Jalanni Matthews, Chicago Program Coordinator, Student Conservation Association.
Jalanni Matthews’ warm presence is matched only by his passionate dedication to keeping nature healthy. Since 2014 when he first joined a crew as a high school sophomore, Jalanni has brought his whole self, worked hard, learned, and built relationships in every avenue and connection provided by the Conservation Corps. He has worked his way to his current job where he coordinates the very program he joined nearly ten years ago.
Thoughtful and engaging, Jalanni garners attention when he speaks, drawing in an individual interviewer or a crowd at a cocktail reception. Equal parts passion, knowledge, insight and gratitude, Jalanni’s speech at the annual Forest Preserve Foundation Conservation Cup golf fundraiser shifted the energy in the tented pavilion and elicited a standing ovation. Here are Jalanni’s own words:
Jalanni Matthews Speech from Conservation Cup Event 2023
Nine years ago when I joined the conversation corps, I had no idea that I would be standing in front of you all to tell my story. After many summers of staying home, hanging out with neighborhood kids, and playing video games, my mom had enough. She would bring me summer job opportunities to look at daily, but there was only one that piqued my interest: the Conservation Corps. That first summer in 2014 opened a whole new world for me.
I grew a deep appreciation and connection to nature. We would learn the names and benefits of trees and plants, why the work we were doing was important, and ways to create an inclusive community so that more people can appreciate and connect to the land.
Over time with the corps, I would learn what it means to be a leader and that this idea is intertwined with being a follower. There is a need to show those that you lead that you can take direction just as well as you give it and that you have no issues participating in the work that you’re handing out.
I gained lifelong friends, many of whom are still doing restoration work, and they are some of the most genuine people I’ve met. I think that’s a common trait among most people who share a love of the environment.
I saw places I didn’t know existed. From Starved Rock State Park to Sand Ridge Nature Center and many more. Though these places may not be in my backyard, the conservation corps taught me that there is still a need to protect these areas so that people after me can appreciate it as I did or more than I did.
The most rewarding part of my CCLC experience was being able to come back to worksites and see the progress that was made over the course of 5 weeks. It was these experiences that helped me decide that conservation/restoration was something I wanted to completely give myself to. I came back nearly every summer and decided that my education would be centered around conservation/restoration work. My journey would not be possible without the generous donations from donors and conservation corps staff who believed that there was a space for people who look like me in the forest preserves.
In present day, I am grateful for the opportunity to help mold the next generation of conservation leaders and create a safe place for people from all walks of life to enjoy nature. It is my hope that these programs continue to get funded, and that the next generation of conservation leaders can experience the joy I feel being a force for nature. Thank you.
Won’t you give today? Not only will your gift help open doors for wonderful young leaders like Jalanni, but it will bring valuable young people into the conservation field - a field that benefits from the diversity of backgrounds represented in our Conservation Corps. Conservation Corps programs hire, train and educate young people in hands-on restoration to keep our treasured natural areas healthy.
In this season of gratitude and gifting, please consider making a gift of nature, in your name or the name of a nature lover on your list.
Donate online HERE or send a check to: Forest Preserve Foundation, 69 West Washington, Suite 2040, Chicago, IL 60602
Or you can purchase gifts for the Conservation Corps crews HERE via this Amazon Wishlist.
“A big thing with leading is leading by example. I don’t ask anybody to do anything that I won’t go out here and do myself. As you can see, I’m just as dirty as anybody else.…We’re all out here for a reason.”
CCLC is a partnership program coordinated by the Student Conservation Association, Friends of the Forest Preserves and the Forest Preserves of Cook County, with generous support from the Forest Preserve Foundation and others.