FEAT 1 (PG 1
Cindy Smith is a regular at the Lake County Forest Preserves, taking pictures and walking five days a week. “I never leave disappointed,” says Smith as she shoots pictures from her tripod of American white pelicans flying over the water at Fox River (Port Barrington). “The forest preserves are kept up beautifully. The employees do a fabulous job in keeping them picturesque,” she said from the riverwalk.
Pride of Ownership Smith’s opinions echo the results of our most recent
about. And it stems from pride of ownership, which
countywide attitude and interest survey which shows
motivates our employees to do their best work for the
the aspect people like most about their forest pre-
public—the true owners of this land.
serves is the level of attention given to cleanliness, maintenance and upkeep. We’ve seen the same high marks of excellence in how we care for our preserves in every countywide survey we’ve conducted since the late 1990s.
“It is not hard for us to articulate the value of our contribution toward preserving open space and offering beautiful places in nature to recreate and relax,” said Executive Director Ty Kovach. “We’ve been in the business of caring for and providing access to forest
As the second largest Forest Preserve District in Illinois,
preserves in Lake County for 61 years. Our employees
how does our organization, which today protects and
take pride in what they do and they know how to do it
manages 65 forest preserves, 204 miles of trails and
well, and more importantly, they believe in why they’re
nearly 31,000 acres of natural lands, earn and sustain
doing it. They want to be part of our organization’s
this positive reputation? It’s rooted in the daily and
legacy. Satisfaction comes when we see people using
vigorous behind-the-scenes maintenance and opera-
their preserves and enjoying the experience. Creating a
tions work most preserve visitors never see or think
memorable first impression is crucial.”