Official Publication of the ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS ILLINOIS PARK AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION OFFICERS OFFICERS Tim G. Soldwedel, President Commissioner, Pekin Joe H. Doud, President Northbrook Park District Peter T. Trenchard, President-Elect Commissioner, Deerfield Fred P. Hall, President-Elect Palatine Park District Henry C. Deihl, Past President Commissioner, Salt Creek Rural Chuck Paxton, Past President Zion Park District Gerald E. Wernick, Vice President Commissioner, Rockford Mary Colmar, Secretary Olympia Fields Park District Barbara Straus, Vice President Commissioner, Olympia Fields BOARD MEMBERS James Cummings, Vice President Commissioner, Peoria Ron Dodd Park Ridge Park District Harold C. Hawkins, Treasurer Trustee, Springfield Tom Gordon Peoria Park District Robert L. Cole, Sergeant at Arms Commissioner, Decatur Gerald Oakes GlencoePark District BOARD OF DIRECTORS Daniel Newport Elmhurst Park District Erwin Romke, Board Member Kane County Forest Preserve Jerry Schaeffer Department of Conservation Patricia Leonhard Commissioner, Champaign Thomas Richardson Glenview Park District Donald F. Earley Commissioner, West Chicago David Colmar Homewood/Flossmoor Park District Robert W. Bluestone Commissioner, Franklin Park David Markworth Des Plaines Park District Donald Palzer Commissioner, Kankakee Valley David Jewell Chester Mental Health Center Jean M. Foran Commissioner, Chicago Ronald Secrist Champaign Park District Charles E.Wright Commissioner, Canton Charles Fields A. L. Bowen Center Bruce Larson Commissioner, Urbana Dale Hench Department of Conservation Barry N. Shore Commissioner, Northbrook Rhodell Owens Peoria Park District Lewis Smith Commissioner, Elk-Grove Jerry Handlon Batavia Park District Webbs Norman Rockford Park District Frank Benedict Manteno Mental Health Center Tom Brimberry Illinois State University EXECUTIVE STAFF Eugene Berghoff, Executive Vice President, IAPD and Managing Editor Bill Bodine, Accountant, IAPD Kay Kastel Forest, Executive Director, IPRAand Editor Marilyn Walters, Off ice Services Specialist Brian Dougherty, Legislative Liaison, IAPD Robert A. Stuart, General Counsel. IAPD Sam Basan, Field Service Representative, IAPD

Cover: Spring is just budding in this Champaign park. Photo courtesy of the Champaign Park District. MARCH/APRIL 1977 Vol. VIII, No. 2 Kay Kastel Forest, Editor CONTENTS FEATURES How Is Your Approach to Vandalism .. 4 Accident Control .............. 6 Anatomy of a Merger ........... 10 Environmental Education ......... 14 Emergency Procedures ........... 16 Why Can't We Wait? ............ 26 Increasing Participation .......... 28 Private Land and Dollars. ......... 30 DEPARTMENTS From Desk of VP .............. 3 Association Highlites ............ 3 Legal & Legislative ............. 8 Conference Pictures. ............ 12 Position Referral .............. 25 People & News ............... 32 Associate Members ............. 35 IPRA HEADQUARTERS AND EDITORIAL OFFICE 600 E. Algonquin Rd. DesPlaines, Illinois 60016 Society phone (312) 297-6261 IAPD HEADQUARTERS Suite 206 St. George Bldg. 300 East Monroe Street Springfield, Ill. 62701 Association phone (217) 523-4554 JOINT COMMITTEE Henry Deihl, Chairman Chuck Paxton Tim Soldwedel Joe Doud Peter Trenchard Fred Hall Donald F. Earley Dave Markworth ILLINOIS PARKS AND RECREATION is published bimonthly at Springfield, Illinois by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. Subscription per year: Domestic $5.00; Foreign, $6.00. Single copies, $1.00 each. Second class postage paid at Springfield, Illinois.