The Village in the Forest
Forestry and Landscaping
As “The Village in the Forest” our tree population of
approximately 9,000 trees is one of our most distinct
features. The Department of Public Works has a Village
Forester on staff who is a certified arborist with the State of
Illinois. While some of the care of our trees is contracted
out, all are supervised and managed by our Forester.
Each year, the Forester spearheads our Cooperative Tree
Planting Program designed to help reforest public parkways
and keep Riverside green and growing. The Village offers a
50/50 price matching program that covers half the cost of
trees planted on the parkway and public setback. Prices
include free tree planting, mulch and delivery. Information
on the program is available on the website under the
Forestry Department and in the Village Office. Parkway
trees are under the care of our Forester; please feel free to
contact him through the Public Works Department at 708-
442-3590 x 502.
The Village Forester also oversees a cyclic trimming program
in which all public trees are trimmed on a five year rotational
basis. Young trees are trained to improve structure while
older trees are trimmed to preserve health. Public trees are
also inspected to ensure safety and reduce risk.
The Village of Riverside is a National Historic Landscape
District because it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted,
the father of landscape architecture. As such, a permit is
required for planting of trees and shrubs on the parkway.
The application for the permit can be found on the website
www.riverside.il.us in the Form Center (bottom of home
page) or by using the Search option.
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