The Stewardship
VOLUNTEER VIEW A quarterly newsletter to keep Forest Preserve District of Kane County natural areas volunteers informed.
SPRING 2026 EDITION
Training & Events
SAVE THE DATE 1st Aid/CPR/AED & B-Con Morning Sessions: Dates: July 16th, November 10th Time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Place: District HQ
Rachel Carlson, Editor Robb Cleave, Copy Editor
Respect Your Elders Written by: Rachel Carlson
Encroachment is a real issue, and not just for human landowners. When invasive brush grows in, oaks and other trees are put to the test in a competition for sunlight, nutrients, and water. One of the workday tasks our stewards have made sure to prioritize throughout the year is clearing both invasives and aggressive natives around mature oaks to ensure the success of their lineage.
Evening Session: Dates: September 8th Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Place: District HQ Please register for First Aid sessions through Volgistics. Trainings are only offered to fully registered volunteers. KaneForest.com/Volunteer
In this Issue... Respect Your Elders Garlic Mustard Go-Getters A Welcome Addition Learn from the Experts
Invasive Species Awareness Little School on the Prairie Photo Features
Pictured is our Dick Young (North) crew working to clear honeysuckle from around a bur oak. Photo by Terri Hoehne
To fill in large swathes of cleared area, volunteers will spread native seed provided from the District or collected from their assigned forest preserves. While the results are not immediate, over time we will see areas with mismatched species compositions bounce back to a much healthier state, one that makes sense for each ecosystem type that we are managing for. While we can’t atone for all the mistakes humans have made with land management throughout the years, giving our elder oaks some much-needed room to grow is a way for us to move forward and “grow” in our own way too.
www.Kaneforest.com | CarlsonRachel@kaneforest.com | (630) 200-1290