Sept. 05--The only thing that lands on Northerly Island now are birds and butterflies.
The former Meigs Field airstrip was unveiled as a 40-acre nature preserve Friday morning. It's an expansion very different than the 50-acre section that anchors the northern piece of the peninsula with a concert venue and manicured lawns.
Past the visitor center (and former airport terminal), this area is dry and unruly, with natural vegetation that is gradually growing in. It's home to a 1-mile paved path, a man-made lagoon and some purposefully placed hills. And it's quiet.
You can see the iconic Chicago skyline, but you can't hear the city. Those hills shield its beeps and screeches. Instead, the only sounds are scattered crickets, a calm breeze and the whiz of occasional cyclists.
It's what U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called an "escape" at a Friday morning ribbon-cutting. He said the new $9.7-million preserve was "an opportunity for recovery -- spiritual recovery."
"Those of us who remember reading (about) Walden Pond -- Henry David Thoreau, his reflections on what life meant near that pond -- should not forget that pond was not in the wilderness," he said. "That pond was two miles away from Concord, Massachusetts; two miles away from his home."
Thoreau was able to find solitude in a secluded place close by, Durbin said, and "I think we're going to find that same opportunity right here on this island."
The city's portion of the cost was about $3 million -- money that came from the peninsula's concert revenue. The rest was funded through federal grants.
Durbin stood by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who cut a red ribbon signifying the park's completion. The politicians' presence created an out-of-place bustle on the peninsula's tranquil tip. Yet as the small crowd chatted afterward, a single monarch fluttered up above the commotion toward a patch of tiny yellow flowers. Inland, a pair of herons floated on the water.
The park's supervisor, Teishetta Daniel, said a handful of freshly planted oak trees will increase the natural sound barriers as they grow in the years to come.
Visitors should know the park doesn't allow dogs, since Daniel said it's a regular nesting point for many migratory birds. And though it's open until about 11 p.m. -- convenient for nighttime city photos -- the natural path is not lit, so bring a flashlight. It's also devoid of trash cans and recycling bins, so be conscious of your waste (Daniel said they should come soon).
As for safety, the Chicago Park District's citywide security team is based at the Northerly Island visitor center, on the second floor, and is staffed 24 hours a day.
"We're able to react pretty well," Daniel said.
The park already has upcoming educational activities scheduled, including family fly-fishing classes. In the fall of 2017, after the grasses and flowers grow in more, the fences bordering the park's path will come down, Daniel said, making way for park-hosted camping on the new preserve.
rcrosby@tribpub.com
@rachelacrosby
If you go:
--Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, except for on days of Bears home games
Reachable by CTA 146 bus
Limited-space parking at $1.75/hour. No time limit, but no overnight parking.
Solar-powered charging station for electric cars.
No dogs allowed
