After successfully completing a nine-month green industry training program, 13 participants were ready to step out and apply what they had learned. Nov. 30 was their graduation day and I was there to watch it all unfold. Started in 1994, Greencorps Chicago is a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps program that offers job opportunities to […]
While the air is filled with the roar of chainsaws and the smell of burning wood, a Conservation Corps team was hard at work clearing brush in Wentworth Woods Forest Preserve. This was the scene on a mid-December morning, when my fellow intern, Sam, and I ventured out to work in the field. We were […]
On an October day that was perfect for “splashing in puddles,” as her niece happily did, Cornelia Grumman and her family took a stroll through Perkins Woods. Grumman is the great granddaughter of Prairie School architect Dwight Perkins, for whom the small patch of woodlands in Northwest Evanston is named. The Forest Preserves of Cook […]
The subject line of the email I received from a colleague at the Forest Preserves of Cook County was certainly intriguing… “You’re Invited to a Guided Forest Therapy Walk.” Born and raised in the Northwest Suburbs, I’m no stranger to the Forest Preserves. They’re woven into the fabric of my life in memories of picnics, trips with […]
During its November meeting, the Forest Preserve Foundation board of directors approved four grants for the fall cycle totaling $122,530. The grants will go to support restoration/conservation, internships, volunteer training and recognition programs within the Forest Preserves of Cook County. This latest round of grants increases the Foundation’s total giving since its inception to in […]
Isoo O’Brien may be Cook County’s youngest birding expert. The 15 year old has led walks for the Evanston North Shore Bird Club and through the Chicago Botanic Garden. In May, he led walks in LaBagh Woods, part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, for the International Migratory Bird Celebration Day. That’s where Foundation […]
“Do I have time for this?” As the executive director the Forest Preserve Foundation, a small public-private organization in partnership with a government agency, that question often runs through my mind. In early September, I attended the National Recreation Foundation’s Nonprofit Executive Leadership program. I am always eager to take part in free professional development […]
The 2018 Conservation Cup winning foursome with the trophy. Under a spectacular September sky, the Foundation held its seventh annual Conservation Cup at the George W. Dunne National Golf Course. The Sept. 13 tournament raised a record $210,000 through corporate and individual sponsorships and proceeds from a live auction and a raffle. Conservation Cup is […]
THE OUTDOOR LIFE By Erin Starkey What feeds your soul? Brings you calm during a storm? A few years ago, I realized the answer was being outdoors. I was working as the director of a mental health department for a large local non-profit. This was work that I loved and was at times also very […]
