Brookfield in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Recreated Dolomite Prairie

Creating Habitat and Storm Water Retention

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 21, 2026

1. Recreated Dolomite Prairie Marker

Inscription. This dolomite prairie was created by digging down to the bedrock not far below the surface. It acts as "green infrastructure" helping collect stormwater from the adjacent parking lot area and allowing it to slowly infiltrate into the ground, reducing flooding. The dense blanket of plants in the prairie help capture and store carbon from the atmosphere helping to reduce global warming.

What Makes It a Dolomite Prairie?
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, dolomite prairies are a rare type of prairie found in Northern Illinois where glaciers left behind rocky soil or where bedrock is close to the surface.

The few remaining dolomite prairies in Illinois are home to a mixture of grasses and native flowering plants.

Kaleidoscope of Color
Thorough each season, the diverse mix of prairie grasses and native flowering plants provide a kaleidoscope of colors and textures. Mountain Mint and Butterfly Milkweed bloom early and die back quickly, giving way to Black-eyed Susans, Coneflowers, and Milkweeds in the summer. In the fall, Goldenrod sets the prairie ablaze in yellow. In the winter, the dried

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plants and their seed heads continue to provide an interesting and varied landscape.

Now Take a Closer Look
As you look amongst the prairie plants you'll see that this densely packed environment provides food and shelter for insects, spiders, and small animals. Look for mice tunnels, insect eggs, and spider webs among the plants. Birds and small mammals are also drawn to the prairie as they feed on seeds, insects, small rodents and snakes.

Erected by Brookfield Conservation Commission, Village of Brookfield.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 41° 48.751′ N, 87° 50.77′ W. Marker is in Brookfield, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on Sunnyside Avenue south of Shields Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The marker is in Ehlert Park, across from the fire station on the park's northern edge. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4338 Congress Park Avenue, Brookfield IL 60513, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 21, 2026

2. Recreated Dolomite Prairie Marker

this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Native Plants (approx. 0.2 miles away); Korean War Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Historic Grossdale Station (approx. ¾ mile away); Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 0.8 miles away); Riverside As It Once Was (approx. 0.9 miles away); Exploring an Oak Savanna (approx. one mile away); The Brookfield Oak Savanna (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brookfield.

Also see . . . Dolomite Prairie. From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Excerpt: "The different prairie types are the result of variations in soil moisture, soil composition, geological substrate, glacial history and
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topography. Dolomite prairies occur where the glacial debris is thin, and the dolomite bedrock is at or near the surface of the soil. These areas have a high magnesium content in the soil due to the weathering of the exposed dolomite bedrock. The extra magnesium favors a unique plant community, many of which grow nowhere else. Dolomite prairies may be found along the upper Illinois River in northeastern Illinois, where the plants grow in dolomite bedrock exposed by river erosion, and in a few other locations in northern Illinois."

(Submitted on October 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.