When students from Bremen High School District 228’s Delta Academy visit area forest preserves, they’re getting a chance to foster their love of nature and wildlife.
And they’re also getting a chance to help out.
The students’ efforts to help keep two Cook County Forests Preserves litter-free is a community-building project organizer and counselor Dana Dobrovits said is a win-win — students get the mental and physical benefits of being in natural settings while the preserves become tidier for all users.
“I thought to myself, what can we do that’s giving back, and kids can look back and see their hard work paid off for more than themselves,” Dobrovits said.
“I was also trying to think of something we could do that was outside. A lot of them have jobs and don’t get an opportunity to be out in nature,” said Dobrovits, pointing out the mental and physical benefits of being in these natural settings.
Staff at the academy, which is a credit recovery program with about 120 students, have already been out to Midlothian Reservoir at 167th Street west of Cicero Avenue to do some cleaning. They’ve also adopted the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve — West at 159th Street east of Cicero.
Dobrovits said they removed plenty of trash and litter — empty bottles and beer cans. But also some unusual stuff.
“People, I guess, use it as a dumping site for all sorts of things — car parts, old chairs,” she said.
That hasn’t daunted the Delta students.
“It’s beautiful weather coming up, so I’m excited to get out there and do something,” said Tiffany Buckley of Oak Forest, a senior.
Last year, when Dobrovits began working in the district and started the volunteering initiative, Buckley and other students went to South Suburban Humane Society in Matteson to give the dogs and cats some tender loving care.
“All the animals are just sitting there, like ‘thank you,’ Buckley said. “I like just helping them get some things off their plates so they can focus on adoptions.” She also adopted her own shelter cat after the experience.
The students will probably go to that shelter again, after such a positive experience last time, said Dobrovits.
“We would socialize the animals, take dogs for walks, play with cats, giving the treats and getting them used to being around people. It was so fun,” Dobrovits said. “I wanted to kind of build on that.”
Students will also be going on local college tours, as well as field trips to Paul Mitchell, The School in Tinley Park to learn about cosmetology and aesthetician programs, and a few union apprenticeship programs.
And they’ll be getting back to their volunteer efforts too.
Adra Burden, a junior from Tinley Park, said she was looking forward to seeing the wildlife in the forest preserves as well as a future visit to the shelter.
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“I love animals so much and I also love nature,” said Burden, who has three cats and two dogs at home. “It’s like a two-in-one deal for me.
“I would never pass that up.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.