Forest Preserves of Cook County 2025 Fall Brochure

Volunteers plan in conjunction with Forest Preserves staff, with site-specific restrictions and careful ecological planning. “Wolf Road Prairie is an Illinois nature preserve, so no seed should really be coming in that’s not from the site,” explains Molly Marz, the Preserves’ Seed Amplification Program manager. “So everything they collect they’re just moving around, either trying to extend populations or put species in other parts of the site.” For volunteers, seed collecting is not tedious—it’s meaningful. “It’s extremely important. It’s very, very important to get the native species and to get them into the places cwhere they belong,” says Zaander. “We’re trying to increase those [species] so that they are more common.” When asked what she’d say to someone considering volunteering, Zaander doesn’t hesitate. “We need you. And you can make a difference. You can definitely make a difference here. And you get to work with a great group of people and to learn about the prairie, a very beautiful place.” It is important to note that it is illegal for the public to take or remove seeds or any plant material from any Cook County forest preserve. Seeds are only collected as part of officially approved stewardship activities, and are carefully selected so as not to impact plant populations. Collect Seeds & Restore Nature Visit: fpdcc.com/ecological- stewardship-workdays/ 19