History

The Riverwoods Preservation Council (RPC) was incorporated on July 6, 2006, as a tax-exempt, non-profit community organization initially because of concern for the health and future of local woodlands. Our year-end letters provide a detailed look at RPC activities and our broadening focus on a wide variety of Village ecological and environmental issues and opportunities. 

In 2008 the Habitat Project of Audubon Chicago honored the RPC’s president at the time, Rich Koomjian, with the Local Hero Award. The award was presented to Rich “for raising the bar for natural areas advocacy on the North Shore.” Also that year the RPC and it publication “In Our Own Backyard” was featured in the Chicago area’s pre-eminent ecology magazine published by Chicago Wilderness.

In July 2015, the RPC received the Morton Arboretum’s Partnership for Success Award, together with the Village of Riverwoods and the Riverwoods Residents Association Plant Committee. The award was presented at the Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative Annual Meeting and Celebration, “Growing Healthy Trees Grows Healthy Communities.”

Since its inception, the RPC has produced a significant number of community participation and educational programs:

Programs

• Tree and shrub care
• Safe landscaping practices (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides)
• Water in Riverwoods (sourcing, conservation, and managing)
• Mayoral candidate forum
• Village tree survey
• Prescribed burns and native plantings
• Living with wildlife
• Recycling and waste disposal
• Tree identification
• Garlic mustard pull / buckthorn removal
• Composting
• Rain water harvesting
• Habitat resoration and canopy thinning
• Family oriented:
  • Raptors
  • Snakes! (herps of Riverwoods)
  • Arbor Fest
  • Oaktemberfest (RPC 10th anniversary celebration with exhibitors and recycling fair)
  • Woodland arts and crafts