property listed on the CLCA map

Civil Rights Compliance - Participant Info

As part of our commitment to providing equal opportunities in our programming, University of Illinois Extension is required to collect and report overall statistics about the race, ethnicity, and gender of program participants. Your responses are voluntary and appreciated.

Gender

Ethnicity

Race