Friends Of The Forest Preserves

Engagement: friends engages people directly in nature programmingthrough its engagement programs, which includes hosting free, publicevents for residents local to a forest preserve, such as morning yogaor bird walks. These events are informed by the results of outreachfriends conducts in surrounding neighborhoods, and are often developedin collaboration with community leaders, who are paid a stipend tosupport event planning and network building. In the past two yearsalone, friends has hosted more than 200 public engagement events andmore than 2,500 participants in positive experiences in the preserves.through this community engagement work and other programming, thefriends program team made up of staff and volunteers has developedexpertise in community organizing, education, conservation, ecology,

Summer programs: every summer, friends facilitates two summerinternship programs: forest preserve experience (fpe) and beaubienwoods youth ambassadors (byoa). Beginning in 2016, the fpe youthconservation corps program has engaged approximately 70-150 teens peryear, offering teens paid summer positions to improve the health of thepreserves through conservation projects. The byoa program, which isspecific to beaubien woods, employed 9 high school-age students toengage in several activities while gaining exposure to the forestpreserves and jobs in conservation.

Restoration programs