Do you have time to help TLC?

Volunteers are the heart of any nonprofit organization, and TLC is no exception!

A whole diversity of TLC volunteers attend our regular Work Parties, cutting brush, burning prairies and wetlands, collecting seed, etc. They are awesome, and their combined efforts each year are equivalent to a half-time staff person.

Some volunteers are licensed herbicide applicators, a skill that requires taking a special class and passing a test. Some bring their own chainsaws, fuel and extra blades to help cut buckthorn and other brush and trees. But they all bring their hearts and energy to the work, doing what they can to restore the Earth.

Our board members are all volunteers, and they do much more than just attend a monthly board meeting! They serve on committees, attend conferences to learn more about conservation and nonprofit management, help out with land stewardship, and basically anything else that they can do to be helpful. The picture to the right is of board members Steve Wenzel and Randy Schietzelt visiting a property one weekend to see whether it was appropriate for TLC to accept as a donation.

TLC's Oak Keeper volunteers are making important contributions to understanding the 15,000 acres of privately owned oak woodlands in McHenry County. In their first year of monitoring private woods, the Oak Keepers have already "discovered" the first two documented occurrences of natural swamp white oak trees in the county - ever. That is really cool, and it was all because of the Oak Keepers project and the work of the TLC Oak Keeper volunteers.

There are many opportunities to make your own contribution as a TLC volunteer. Whether you have a couple of hours a month or a couple of hours a day, there is an opportunity waiting for you at TLC! Give us a call today!