Defined as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors and which takes place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or river, and with an interesting view, picnics are a healthful and joyous form of passive open-air recreation that is enjoyed throughout the world.
Not so in Riverside.
In our village, which is widely recognized as one of the most scenic and beautiful places in the Chicagoland area, picnicking is illegal. How is that possible?
When the picnic ban was enacted, it was done in response to concerns over littering, loud music playing, alcohol consumption, use of cooking and grilling equipment, and the potential for large group gatherings. While these are legitimate concerns with regard to the responsible use of our parks, the outright picnic ban is bad legislation, for three reasons.
First, the picnic ban is a legislative overreach. The Village Municipal Code addresses all public nuisances that may occur in parks individually and separately from the no-picnic ordinance. These nuisances, like littering and grilling in the parks, are illegal. In other words, if the ban is lifted and picnics are allowed, all the activities of concern that led to the ban will remain to be illegal.
Additionally, banning picnics is the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to tap in a finishing nail as it punishes the large majority of people and families that would use the parks responsibly.
A much better way to deal with the legitimate use concerns of our parks would be for the Village to adopt a version of the “Leave No Trace” Program as advocated by the National Parks Service. The majority of this public education and outreach effort could be carried out by Riverside civic and conservation groups, and would offer volunteer opportunities for individuals as well.
It comes down to a choice between educating and encouraging, or prohibiting and defending.
Second, the picnic ban is in direct contradiction with Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision for open-air recreation. Olmsted explicitly endorses picnicking by labeling a significant portion of Swan Pond “Picnic Island” on his 1869 General Plan for Riverside.
Further evidence of his view can be found in the Preliminary Report that accompanied the General Plan. Olmsted writes that “The chief advantages of a suburb consist in those which favor open-air recreation beyond the limits which economy and convenience prescribe for private grounds and gardens”, and that “some of the best of your property shall be used for public grounds rather than of enclosed and defended parks and gardens.”
Third, as a stewardship measure, the picnic ban is counterproductive. While the ban does prevent the scarce instances of irresponsible park use, it precludes a far greater number of effective opportunities for people to become nature advocates from happening.
As any nature lover involved in environmental preservation knows, there is nothing more powerful than an outdoor experience for a true understanding of the authenticity, beauty, and importance of Mother Nature. The outdoors stimulate our 5 senses in a way which reminds us of the fact that we are just a part of nature ourselves. During a picnic, sight, hearing, smell, and touch, are further reinforced by the experience of taste, and one can see the unparalleled ability for picnics to create positive and strong memories that shape our values.
David Sobel, an education writer who has helped develop the philosophy of place-based education, points out that we must allow our children to love the earth before we ask them to save it. In that sense, the picnic ban is counterproductive, and throws the baby out with the bathwater.
The combined effect of overreach, contradiction with Olmsted, and lack of stewardship potential illustrates how the picnic ban is not in the best interest of Riverside’s present and future.
Additionally, there is the even broader issue of social justice.
As residents of Riverside, we know we are privileged. It is easy for us to forget that not all people have beautiful backyards of their own. I believe we should do more to invite and encourage people, particularly those who aren’t as fortunate as we are, to be able to enjoy the outdoors more frequently.
Riverside shall never rightfully claim the full extent of its beauty if we do not proactively offer to share that beauty with all people, near and far. Allowing picnics is a great way to start doing just that.
If you support efforts to lift the ban on picnics in Riverside Parks, please send an e-mail to YesToPicnics@gmail.com