The Friends of Lovelace Park are working to keep Lovelace AMAZING!
Click HERE to visit the Friends of Lovelace 2022 Photo Contest!
URGENT ALERT FOR EARLY 2022!! SAVE THE LOVELACE MEADOW!!
A message from our fearless leader, Sigrid:
A BIG REQUEST TO YOU ALL: I have tried and tried to convince the City not to spread the turfgrass seeds into the area that flourished as the Lovelace meadow last summer and instead to spread a mixture of native grass and wildflower seeds. This would certainly be a lot more cost effective than spreading turf grass seeds, letting it germinate, only to then not mow it (perhaps even remove it) and to then also spread the native grass and flower seeds.
We need your support to let the City Officials know how you feel about this suggestion. If you do write, please include the benefits that this native area will bring to park visitors, wildlife, especially birds, and how the long roots of native plants will greatly assist in the management of any standing water. The meadow will also support the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan. https://www.cityofevanston.org/home/showdocument?id=45170
Thank you, Sigrid
If you would like to see a lovely meadow all year when you visit Lovelace instead of the alternating mud pit/ugly straw, please take two minutes and let the people who will make this choice know how you feel. If you don’t tell them, they won’t know. Just imagine how your moment’s effort will make such a difference to everyone who visits the park- including you.
Even just a simple email that says, “I support planting native grass and flowers at the Lovelace Meadow” will help!
Email addresses for all currently active Aldermen and other key people, collected for your convenience:
dbiss@cityofevanston.org; ckelly@cityofevanston.org; pbraithwaite@cityofevanston.org; mwynne@cityofevanston.org; jnieuwsma@cityofevanston.org; tsuffredin@cityofevanston.org; erevelle@cityofevanston.org; dreid@cityofevanston.org; dstoneback@evanston.org; eokallau@cityofevanston.org; evanstonhabitat@gmail.com
For more information on these individuals, please see the link to the city council info below and the details on the other people making these choices:
https://www.cityofevanston.org/government/city-council (General info)
David Stoneback dstoneback@cityofevanston.org – Director, Public Works Agency, 847.448.8198.
Emily Okallau eokallau@cityofevanston.org – Public Services. Coordinator
Wendy Pollock evanstonhabitat@gmail.com – CoChair Environmental Board
The Native Plant Pollinator Garden Project
This Friends of Lovelace project is a stunning success thanks to all the hard work put in by our volunteer community. The garden is ablaze with color and abuzz with pollinators each summer. Pollinators aren’t the only ones visiting, either- plenty of wildlife is stopping by!
The seedheads and grasses continue to provide for wildlife through the winter as well. These areas provide shelter for rabbits. Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Goldfinches eat the Echinacea seeds all winter when foraging is challenging. 
The Lovelace Meadow Project
Our efforts to create a more natural, unmowed section of the park continue despite bureaucratic hurdles.
The area north of the sledding hill (colloquially referred to as ‘The Swamp’ by locals) consistently overflows onto the paved path and provides a view only of muddy grooves carved into the ground by the City of Evanston mowers.
This area would be well served by water-thirsty native plants that would mitigate the flooding and provide habitat for birds and pollinators alike. We are convinced that common sense will prevail and that the Friends of Lovelace will soon be sowing native flower seeds in this unused area of our jewel of a park!
Free Barbless Fishing Hooks- while supplies last!
Did you know that Barbless Hooks are required when you fish at Lovelace? But no worries, Friends of Lovelace have you covered. Just drop us a note through the website contact form and we’ll make sure to get them to you. Limit two hooks per request.
Share your photos with the Lovelace Park community!
Our fabulous park with its open spaces and natural beauty provides so many opportunities for the photographer in all of us. If you take a pic while you’re there, we’d love to see it. Email pics to LovelacePark at outlook dot com and we’ll display them in our Photo Gallery.
Our Mission Statement
We are a group of neighbors living near and enjoying this wonderful recreational resource. We are committed to enhancing the park and assisting the City’s Maintenance Crew by volunteering for the following tasks:
- Mulching the trees correctly. Click here for a diagram.
- Working with City Crew when planting new trees to select the proper spots (not in the sledding area).
- Establishing a pollinator garden to attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
- Collaborating with other organizations in collecting litter and debris.
- Offering our services when needed or requested by City Crews.