Volunteer extraordinaire, Ren Dean, helped Kickapoo Woods by clearing away European Buckthorn that surrounded an oak tree. Just check out these before and after photos! Oh, and did we mention they own an awesome bookstore named after Skunk Cabbage? Go visit or check it out at https://bit.ly/4gULnIO! ?? #forestpreserves #forestconservation #volunteer #protectourforests
Friends of the Forest Preserves
环境服务
Chicago，IL 1,783 位关注者
We unite people to protect, promote, and care for the forest preserves in Cook County.
关于我们
We unite people to protect, promote, and care for the forest preserves in Cook County. Through advocacy, ecological restoration, and Conservation Corps, we promote responsible management of the nearly 70,000 acres of forest preserve land – right outside your urban backdoor for all of us to enjoy. Some of the best natural areas in Illinois are right here in Cook County. Political Advocacy Friends provides oversight by attending all Forest Preserve District board meetings, making policy and budget recommendations, and fending off land grabs. We also believe that in order for the Forest Preserve District to properly function, it needs an independent board of forest preserve commissioners. Restoration For many years, the forest preserves weren't getting the attention they deserve – invasive brush turned thousands of acres into impassible thorn thickets, preserve land was sold, and trash littered the landscape. Through government and foundation funding, we hire contractors for large-scale, on-the-ground restoration projects such as removing invasive species, restoring hydrology, and conducting controlled burns.?We also coordinate volunteer workdays year-round to maintain the progress we've made and move forward in restoring native species. Conservation Corps Our conservation corps programs are among the most important work we do. We recruit high school students and young adults, often from low-income neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Chicago, to not only learn about conservation, but also gain vital leadership and teamwork skills that can be used outside of the forest preserves. Friends corps members plant seeds and remove the invasive species that are the cancer of our ecosystems. They are paid for their restoration work while learning about careers and higher education in related fields.
- 网站
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https://www.fotfp.org
Friends of the Forest Preserves的外部链接
- 所属行业
- 环境服务
- 规模
- 51-200 人
- 总部
- Chicago，IL
- 类型
- 非营利机构
- 创立
- 1998
- 领域
- Conservation、Environmental advocacy、Ecological restoration、Forest management、Volunteer events、restoration、stewardship和prescribed burns
地点
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主要
获取路线
411 S. Wells St.
Suite 800
US，IL，Chicago，60607
Friends of the Forest Preserves员工
动态
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Congrats to Kasandra A. on her new position as Calumet Engagement Crew Manager! Kasandra has been a part of environmental organizations since high school. She received her bachelor's in Communication with a minor in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Her passion for restoration started during her college internships, where she learned how to identify and remove invasive plants. This passion ignited when she studied abroad in the Galapagos Islands to learn about sustainable agriculture. She discovered that major issues with invasive species, such as the guava plant, are also encountered in the place that is the most biodiverse in the world. Starting in 2023, Kasandra worked for the Shedd Aquarium as a Conservation Action coordinator focusing on conservation engagement in the Chicagoland area. Kasandra is excited to oversee the Engagement Corps crew as their manager to advance conservation goals in the forest preserves through a community-based approach. #welcometotheteam?#forestpreserves?#forestconservation?#protectourforests
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Why do we burn our brush piles? Buckthorn, one of the primary invasive species that we work to remove from the forest preserves, is what we call allelopathic. That means it produces a chemical in excess that makes it difficult for other plants to grow beneath it. That is part of what makes it such a detrimental and basic species. By burning it off, we ensure that the wood does not decompose therefore depositing more of this chemical into the soil further degrading the ecosystem for years to come! #ecosystem #forestpreserves #forestconservation #volunteer #protectourforests
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Need a reason to get out and enjoy nature? We have five! Join us in March for five important restoration projects. Experience unique views, fresh air and the reward of making a positive impact. Register for a Volunteer Workday at: https://bit.ly/4ad0QST ?? #FOTFP #forestpreserves #forestconservation #conservation #conservationefforts #protectourforests #CookCounty #ChicagoNature
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These beautiful fungi are aptly named the Stinking Orange Oysters for their strong, unpleasant odor. They can be found growing on decaying wood in the cooler seasons. They have bright orange gills and a lighter orange, fuzzy cap! Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WUQPnT ?? #forestpreserves #forestconservation #protectourforests #fungi
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Congratulats to Katrell Folie on her new position as Calumet Engagement Assistant Crew Manager! Katrell is from the Calumet region and has spent years working her way up through the ranks at Friends. Starting as a summer program crew leader and moving into program management, she’s now focused on giving back by getting youth and their families outside and connected to nature. With a growing passion for conservation, Katrell is always learning and sharing what she’s picked up along the way. Her goal? To inspire the next generation to take care of not only themselves, but the environment as well, and to appreciate everything the forest preserves have to offer. #forestpreserves?#forestconservation?#protectourforests
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If you live in the Calumet region, are 21 years or older, and are interested in a job in environmental programming and community-based conservation, apply for the Calumet Engagement Corps Crew Member position today! https://bit.ly/41uT0B9 ?? #restoringnature #forestpreserves #forestconservation #volunteer #protectourforests #environmentalprogramming
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Prescribed burn alert! Warm and dry conditions meant we were able to start burning early this year. Newer crew members learned lots and those in their second year were happy to share tips and pointers. #ForestPreserves #Conservation #NatureLovers #ControlledBurn
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Crew member Keith poses next to a successfully girdled giant buckthorn. In our USFS work order at Chipilly Woods, we are able to girdle buckthorn that are over 6in DBH (therefore too large to fell). It was a great learning experience! #restoringnature #forestpreserves #forestconservation #volunteer #protectourforests
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Keep those winter blues away with some movement. Cross country skiing is a great option to get outside and try something new. With more than 350 miles of cross country trails in the Cook County Forest preserves there’s plenty of options to choose from. Please note that trail systems are not groomed or tracked during the winter. #forestpreserves #forestconservation #conservation #conservationefforts #protectourforests
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