Park St. Claire will be back, even better

In response to "Can we please stop the deforestation?"

This supposed deforestation going on in Park St. Claire's Salt Creek is far from that. First and foremost, Salt Creek's riparian zone (the "wooded forest" area) is full of an invasive species, buckthorn, hindering the growth of all the natural plants which should be present.

The fact that the buckthorn harms the natural plants also affects the insects and animals, leading to a large patch of nothing; no animals, no insects, and little to no native vegetation.

Conant's LCAP program, in coordination with Spring Valley, are working hand-in-hand in order to bring the true nature aspect back into Salt Creek by opening up the riparian zone for the residual plants that should occupy the luscious Salt Creek area.

The truth of this all is that this cleanup program started as an Earth Day Project and spread into a yearly program, teaching Conant students the importance of our environment and how to preserve it.

To this day, this program, which is totally voluntary, running on the funds of our Conant adviser, has been quite successful.

Together we have practically cleared the entire Salt Creek riparian zone the invasive buckthorn while bringing a true stream back to Salt Creek with hopes that sooner, rather than later, natural life-forms will start to appear back to their true state.

Sean Ehrhardt

Schaumburg