Washington Park

About the Program
Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC)’s Washington Park is located in Robinson, Illinois.  At this site, MPC implements two habitat projects focused on protecting the native forest habitat and eradicating non-native and invasive species through effective land management.

Practices and Impacts

• Forest monitoring includes forest-dependent wildlife, Invasive species, plant abundance and/or diversity, canopy cover (tree density), tree planting success, and pollinator abundance and diversity. Canopy cover is also documented and shows an increase in natural growth of the trees.
• As part of their invasive species eradication project, the team implemented a species inventory list that documents all plant and wildlife observation on-site and notes whether plant species are native or introduced. All introduced species, especially those that are aggressive or noxious weeds, are targeted in this project. According to the Forest Management Plan produced by a certified forester, invasive species of greater concern at the site include bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, winter creeper, tree of heaven, Japanese honeysuckle and common buckthorn. Of these, bush honeysuckle and multiflora rose (both shrubs) are the most prevalent at the site.
• According to the control methods outlined in the Forest Management Plan, plants that are waist high or smaller are treated with a foliar application of herbicide. Plants waist high or taller are treated by cutting the plant off at the stump then treating the stump with herbicide. Native tree and shrub plantings are part of the team's invasive species eradication efforts to encourage the growth of native plants.
• Photographs were taken throughout the years to document the improvements the site has undergone due to the invasive species management efforts. The photographs help monitor the reduction of invasive species within portions of the Washington Park Forest.