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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE RECIPIENTS OF THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS’ BEST OF THE BEST AWARDS: THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY, FIELD MUSEUM, OPENLANDS, TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, AND IMANI VILLAGE FOR ARTS IN THE PARK; JENNY FLEXMAN FOR OUTSTANDING CITIZEN VOLUNTEER; AND ST. CHARLES PARK DISTRICT AND ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES COMMISSION IN COOPERATION WITH THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, AND MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION
WHEREAS, on October 14, 2022, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Field Museum, Openlands, Trinity United Church of Christ, Imani Village, Jenny Flexman, St. Charles Park District, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Forest Preserve District of Kane County and McHenry County Conservation District were all honored with Best of the Best awards from the Illinois Association of Park Districts during its annual gala; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Field Museum, Openlands, Trinity United Church of Christ, Imani Village received the Arts in the Park award for Prairie Boat, a gathering space at Beaubien Woods Forest Preserve, located on Chicago’s southside; and
WHEREAS, the gathering space is a community-designed integration of art and culture, which will be a convening ground and rest area for people exploring nature in Beaubien Woods; and
WHEREAS, the design, titled Prairie Boat, by artists Christine Perri and Roman Villarreal, is in the shape of a boat and will allow for activities like yoga, book club meetings, dance, and theater performances; and
WHEREAS, this project was designed with community input from beginning to end, including the formation of a community-based curatorial committee that created the request for proposals, identified the location of the installation, and selected the winning design; and
WHEREAS, this project was made possible through a partnership with the Field Museum and Openlands with funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Walder Foundation; and
WHEREAS, this project embodies the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s continued commitment to create safe spaces in nature that represent the diversity of stories and use of public lands by the citizens of Cook County; and
WHEREAS, Jenny Flexman received the Outstanding Citizen Volunteer Award for her service as a Site Steward at Poplar Creek Preserve in northwest Cook County where she has been volunteering for more than three decades to restore this 600-acre site to ecological health; and
WHEREAS, Jenny is a founding member of the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards, a group of devoted volunteers working since 1989 to restore native plant communities and foster community support for conservation; and
WHEREAS, Jenny has contributed thousands of volunteer hours in the quest to improve habitat for grassland birds and rare plants and has helped oversee the ecological restoration of more than 300 acres, including Shoe Factory Road Prairie, a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve; and
WHEREAS, Jenny excels at recruiting people to be part of a community of volunteers and is committed to being welcoming, inclusive, and engaging to volunteers from all backgrounds to mentor the next generation of conservation leaders and advocates; and
WHEREAS, Jenny is a force of nature, leading by example and inspiring others to protect and care for natural areas; and
WHEREAS, the St. Charles Park District and Illinois Nature Preserves Commission in cooperation with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Forest Preserve District of Kane County and McHenry County Conservation District received the Intergovernmental Cooperation Award; and
WHEREAS, these agencies worked together on a cooperative genetic enhancement program sharing native plant seeds to ecologically restore St. Charles Park District’s Ferson Creek Fen; and
WHEREAS, the Ferson Creek Fen is a 43 acre Illinois Nature Preserve is a premier wetland that had been impacted by invasive species and to combat struggling plant genetics, the St. Charles Park District worked with partners, including the Forest Preserves of Cook County, to collect native seed to restore this important habitat; and
WHEREAS, representatives from the St. Charles Park District visited the Forest Preserves’ Spring Lake Nature Preserve in northwest Cook County, in addition to sites from other partners, to collect more than 23 pounds of native seed to help return Ferson Creek Fen to its former high quality.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President, and the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners congratulate the recipients of the Illinois Association of Park District’s Best of the Best Awards and thank them for their commitment to the mission of the Forest Preserves of Cook County; 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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