Students helping, not hurting park

According to "Can we please stop deforestation?" (Neighbor Fencepost, May 17), Conant High School students are destroying Park St. Claire in Schaumburg.

But we are making it better.

It may seem that we are destroying it by cutting out trees at the front, but those are not trees. They are invasive species that are destroying the forest.

The invasive species that grow and take over your so-called forest is buckthorn. That buckthorn can harm other organisms and may wipe out a whole species.

Also this park is not a forest. In actuality, residents who live in Schaumburg and Elk Grove live near a riparian zone. These zones are between aquatic and upland ecosystems.

As for the supplies, a Conant science teacher is equipped with supplies for his volunteers. In the past, he paid for the equipment with his $19,000 per year salary. Now he is given grants for helmets and such that are not paid for by your tax dollars. Residents don't have to be concerned for their money.

As far as for this project, residents weren't notified of it because they don't have the knowledge for this situation. These high school students have recently learned about the situation that Park St. Claire is recently been undergoing. Residents, please don't be alarmed of what these students or volunteers are working on. They want to restore the park as much as you.

Nicole Real

Hoffman Estates