Volunteers needed for Habitat Work Days at Volo Bog

The Habitat Restoration and Stewardship Team at Volo Bog State Natural Area is seeking new volunteers to tackle exotic invasive species and help restore the natives.

Each session may involve pulling, cutting, planting and gathering seeds, depending on the season. A camaraderie and sense of accomplishment makes each day worthwhile.

Currently, two sessions are in progress, one on Thursdays and the other on Sundays:

Ÿ The North Bench Overlook Project: 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays, Aug. 29, Sept. 12 and 26, Oct. 10 and 24 and Nov. 7. Adults and kids ages 10 and older.

Get a healthy workout, enjoy fresh air and help restore the environment. The NBO project is currently brush cutting a hill overlooking Volo Bog.

Team leaders: Neil Whitman and John Katzenmayer.

Ÿ Chipmunk Woods Family Work Day Habitat Project: 10:30 a.m. to noon Sundays, Sept. 1, 15 and 29; Oct. 27; and Nov. 10 and 24. Adults and kids ages 7 and older.

Chipmunk Woods Workdays are family-friendly restoration fun. Spend autumn mornings cutting brush in this Leave No Child Inside outdoor classroom.

Team leaders: Stacy Iwanicki; another team leader is needed.

Volunteers should dress for the weather and bring drinking water and comfortable work gloves to protect from thorny branches.

Reservations are requested at (815) 344-1294 or dnr.volobog@illinois.gov. Walk-ins are welcome, but the session may be canceled if minimum registration is not met 24 hours prior. New HRST volunteers, register ahead and plan to arrive 15 minutes early for paperwork.

Not all HRST volunteers apply herbicide, but in order to do so on state lands, they are required to have training and certification. Herbicide certification sessions at Volo Bog State Natural Area will be from 10-11:30 a.m. Aug. 15; 1-2:30 p.m. Aug. 18; and, 10-11:30 a.m. Aug. 31.

These brief sessions include safety, techniques and specific examples. Completion gives herbicide volunteers the knowledge to safely handle the chemicals used in the Integrated Pest Management approach to restoration efforts at Volo Bog State Natural Area and Moraine Hills State Park.

Registration is requested at (815) 344-1294 or dnr.volobog@illinois.gov. Walk-ins are welcome.

Participants must pledge to volunteer for at least four Habitat Work Day sessions over the next 12 months.

To join the team, contact Natural Resources Coordinator Stacy Iwanicki at dnr.volobog@illinois.gov or (815) 344-1294.