Volunteers keep DuPage County Forests Preserves beautiful
On a sunny but cold Saturday morning, two small groups of volunteers are doing their part to help DuPage County's forest preserves.
The first is busy removing nonnative plants at Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve near Naperville. Roughly 15 miles away at Churchill Woods, a Scout troop is targeting the buckthorn and honeysuckle that has invaded the preserve near Glen Ellyn.
"There was a time in history when you could gallop a horse through Churchill Woods. You cannot do that today," said Kim White, a Lombard resident who volunteers as a steward for the site.
A nearby brush pile, which is about the size of a minivan, underscores why White and other stewards are always looking to recruit more volunteers for the district's restoration workdays.
"That's two weekends of work," she said.
Volunteers who participate in the workdays serve an important role in the district's ongoing efforts to remove invasive species from its preserves, said Kathleen Lech, a stewardship technician. They also help collect seeds, pick up litter and beautify sites.
"A volunteer force is incredibly useful to have because of how much land we have to cover," said Lech, noting the district has more than 60 preserves.
While district staff does a great deal of restoration work, Lech said the workdays provide an added benefit.
"More hands make light work," she said.
There are workday events scheduled throughout the year. The total number of volunteers who participate fluctuates. But Lech says there's a core of roughly 200 people who regularly volunteer with the district because "they really want to give back."
"They love the preserves," Lech said. "They enjoy them on their own time and want to show their appreciation."
Meanwhile, there's the stewards - specially trained volunteers assigned to specific preserves. They help coordinate and oversee workdays and carry out restoration goals at those preserves.
Because the workdays draw a lot of first-timers, Lech said the stewards are there to teach them what they need to know.
"They're not expecting everyone to have an idea of what they're doing when they come to a workday," she said. "They're completely aware that it's a learning experience. They are there to help guide everyone."
Joe Suchecki has been a steward for Springbrook Prairie for more than 20 years.
The Naperville resident started as a volunteer bird monitor at Springbrook in 1994. According to the district, the roughly 1,800-acre preserve is a "birder's paradise" with a variety of grassland birds, including meadowlarks, dickcissels and grasshopper sparrows.
"Because it's so big and because it's open grassland, Springbrook is very valuable for some of our grassland birds," Suchecki said. "I got involved because I knew what birds were out here."
That led to him becoming a steward for Springbrook a few years later. "In order to keep the birds here, you have to have the right habitat," he said.
Suchecki said the fight to keep nonnative plants out of Springbrook is a constant struggle. "A lot of stuff is coming in, so we have to keep cutting it back," he said.
But he says he enjoys doing what he can to help maintain the preserve.
"It's a feeling of accomplishment," Suchecki said.
White says she has seen people make a connection with Churchill Woods because they volunteered there.
"They start to take ownership of it," she said. "They're building these connections to nature that they wouldn't normally have."
Naperville resident Mark Thomas said he was drawn to the recent workday at Springbrook because he likes nature and wildlife.
"I've enjoyed the outdoors my entire life," he said. "I feel it's important to get out and do what we can to preserve it for the generations to come."
To find a list of the district's upcoming workdays, visit dupageforest.org/calendar-of-events. Registration can be done online at apm.activecommunities.com/fpddc/Activity_Search or by calling (630) 206-9630.
Calling all volunteers
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is sponsoring a number of volunteer workdays in the coming months. The schedule includes:
April 6 and April 20: 9 a.m. to noon at Maple Grove near Downers Grove. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
April 13: 9 a.m. to noon at Churchill Woods near Glen Ellyn. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
April 13, 14, 27 and 28: 9 a.m. to noon at Springbrook Prairie near Naperville. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
April 20: 9 a.m. to noon at Churchill/Glacial. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
April 22: 4 to 6 p.m. at Springbrook Prairie. Volunteers pick up litter and remove nonnative plants.
April 23: 4 to 6 p.m. at Burlington Park near Naperville. Volunteers pick up litter and remove nonnative plants.
April 24: 4 to 6 p.m. at Green Valley near Naperville. Volunteers pick up litter and remove nonnative plants.
April 25: 4 to 6 p.m. at Springbrook Prairie. Volunteers pick up litter and remove nonnative plants.
April 26: 4 to 6 p.m. at McDowell Grove near Naperville. Volunteers pick up litter and remove nonnative plants.
May 4, 11 and 18: 9 a.m. to noon at Maple Grove. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
May 11: 9 a.m. to noon at Springbrook Prairie. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
May 11 and 25: 9 a.m. to noon at Churchill/Glacial. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
May 11 and 25: 9 a.m. to noon at St. James Farm near Warrenville. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
May 18: 9 a.m. to noon at Churchill Woods. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
June 8: 9 a.m. to noon at Churchill/Glacial. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
June 9: 9 a.m. to noon at Springbrook Prairie. Volunteers collect seeds or remove nonnative plants.
• Programs for ages 8 and older; younger than 18 with an adult. Register by calling (630) 206-9630 at least five days in advance (10 days for groups of five or more).