Students take time 
out to care for the 
Earth

As part of Earth Day, Woodstock High School students Dana Ericksen (front left), Stephanie Deiker (back left) and Stephanie Jones, all 18, work to clear brush Wednesday at Albert property in Woodstock. Seniors at the school were excused from classes for the day to participate in several Earth-friendly projects around the community. (Justin Edmonds – jedmonds@nwherald.com )

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The Earth seemed to appreciate the extra attention it received Wednesday: For the first time in days, it was sunny and nearly 60 degrees as groups around the county worked outdoors in celebration of Earth Day.

A block down the street from Woodstock High School at a city-owned wooded area called the Albert property, about 30 students removed buckthorn, honeysuckle and dead trees from the trails that wind around a wetland area.

The students were participating in Senior Service Day, a school tradition that takes place while freshmen, sophomore and juniors take standardized state tests. This year, it happened to fall on Earth Day.

“I took the day off from Streamwood High School, and our seniors are just going home and playing video games,” said Marty Baker, a site steward for Ryders Woods Park, where some students worked Wednesday. “But Woodstock High School seniors are actually helping the community.”

About 20 seniors helped Baker clear brush at the park on Kimball Avenue to allow sunlight to reach the ground and native species to grow. Nearby, employees and children from Infinity Day Spa in Crystal Lake planted oak trees.

“We just wanted to give back to the community,” spa owner Robin Tessmann said. She and her employees closed the spa for a few hours to plant 20 2-year-old white oak seedlings donated by Ohana Farms near Marengo.

“I think that not enough people care about [Earth Day],” she added. “I think that more businesses should close for a couple hours and get out in the community and give back.”

In Island Lake, about 85 children at Young Scholars Child Care Center helped plant two linden trees on the playground, center Director Kristen Mitsch said.

Children at Spring Grove Elementary School visited the Clean Air Club Bus, a museum on wheels, on Wednesday morning. The 45-foot-long former school bus uses biodiesel fuel and includes four interactive exhibits that teach students about the renewable fuel made from soybean oil.

Other Woodstock High School students were cleaning up in Emricson Park, clearing invasive species with the McHenry County Environmental Defenders at Dean Street and Route 14, and cleaning up Silver Creek near Bates Park, among other projects.

“We’re just helping out the community, giving back, while we wouldn’t otherwise have anything to do today,” said Frank Bochette, 17, who was pulling up invasive plants at Ryders Woods Park off Kimball Street in Woodstock.

“It may not be in our lifetime that problems may occur, but there are problems currently that we can do what we can to help out, and not enough people are helping,” Bochette said.

Brittany Dittmer, 18, said working in Ryders Woods helped her realize how much work went into maintaining public parks and trails.

“When you’re just hiking, you don’t realize it. You think some random conservation people come out and clear out the trees, but it’s neat to go out and realize that you’re the one who did it,” she said.

“For all the people that wouldn’t usually do anything on a daily basis to be green, [Earth Day] kind of makes people think about it and get out and do something,” she said. “Once you’ve done it once, it makes it easier later to live a greener lifestyle.”