Last Sunday, our winter wanders took us to Kuechmann Arboretum in Lake Zurich. Kuechmann Arboretum is an officially recognized arboretum and offers a beautiful home to 25 species of trees including some that are quite old. The oldest tree at Kuechmann is over 275 years old dating back to before the Revolutionary War!
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| A plank path joyfully winds through the arbors at Kuechmann Arboretum. |
Kuechmann Arboretum was a neglected park for quite some time. In recent years, volunteers and environmentalists crafted a nature play space called Kuechmann Kove. What I love about the nature play space is that it is folded into nature and invites exploring nature. I have seen quite a few parks billed as nature play spaces that have actually destroyed the natural setting. That is not the case at Kuechmann. The play area really molds into nature and encourages nature learning and exploration.
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| A tent and a few nature exploring toys are part of a collection that help children engage with nature at Kuechmann Kove. |
We definitely saw oaks and maples while wandering the preserve. A few remnant cottonwood leaves dotted portions of the trail not covered by snow. The preserve also has elms, white pines and black cherry trees. We noted a number of bat boxes and bird houses. Kuechmann Arboretum is only about 7.8 acres yet provides a stunning forested respite.
Kuechmann Arboretum is named for former Lake Zurich Mayor Alton Kuechmann who was known for supporting environmental causes and avid walker. Kuechmann also started the planning committee and had the first wastewater plant on the north side of the city built. The preserve is a wonderful memorial to Kuechmann.
There are not many trails at Kuechmann but you can combine a visit with nearby Heron Creek Forest Preserve or Reed-Turner Woodland. We enjoyed our little winter adventure underneath a sprinkle of snow! Afterwards, we headed to Reed-Turner crafting a perfect afternoon.
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