SCHAUMBURG, ILL.—The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel has been selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Chicago Wilderness to receive a 2010 Conservation and Native Landscaping Award. The award recognizes seven and a half acres of ponds, wetlands and prairie plantings that surround the Schaumburg hotel.
The native plantings that have been incorporated in the hotel grounds replace a majority of the turf grass and ornamental plants that were originally found in the area. The new plants help trap pollutants, clean storm water and reduce runoff. After the new plants established themselves in the environment, the use of herbicides was cut in half, maintenance hours were reduced by one third and water use has been reduced to only watering the limited turf grass and annual flowers found throughout the property.
Guests of the Schaumburg hotel can enjoy the landscape by utilizing walkways, bridges and overlooks that surround the property’s natural areas.
The award recognizes exceptional projects that incorporate native landscaping, ecosystem restoration, and protection and/or conservation design. The EPA and Chicago Wilderness support these projects because they produce numerous environmental benefits. These organizations hope to raise awareness about native landscaping and encourage others to adopt sustainable practices.
