Friends of the Parks

FOTP’s Forest Preserve Initiative – Goal 2:

“Support and expand volunteer stewardship in natural areas.”

The Forest Preserve Initiative works to support and expand volunteer stewardship in natural areas in Chicago and Cook County. With 68,000 acres of land holdings, 22,000 of which are ecologically important natural areas that are rapidly being choked out by invasive plant species, and with a staff of only about 400 people to tend to the whole 68,000 acres, the Forest Preserve District depends on the manpower donated by thousands of volunteers every weekend of the year to help them care for our shared natural legacy. Many more trained volunteer stewards are needed so that there can be an increase in the overall number of acres managed.

Friends of the Parks works to introduce city people who care about the outdoors to the benefits and the volunteer opportunities in the forest preserves.

Actions include: increase independence of newly established stewardship groups, establish the nucleus of several new stewardship groups, and provide opportunities to underserved populations for access to preserves, jobs, and volunteer service hours.

Our goal is to cultivate and train new volunteer steward leaders and increase the total number of acres managed, while providing underserved populations access to the preserves – for enjoyment, jobs and volunteer hours.

Stewardship Sites

• Whistler Woods: We began the first-ever ecological restoration work on site at Whistler Woods this summer with high school students from Julian and Bowen High Schools.  We held the first-ever public restoration workday at Whistler Woods with 15 volunteers on National Public Lands Day in September of 2008, and with that group, we are planning a series of quarterly work days there.   We have created a region-wide workday schedule for 2009.
• Spicebush Woods: A high-quality oak woodland in Chicago’s Edgebrook neighborhood, the preserve continues to be threatened by invasive brush.  Our work plan included seeding with native seeds in 2008.  In addition, 25 students of our Earth Team high school apprentices conducted water quality testing 2008.  A winter brush-cut day was completed.
• Cermak Prairie/Salt Creek Nature Preserve:  We are working with stewards at Cermak Prairie and Salt Creek Nature Preserve on regular work days with students from Whitney Young and Curie High Schools through our Adopt-a-Preserve program.
• Dunning-Read Conservation Area:  A 20-acre conservation area consisting of wetlands, woodlands and meadows on the campus of the Chicago-Read Mental Health Center in northwest Chicago is being restored by a stewardship group of volunteers.   Monthly workdays are scheduled throughout 2009.
• Busse Woods: In 2008, a new steward for this site was identified and workdays were held.  We are working with FPD staff to develop a long-term management of the site.