Volunteer triple threat scores DuPage forest preserve honor

Being named volunteer of the year isn't the best prize Harry Holland has received since he began working with the DuPage County Forest Preserve in 2003.

"My wife and I met on trail patrol," he explained before Thursday's awards ceremony. "We got married at Herrick Lake" in Warrenville.

The volunteer triple threat began his work with trail patrol five years ago but discovered the waterway keeper program two years ago and joined that. Then in January, he became an animal keeper at Willowbrook Wildlife Center.

"That's what they call a natural extension of my love of animals," Holland said. "My work is just feeding and caring for the animals most times, but this past Tuesday we got to take three animals out and release them, and that was my first time doing that. It was really amazing."

A recuperated wood duck and a small owl were freed at Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve, while a coyote was reintroduced to the wild at Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve near Bartlett.

Chris Linnell, the volunteer services supervisor at the forest preserve, said Holland has boundless enthusiasm for the work he does and was an easy pick for the award.

"One day he's on his bike on a trail, the next he's working in a stream or pond in one of the preserves doing restoration or clean-up work and now he's helping animals at Willowbrook," Linnell said.

Holland tallied nearly 80 hours of volunteer time at various preserves last year. During his career, he has amassed 560 hours.

He says his rural upbringing explains his desire to do outdoorsy things. In fact, he figured he'd join the trail patrol since he already was out riding bicycles and walking forest preserve trails.

"We're the eyes and ears for the forest preserve police," he said. "If we see anything out of the ordinary, we just call the forest preserve police and they do all the work."

So, after five years pedaling and patrolling the preserves, what's the craziest thing he's ever seen go down?

"Nothing," he said. "Usually the biggest thing is a dog off a leash."

And this isn't something he's doing because he's got nothing else going on. He works a full-time job for a local vending company and volunteers when he has free time.

"I like trail patrol the best, I'd say," Holland said. "You're out meeting people, and on a nice day you can meet 30 to 100 people, and I've been told people like seeing us out there."