A BRIDGE TO CONSERVATION

When Roger Deromedi semi-retired in 2006, he turned his sights to the ravine on his property in Lake Forest

“Our portion of the Mayflower Ravine had been scoured down four-tofive feet in the last 100 years,” explains Roger, a Lake Forest resident for more than 30 years. “The sides were collapsing. The trees were falling in. The ravine really needed remediation and restoration. Our property’s landscaping was originally designed by Jens Jensen in 1913. I was fortunate enough to find his original drawings for this property in the University of Michigan Archives and we used those as a starting place for our restoration plan.”

Roger quickly found himself becoming an expert in all-things ravine restoration, because the project required permits from the City of Lake Forest, Lake County Stormwater Management, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Any waters going into Lake Michigan are considered waters of America and fall under the purview of the Corps,” he explains. “Happily, in the 15 years since we completed the work, nothing has moved. All of our stabilization and naturalization have held up well.”

What might be a surprise to many is that Roger and his wife Sandy do all of the maintenance of the ravine themselves. “It’s a huge labor of love that we can do together,” explains Sandy, who says their evening wine walks around the ravine typically reveal the next day’s gardening assignments. “There is a real learning curve to know what native species do well in the different parts of the ravine. Our Mayflower Ravine is a very special place for our family. We love seeing our grandchildren enjoying nature in the ravine.”

When current Lake Forest Open Lands’ president Ryan London was tapped to oversee the restoration of the Jean and John Greene Nature Preserve several years ago, one of his first calls was to Roger.

“The restoration of the ravines in the Greene Nature Preserve was a very large project, and I was happy to share with Ryan what I learned from my restoration,” says Roger, who is a long-time member of the Lake Forest Open Lands’ Board of Governors. “I knew based on what I had done with our ravine whether or not certain design aspects were the best. The end result of the Greene Nature Preserve is really fantastic and a great asset for Lake Forest.”

Sharing their passion for nature with their children and grandchildren is important to the Deromedis and walks over the award-winning Deromedi Family suspension bridge in the Greene Nature Preserve is one of Sandy’s preferred things to enjoy with them.

“I love taking pictures on our hikes in the shadows of the bridge,” says Sandy, who has a well-trained ear for the different bird sounds in the preserve. “It delights us to be able to point out different plants and birds to our grandchildren on our walks.”

It was a natural choice for Lake Forest Open Lands to invite the Deromedis to be the co-chairs for their signature fundraising event—Bagpipes & Bonfire—on Sunday, September Bagpipes & Bonfire has become synonymous with the kickoff of fall with their bagpipers, food, games, and entertainment for all ages.

“Our family loves this event—especially the skydivers, the bagpipers, and the lighting of the bonfire,” Sandy adds, whose own family heritage traces back to the Scottish Highlands. “My grandfather’s family didn’t have a tartan of their own, but because they lived in the area of the Stewarts, we’ll be featuring the Stewart’s muted blue dress tartan at this year’s event. Lake Forest Open Lands is truly such a gift to the community. We are thrilled to be chairing the event this year. I love seeing the next generation of our family wanting to be involved.”

Northern Trust is proud to be the presenting sponsor of Bagpipes & Bonfire. For more information, please email [email protected] or call 224-551-9039 to become a sponsor. To purchase tickets, please visit lfola.org.