Volunteers Needed: Help Squash Invasive Species in Naperville Forests

Help improve the forest preserves by gathering valuable seeds or removing invasive species during a Forest Preserve District of Will County volunteer workday!

Seed Collection Workdays

RSVP to natural resource land manger Juanita Armstrong-Ullberg at 815 722-5918 or jarmstrong@fpdwc.org. Seed collection workdays will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on:

• Tuesday, Sept. 27: Riverview Farmstead and Kropp Prairie. Meet at Kropp Prairie on Book Road, north of 119th Street, Naperville.
• Tuesday, Oct. 4: Sugar Creek Preserve, Sugar Creek Administration Center parking lot, Joliet.
• Wednesday, Nov. 16: Riverview Farmstead and Vermont Cemetery, Naperville. Meet at Kropp Prairie on Book Road, north of 119th Street, Naperville.

Volunteer Workdays

RSVP to volunteer coordinator Renee Gauchat at 815-722-7364 or rgauchat@fpdwc.org. Unless otherwise noted, volunteer workdays will be held from 8 a.m. to noon. Workdays are scheduled for:

• Saturday, Sept. 3: Hammel Woods – Route 59 Access, Shorewood.
• Saturday, Sept. 17: Sharefest Community Workday, Hickory Creek Preserve – Hickory Creek Junction, Mokena.
• Sunday, Sept. 18: Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Lockport.
• Saturday, Sept. 24: National Public Lands Day. Brush control 8 a.m. to noon, seed collection 10 a.m. to noon, Isle a la Cache, Romeoville.
• Saturday, Oct. 1: Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve, Old Park Forest Gardens, Park Forest.
• Sunday, Oct. 2: Hickory Creek Preserve – LaPorte Road Access, Mokena.
• Thursday, Oct. 6: Lewis University, Romeoville.
• Saturday, Oct. 8: Theodore Marsh, Crest Hill.
• Sunday, Oct. 9: Alessio Prairie, Crest Hill.
• Saturday, Oct. 22: Joliet Junior College, Joliet.
• Saturday, Nov. 5: Whalon Lake, Naperville.
• Sunday, Nov. 13: Seed collection from 10 a.m. to noon, Sugar Creek Administration Center, Joliet.
• Saturday, Nov. 26: Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve – Brightway Lane, New Lenox.
• Sunday, Nov. 27: Keepataw Preserve, Lemont.
• Saturday, Dec. 10: Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, Beecher.
• Sunday, Dec. 11: Messenger Woods Nature Preserve, Homer Glen.
• Saturday, Dec. 17: Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve. Meet at Isle a la Cache Museum, Romeoville.

Workdays are open to individuals of all ages.

Dress appropriately for the weather. Wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, a hat and sunglasses. Bring a water bottle, sunscreen, insect repellent and work gloves. For information on volunteer opportunities or Forest Preserve District programs, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.

The above information and accompanying photo are courtesy of the Forest Preserve District of Will County.