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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING SUE GORR AND ANNE STAKE FOR RECEIVING AN OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY PARK AND RECREATION OFFICIALS
WHEREAS, in May 2026, Sue Gorr and Anne Stake were honored with an Outstanding Volunteer Award from the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, which recognizes excellence in parks and recreation and is presented to individuals who have made a significant contribution of personal time and talent; and
WHEREAS, Sue and Anne have served as Site Stewards for more than two (2) decades at Jens Jensen and Deer Grove West, an 1800-acre forest preserve complex located in northwest Cook County, and through their stewardship they have helped restore this important habitat and protected critical migratory bird pathways and breeding sites; and
WHEREAS, for nearly thirty (30) years they have also served as co-leaders of the Deer Grove Natural Area Volunteers, a group of dedicated volunteers working to restore native plant communities and foster community support for conservation; and
WHEREAS, Sue and Anne organize, supervise and train new and experienced volunteers and lead weekly stewardship workdays, which collectively contribute thousands of hours of volunteer work to the Forest Preserves each year; and
WHEREAS, Sue and Anne volunteer not only as stewards but also as community scientists, monitoring rare plants and butterflies and contributing valuable data to the Plants of Concern program and the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, with Sue also leading a successful pilot for a bumblebee monitoring program with the United States Geological Survey that led to the identification of the federally endangered rusty patched bumble bee at Forest Preserve sites; and
WHEREAS, Anne developed and manages the Weed Watcher program, through which she trains volunteers to identify and map invasive plants to a database she manages, helping volunteers form a deeper connection to and mindfulness of the nature they are protecting; and
WHEREAS, through the native seed collection program Sue manages, volunteers collect seeds of more than one hundred (100) species of native plants, helping to protect and increase biodiversity at the sites Sue and Anne help care for; and
WHEREAS, Sue and Anne are committed to being welcoming, inclusive and engaging with all people and have successfully grown and retained their community of volunteers; and
WHEREAS, Sue and Anne are staunch advocates for the Forest Preserves, and as a member of the League of Women Voters, Sue organizes field trips for members to show them firsthand the importance of the forest preserves, while Anne acts as a Key Stewards Regional Representative, providing feedback, experience, and support of ecological restoration work being done at the Forest Preserves; and
WHEREAS, in partnership with Openlands, Stantec, and the Forest Preserves, Sue and Anne led a volunteer team that assisted with an extensive multi-million-dollar restoration project of 220 acres of woods, prairie, and wetlands, which led to the Jens Jensen Grasslands and Woodlands receiving Land and Water Reserve recognition in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Sue and Anne are treasured members of the Chicagoland environmental community, leading by example, encouraging others to protect and care for nature, and inspiring a new generation of conservation leaders and advocates who will help care for the Forest Preserves for generations to come; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President; and the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserves of Cook County congratulate Sue Gorr and Anne Stake and congratulate them on their Outstanding Volunteer Award and thank them for their commitment to the mission of the Forest Preserves; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be presented to the awardees as a token of appreciation for their service to the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the residents of Cook County.
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