FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT CELEBRATES NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

In recognition of National Volunteer Week, April 21 – 27, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County applauds its 992 long-term and 3,940 one-time volunteers who over the past fiscal year donated more than 86,000 hours with an in-kind value of over $1.8 million.
      “Though we estimate a dollar amount of our volunteers’ contributions, their efforts and dedication are truly priceless,” said Chris Linnell, the District’s Volunteer Services supervisor.
      Volunteers support the District through nine main programs.
      Danada Equestrian Center  — Volunteers are involved in nearly all aspects of care for resident horses from grooming and feeding to mucking out stalls. They also share their expertise during horsemanship programs.
      Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center — Volunteers at the District’s nature-education center welcome visitors and provide hands-on learning activities through programs that relate the forest preserves’ special features to participants.
      Kline Creek Farm — At this living-history farm, volunteers showcase life as it was in the 1890s through cooking, gardening, beekeeping, farming, woodworking and blacksmithing. In 2012 they helped more than 62,000 visitors take a step back in time.
      Mayslake Peabody Estate — The volunteers at this cultural center (13 have been on board since

the program started in 2003) help with gardening, historical research and tours of historic Mayslake Hall. (Recent research uncovered an article from 1930 that described how Jack Peabody and his wife were taking up the game that was sweeping the nation: backgammon.)
      St. James Farm — At this expansive former estate of philanthropist and business leader Brooks McCormick, volunteers document the land’s history and share it with visitors. One volunteer not only developed a special tour of the property’s caboose but also donated $7,000 toward its restoration.
      Willowbrook Wildlife Center — At the District’s native-wildlife rehabilitation and education center, volunteers contributed over 20,000 hours in 2012. They welcomed visitors and helped to treat and care for over 8,600 animals — from orphaned bunnies to injured owls, snakes and toads.
      Volunteer Ranger Experience — These dedicated individuals help District rangers maintain public lands and present recreational programming. In 2012 they contributed over 450 hours to programs for roughly 6,000 visitors and removed 400 bags of litter.
      Trail Patrol — Trails are the District’s most highly used recreational features, and volunteers trek by foot and by bike to provide information and assistance to visitors in the county’s most popular forest preserves. In 2012 this group spent over 2,300 hours en route through 23 locations. 
      Natural Resources — Volunteers remove nonnative vegetation, collect and plant seed, and monitor plant and animal populations at many preserves. Last year several stewards participated in a seed swap to increase genetic diversity in the county’s natural areas.
      For more information about volunteer opportunities with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, contact Volunteer Services at 630-933-7681 or volunteer@dupageforest.org. To learn more about the Forest Preserve District in general, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org.