Kids Clean Up Savanna for Earth Day

Youngsters aged from ten through seventy plus years, joined together as part of the Leave No Child Inside initiative to celebrate Earth Day by restoring an area of Citizens for Conservation-owned Flint Creek Savanna South on Saturday, April 7, from 9-11 a.m.

After a brief welcome by Citizens for Conservation Youth Education Chair and Vice President Pat Winkelman, participants car-pooled to the worksite. At the woodland savanna, Restoration Chair Tom Vanderpoel provided an educational review of why native plant restoration is critically important to increase not only plant diversity but also the diversity of insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, and mammals.

Once invasive plants were identified, volunteers removed buckthorn saplings, wild grape, and the fast spreading and pungent smelling garlic mustard and then tossed the brush on a small bonfire. Participants learned that garlic mustard can rapidly dominate a forest floor, displacing most native plants. Younger volunteers found raccoon scat, but were disappointed not to locate any animal bones.

After the strenuous but gratifying efforts, participants welcomed ice cold grape and cherry slushes donated by Lake Zurich Sonic and juice boxes from Lake Zurich Costco. In addition, Sonic generously donated community service coupon cards to each volunteer!

Relaxing with their cool beverages, Barrington High School students Maddie and her sister Abbie stated that when they arrived at the work site, they initially felt overwhelmed by the number of invasive plants to be removed. However, now looking at the same area, both are amazed at how much woodland they had cleared in less than two hours. Both plan to contribute their volunteer efforts again!

To learn more about or register for Youth Education’s upcoming Tree Detective class, visit http://www.citizensforconservation.org/youth-education/. To volunteer at a Thursday or Saturday work day, call 847-382-SAVE (7283). Visit www.funoutside.org to learn more about Leave No Child Inside and the upcoming Barrington Area Kid Fest on May 5, at Barrington’s Citizens Park.