Warrenville students plant bur oak at Summerlakes Park

Students in Bridget Hankes Ixpata's fourth-grade class at Clifford Johnson Elementary School in Warrenville wound up the school year by planting a bur oak at Summerlakes Park as part of The Conservation Foundation's Mighty Acorns program.

The foundation partnered with the Warrenville Park District to recognize the achievement with a Conservation@Work certification.

The park district removed invasive plant species from the park and replaced them with native plants, with the assistance of the Johnson Elementary students under the guidance of Recreation Supervisor/Parks Technician Adam Dagley.

Ixpata's classes have participated in the program since 2007, incorporating a stewardship-based environmental education curriculum with activities outdoors.

The Conservation Foundation is one of the region's largest and oldest private conservation organizations -- with more than 4,000 members and donors, and more than 500 volunteers who contribute 20,000 hours per year.

Work is focused in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties to preserve and restore nature in your neighborhood. Find out more at theconservationfoundation.org.