Volunteer Interns Needed

Sixteen summer restoration interns and supervisors are needed for the management and restoration of wetlands, prairies, savannas and woodlands in the Cook County forest preserves. Interns will work on a variety of projects developed in collaboration with Audubon and Forest Preserve District staff and volunteer Master Stewards. Interns conduct brush and weed management by using a variety of tools including backpack herbicide sprayers, chainsaws, and hand tools.

Applicants should have a commitment to conservation, and be prepared for a summer of physically demanding work.

For application information, see www.habitatproject.org.

Volunteers Needed to Serve as Docents in Lincoln Park

The Chicago Park District and Lincoln Park Conservancy are seeking individuals to serve as volunteer docents at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool and the Lincoln Park Conservatory and gardens. The training program runs from April 8 through May 20.

Docents, who are volunteers trained to educate the public, have the opportunity to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of the park.

Located at the corner of Fullerton and Cannon Drive, the award-winning restored Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is one of Chicago’s premier prairie-style landscapes designed by Alfred Caldwell in the late 1930s. The Lincoln Park Conservatory is a treasured Victorian glass house dating from the 1890s.

Experts in the fields of landscaping, horticulture, history and ecology will train docents for six weeks. Docents will choose either the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool or the conservatory and will learn detailed information about the site. Volunteer docents are asked to spend approximately 8 hours per month giving tours to the public.

The training program begins on April 8 and continues each Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. to noon for six weeks. There will be no docent training on the weekend of April 15 because of the Easter Holiday.

After completing the training, docents give free interpretive tours to the public and organized groups. Applications are available through the Chicago Park District and the Lincoln Park Conservancy. For more information contact Julia Bachrach, of the Chicago Park District, at (312)742-4698 or by EMAIL, or Steve Zelner, of the Lincoln Park Conservancy, at (773) 883-7275 or by EMAIL.