The Riverside Public Library has Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscapes for the Public Good on display now through Fall 2022.

The Village of Riverside Board of Trustees recently approved the project, which will follow a stretch of park land overlooking the Des Plaines River and Swan Pond Park. The plan calls for an expansion of canopy and understory trees— some of which will flower to add interest to the landscape year-round. Volunteers are sought  to help with the planting.

The overlook project is Riverside, IL’s most significant recognition of Olmsted 200, a national effort to commemorate the anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted’s 200th birthday, and is designed to reflect Olmsted’s philosophy that immersion in nature improves bodily and spiritual health.

To learn more about the project, see the report from Riverside-Brookfield Landmark here. To keep up with the project— including the upcoming April 23 planting day— visit the Frederick Law Olmsted Society’s Facebook page here

The society is also celebrating Olmsted 200 with an exhibit and seed project. 

In January 2022, the Riverside Public Library installed Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscapes for the Public Good. The 23-panel exhibit was produced by Oak Spring Garden Foundation in partnership with the National Association for Olmsted Parks, the managing partner of Olmsted 200. Thanks go to  Riverside Historical Commissioner Constance Guardi for bringing this exhibit to the library and the Bill Sherman Memorial Fund at the Riverside Historical Museum for covering the printing fees. The exhibit will be on display inside through April 22. Afterwards and into the fall, the exhibit will be on display outside. 

Additionally, the Frederick Law Olmsted Society is selling Olmsted 200 Botanical Boxes. The seed boxes were designed by botanical artist Shilin Hora and feature seeds collected from Riverside’s natural areas. The boxes are not only a stunning work of art but they embody the community seed collection efforts and offer an education on the diversity of Riverside’s flora.  For more information, visit www.olmstedsociety.org.

Learn more about Riverside on our Shared Spaces blog by clicking here

This article first appeared in the April 1, 2022, issue of Field Notes by the National Association for Olmsted Parks.