Volunteer Group Seeks New Members For Forest Preserves, Glenview Meeting Set

Centennial Volunteers seeks people of all ages to work on nature projects in the Cook County Forest Preserves.

Centennial Volunteers, a partnership working in area Cook County Forest Preserve locations, is hosting an event in Glenview on February 21, 2019 to invite people to join the group or to just learn more about the positive impact volunteers are making to the health of the preserves.

Centennial Volunteers is dedicated to restoring nine Cook County Forest Preserve sites along the Chicago and Calumet Rivers. Founded in 2014, the Centennial Volunteers program is a partnership between Friends of the Chicago River, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Friends of the Forest Preserves, the Field Museum and the Chicago Ornithological Society.

Volunteer activities improve habitat and biodiversity by removing invasive vegetation, collecting native seeds, wildlife monitoring projects, and burning brush piles. In the north, volunteers work at Blue Star Memorial Woods in Glenview and at Clayton Smith Woods, Forest Glen Woods, and LaBagh Woods on city's Northwest Side.

The public is invited to learn about Centennial Volunteers' success, including helping to raise the overall native plant species by 22 percent at the nine designated locations. The informational session will be held at Glenview Public Library, 1930 Glenview Road, Glenview, on February 21 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Light refreshments will be provided. This is a free event and all are welcome. Contact Annette Anderson at aanderson@chicagoriver.org for more information.

Friends of the Chicago River is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve and protect the Chicago River for people, plants and animals. With over 6,000 members, volunteers, and online advocates, Friends works to make the river greener and more accessible, while building awareness of the benefits that a clean, healthy river can bring to the surrounding community. Friends of the Chicago River is working to make the Chicago River one of the world's great metropolitan rivers. For more information please visit www.chicagoriver.org.