Forest preserve honors Joliet woman for 18 years of volunteer service

The Forest Preserve District of Will County recently named Ruth Meyer as its 2020 Volunteer of the Year.

Meyer has served the forest preserve for 18 years in multiple roles. She also is an 18-year member of the Will County Audubon Society and has participated in Audubon national bird counts.

She received her award at the Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners meeting on April 8.

The 2019 Volunteers of the Year, Joel Craig and Barb Ferry, also picked up their awards since the COVID-19 pandemic delayed their appearance at the board meeting.

In a news release from the district, Renee Gauchat, the district’s volunteer services supervisor, elaborated on some of Meyer’s roles with the forest preserve.

“She can be called on to attend outreach booths and advise community members of district happenings, as well as recruit new volunteers,” Gauchat said in the release. “Her knowledge of birds was put on hold in 2020 because of the pandemic, but her clear voice was invaluable in keeping trail users who hit forest preserve paths in huge numbers safe and masked.”

It was through the Will County Audubon Society that Meyer learned about volunteer opportunities at the district. That’s because the Will County Audubon Society, on a volunteer basis, helped visitors at the forest preserve’s Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve in Plainfield.

Meyer said she found that activity rewarding, so it “got her going” in volunteering for the forest preserve.

“I really enjoy working with the people,” Meyer said in the release, “and seeing how excited they get when they realize they can ID a bird.”

As time went on, Meyer became involved in more areas of the district.

“I picked up bluebird monitoring along the way, frog monitoring and butterfly [monitoring], and became a trail sentinel, too,” Meyer said in the release.

In a 2011 Herald-News story, Meyer explained the importance of national bird counts.

“The crows were down really bad a few years back with West Nile Virus and the bald eagle was recently taken off the endangered species list because they’re doing so good,” Meyer said in 2011. “There are areas that wind up being protected, like Lake Renwick, because five species nest there. You learn all that from a bird count.”

Meyer said she was honored to receive the award and blessed for the opportunity to serve.

“It’s been fun along the way,” she said in the release. “I’ve learned new things, I’ve met so many wonderful people and hopefully helped kids learn about birds and what the forest preserve can offer them.”

Meyer feels more people should volunteer at the district and encourages them to do so.

“It really does us all good,” Meyer said in the release.

Board President Joe VanDuyne thanked all three award recipients for their work.

“It truly is remarkable the amount of work that these folks put in,” he said in the release.

Ralph Schultz, the district’s chief operating officer, added that the district’s volunteer program is the envy of the Chicago metro area.

“We’re looked upon as leaders in volunteer services,” Schultz said in the release.

For information about the forest preserve’s volunteer program, visit the volunteer page at ReconnectWithNature.org.

For information about the Will County Audubon Society, visit willcountyaudubon.org.