13th Annual ComEd Green Region Program Awards Grants up to $150,000 to enhance green spaces across northern Illinois
In their longstanding collaboration to create sustainable communities and maintain natural environments, ComEd and Openlands announced the 18 grant recipients of the 2025 Green Region Grant Program. This year, grants of up to $10,000 each, totaling over $150,000, were awarded to support preservation projects, expand habitats, combat climate change and create environmental education spaces in northern Illinois communities.
“ComEd proudly invests in the communities we serve across northern Illinois, and through our longstanding partnership with Openlands, we are supporting community-driven projects that will enhance green spaces all across northern Illinois,” said Melissa Washington, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives. “This latest round of grant recipients features a diverse mix of projects to expand pollinator sites, curb the effects of climate change, and drive environmental innovations that will substantially impact the daily lives of our customers and communities throughout the region.”
Since the grant program’s launch in 2013, over $2.45 million in funding has been distributed across nearly three hundred conservation projects in local communities. This includes the support of over 86,000 feet of ADA-accessible trails, 1,800 acres of restored land and the planting of almost 39,000 new trees. This year, special consideration was given to projects that help the region adapt to climate change and support pollinator conservation. The program is funded by ComEd and administered by Openlands.
“Real change in our region requires cross-sector collaboration. Since 2013, the ComEd Green Region Grant has been made possible through a strong partnership between ComEd and Openlands. Together, we’re expanding and protecting pollinator habitats, restoring green spaces, and empowering communities to care for the natural areas that sustain us all. This partnership is advancing our shared vision for a more biodiverse, climate-resilient region—where people and nature thrive together,” said Michael Davidson, President & CEO of Openlands.
Details of the Green Region Grant Program can be found at Openlands.org/GreenRegion.
The 18 recipients and their funded projects of the 2025 Green Region Grant Program are:
The Conservation Foundation (Algonquin) in partnership with Friends of Dundee Natural Areas and Dundee Township, will restore four acres of prairie at Dixie Briggs Fromm Nature Preserve in Dundee Township. This restoration will provide a protective buffer for the preserve’s extremely rare dry prairie.
Chicago Park District (Chicago) will convert an abandoned parcel within the North Park Village Complex into an interactive native plant propagation workshop. They will install a greenhouse and grow pollinator-friendly and climate resilient species to improve the Nature Center.
Friends of Gray PTO (Chicago) will support the Gray School Native Garden, which will provide a natural, calming gathering space for students. This project will demonstrate climate resiliency, conservation and solutions to stormwater management.
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