Lisa Leonard, the NFF's Oregon Program Manager, traveled to Illinois to spend the day with youth from Chicago and employees from Exelon.
Earlier this month I traveled to Illinois’ Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie for the first time. At 6 am I arrived at Chicago’s North Lawndale Preparatory High School (NCLP). I met the summer work crew students and two summer crew leaders as well as two of NLCP’s science teachers. We then made our way through the bustling morning traffic commute to Midewin, about an hour south of the city.
It was hard not to be impressed by:
- how fast the students sprung into work and action upon our arrival at the Midewin,
- the dedication and leadership of the two crew leaders, and
- everyone’s impactful work ethic.
Although I did not have a chance to speak to each student individually I did get some quality time with two outstanding young women who are both on their way to college at the end of August. I asked them what their favorite job thus far was at the site – they said it was the day they built a road – that instant gratification of seeing your work completed.
They also enjoy the cameraderie and the team support from each other to get the project work done. They expressed their enthusiasm for being part of the larger restoration effort and to be able to come back to the city each evening and share their stories to friends and family.
I got the sense they take great pride in what they are accomplishing over the course of six weeks at Midewin.
This day was a joint volunteer day made possible by the Exelon Foundation. 17 Exelon employees and college interns worked alongside the NLCP’s youth crew and Forest Service staff. The Exelon Foundation, through a three year partnership with the NFF, is funding the summer work crew program at Midewin.
We planted more than 5,460 grasses and sedges at South Prairie Creek Outwash Plain. The planting took place where a road was recently removed as part of the NFF’s Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences site work .
This program means a lot to the students, the school, and the teachers - it is more than a summer job. The experience fosters young professionals, promotes a rewarding work ethic, and provides a sense of accomplishment of being part of a larger restoration effort. Through introducing the students into a new world of natural resources, we may see them leading summer work crews at Midewin in the years to come.
