The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's mission is "to acquire and hold lands containing forests, prairies, wetlands and associated plant communities or lands capable of being restored to such natural conditions for the purpose of protecting and preserving the flora, fauna and scenic beauty for the education, pleasure and recreation of its citizens."
Organization Address
3S580 Naperville Rd.
Wheaton, IL 60189
Volunteer events will be held at various forest preserve locations around the county.
Name and Position of Contact Person
Kathy Lech: Stewardship Technician, Natural Resources Department (primary contact for information about workdays and registration).
Mary Andrusyk: Volunteer Services Specialist (secondary contact for optional long-term volunteer opportunities)
Phone Number
(630) 206-9630, cell (224) 809-7478
Email Address
Website Address
dupageforest.org/calendar-of-events
Days/Hours Available for Service Learners
Environmental restoration workdays typically take place throughout the year on weekends in the morning for 2-3 hours. Native plant nursery workdays take place May through November on rotating Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in the morning from 8 to 11 a.m. or 9 a.m. to noon. Dates are listed quarterly on the website calendar of events.
Description of Service Learner Role
Students will take part in several volunteer workdays to attain the required service hours. All workdays take place outdoors and are weather dependent.
For plant nursery workdays, students will help with tasks like weeding, planting, digging, seed collecting, and general garden tasks.
For restoration workdays, students will help with removing select invasive plants from natural areas and collecting and dispersing seed. Various tools are used like loppers, hand saws, trowels, clippers, and shovels.
Organization Requirements
Anyone planning to attend a workday needs to register beforehand. Workdays meet in various locations so it is important to sign up at least 5 days beforehand to get all the details including waiver forms and maps.
Registration is available online or can be done by emailing Kathy Lech at klech@dupageforest.org. If registering online, please also email Kathy Lech so the workday leaders can be made aware of students that will need their participation verified.
Thank you for choosing to volunteer with us!
Number of Placements Available
Most workdays have 10-20 openings, but may fill up if there are groups that reserve spots.
Contact Information
Career Services
Student Services Center (SSC), Room 3373
Regular Hours:
Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Email: csc@cod.edu
Phone: (630) 942-2230
Fax: (630) 942-4596
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