NARWAHLS is scheduled to hold an environmental service day on Saturday, Oct. 13 in an effort to try and get D219 staff , students, and community members  involved in restoring natural areas.

Registration and a  continental breakfast will be from 8:00  – 8:30 a.m. Workers will be out in the field from 9:00 a.m.-12 p.m.  The buses arrive back at Niles West at 12:15 p.m.  to finish off the work day.

“People should take part because this is a great way to get outside, get active, and give back to their community.  There is a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction at the end of a work day when you look back at a site that was choked with Buckthorn and you can now see all the way through it.  It’s great to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself.  It’s also a great way to enjoy some beautiful fall weather, ” said NARWAHLS  sponsor and Biology teacher Thomas Jodelka.

Each volunteer will work at one to three sites around the North Branch of the Chicago River. The sites are  Blue Star Memorial Woods, Miami Woods, and Linne Woods.

There are two main activities the volunteer will be involved in: brush-cutting  and seed collecting. Brush cutting involves cutting  down non-native shrubs and trees that block sunlight. In seed collecting, one  pulls the seed or fruit from native prairie plants so that they can be mixed, stored, and spread to various sites.

“My opinion of the service day is that it’s a really great experience. You get a chance to meet new people and/or work with your friends.  I really enjoy the service day because I get to show how strong I am. A lot of people would never think that I (a girl who stands five feet and two inches tall) would ever be able to saw down a tree, cut it into five foot logs and throw it all onto a fire. But they change their minds, ” senior NARWAHLS member Jessica Govis  said.

For more environmental service day information visit Jodelka’s webpage.