As shared in Lake County’s Urban and Community Forestry Strategy, published in December 2025, the county is home to 8.8 million trees, though approximately 53% of those trees are estimated to be European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), an invasive species that provides limited ecological value. The presence of buckthorn negatively impacts native biodiversity and limits the ability to restore native tree canopies in communities across the county. That’s why Lake County has created a framework to prioritize buckthorn management across the country, focusing on zones that “advance equity, build workforce capacity, and support existing restoration initiatives.”
Delta Institute is partnering with Lake County to support community forestry efforts like buckthorn removal. Our partnership is part of a broader, overarching effort to develop a “Tree Planting Consortium” that supports tree canopy restoration activities, community engagement, and partner capacity-building across Lake County, Illinois; Kenosha County, Wisconsin; and Racine County, Wisconsin. Please join us on Monday, October 26, for a free training session focused on buckthorn removal.
This training session will be presented by Mike Polito of Tallgrass Restoration.
Event Details:
- Date: Monday, October 26, 2026
- Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
- Venue: Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center
- Address: 3008 Grand Avenue, Waukegan, IL 60085
- Cost: There is no cost to attend, though registration is required.
Space is limited, so please register soon. Complimentary lunch will be provided during the presentation. Dress comfortably, as this training will also include an outdoor component to address on-site buckthorn removal.
Thank you to our partners
This event would not be possible without the support and collaboration of multiple partners. We would like to thank the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center for hosting this training session at their facilities. We also extend our thanks to Lake County for its continued partnership and collaboration on this project.
Training presented by Tallgrass Restoration
About our facilitator. This training session will be presented by Mike Polito, Project Manager of Tallgrass Restoration. Mike has extensive forestry management experience: facilitating invasive species management for the Cantera Business Park in DuPage County, IL; managing prescribed burning for the Forest Preserve District of Will County, IL; and hundreds of acres of canopy and understory clearing for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, IL. He has certifications for Chicago Wilderness Prescribed Fire, National Wildfire Coordinating Group Prescribed Fire, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Prescribed Burn Manager, Herbicide Applicator in Illinois and Indiana, and HAZWOPER 24-hour. He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry with a Minor in Environmental Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Tallgrass Restoration has serving the Midwest region for over a decade, providing ecological restoration services including stewardship, native plant installation, wetland delineations, erosion control, invasive species control, prescribed fire, land planning, and rain gardens. Click here to learn more about Tallgrass Restoration.
This venue features a wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking lot, and restroom. Please email us with other questions or comments about accessibility.
Please note that this event may be recorded via photography, videography, and audio recording. By attending, guests grant Delta Institute permission to take photographs/video/audio of them and their property. Guests authorize Delta Institute, its assigns, and transferees to edit, copyright, use, and publish the same in print and/or electronically. Guests agree that Delta Institute may use such photographs/video/audio of them with or without their names and for any lawful purpose, including such purposes as publicity, web content, and reports. By attending, guests acknowledge that they have completely read and fully understand Delta Institute’s Media Release Consent Form and COVID-19 Disclosure, and agree by all conditions, and they release any and all claims against Delta Institute for utilizing this material for publication, external promotion, or distribution via Delta Institute-managed channels.
Delta Institute recognizes and appreciates that COVID-19 is an ongoing consideration for events attendance and management. We encourage our guests to please connect with us another time and stay at home to rest if they are experiencing fever, cough, difficulty breathing, loss of taste/smell, or any other symptom that may indicate COVID-19 infection. Further, we encourage our guests to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and welcome the wearing of masks to reduce community spread. Have fun and be safe!