Benjamin Snyder, a senior in the Newhouse School, volunteered at the North Park Village Nature Center as a Natural Areas Manager. The Nature Center is a part of The Chicago Park District, which spans over 8,100 acres and is the largest municipal park in the US. North Park Village Nature Center boasts a 46 acre nature preserve and educational facility as well as woodland, wetland, prairie, and savanna trails. The mission of the Nature Center is to provide visitors with a hands-on opportunity to learn about wildlife and natural resources in an urban setting. Benjamin’s time as a Natural Areas Manager was spent working hard; he helped distribute fresh mulch on frequently used trails and prepared seeds for Spring by extracting them from plants. Through this experience, Benjamin gained an understanding of why Civic Engagement is a requirement in the Honors program here on campus. He said that “it is important to volunteer. There are very few paid employees at North Park. Without volunteers like them and myself, the park might struggle.” Regarding future volunteer opportunities, Benjamin says that he hopes to continue doing work that is “unique to a particular environment and represents an important contribution to a good cause.”

Contributing Blogger Samantha DeTore, ’15 Arts and Sciences