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Work nearing completion on Kendall County forest preserve projects · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Work nearing completion on Kendall County Forest Preserve projects waited.
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  Speaker 1: Written by Eric Shelkopf, This article is being read by
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  Speaker 1: an automated voice brought to you by Everlett. Nature Lovers
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  Speaker 1: will have even more to enjoy at Kendall County's forest
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  Speaker 1: preserves in the coming months, following the completion of some
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  Speaker 1: key projects. That includes the opening of the Merriam Subat
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  Speaker 1: Nature Center in the Subat Forest Preserve in Plano and
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  Speaker 1: the completion of the Hoover Fox River Bluff Trail connection.
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  Speaker 1: The preserve is still open right now, and you can
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  Speaker 1: even check out the building. It just does not have
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  Speaker 1: the educational exhibits up yet. Kendall County Forest Preserve District
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  Speaker 1: Executive Director Antoinette White said, we're going to be putting
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  Speaker 1: those up very shortly. We're very excited about that. Subat
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  Speaker 1: Forest Preserve is comprised of several unique opponents, including woodland, prairie,
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  Speaker 1: and wetland habitats. The education center is going to kind
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  Speaker 1: of highlight all of these different areas and what you
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  Speaker 1: can find in them, White said, and then the roof
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  Speaker 1: of the education center is going to have a map
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  Speaker 1: that kind of pays respect to the history of the
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  Speaker 1: Subat land in the area. The acquisition of Subat Forest
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  Speaker 1: Preserve was completed in two thousand and two under three
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  Speaker 1: separate grant awards from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
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  Speaker 1: and additional support from the Conservation Foundation. Donations were received
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  Speaker 1: from the estates of John and Mary Sabat to support
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  Speaker 1: construction of a nature preserved building and memory of Mary M. Subat.
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  Speaker 1: In twenty twenty three, the district was awarded a six
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  Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars IDNR Open Spaceland Acquisition Development Grant to
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  Speaker 1: complete preserve master plan improvements, including a three season education
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  Speaker 1: and interpretive center. The Merriam Subat Nature Center will feature
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  Speaker 1: an interpretive pavilion with open air conservation exhibits, a wetland
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  Speaker 1: boardwalk and trail connections to Hoover Forest Preserve, expanded parking
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  Speaker 1: for visitors and school buses, and other campus improvements. I
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  Speaker 1: think the environmental education aspect is very important, White said,
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  Speaker 1: how can we expect the younger generation to want to
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  Speaker 1: care for the earth in these natural areas that they're
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  Speaker 1: growing up in if we don't teach them about what's
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  Speaker 1: interesting about them, The trail will extend from the northeast
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  Speaker 1: corner of Hoover Forest Preserve at the Eldamin Road Bridge
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  Speaker 1: to Fox River Bluff's Forest Preserve. The project also will
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  Speaker 1: connect a part of Subet Forest Preserve. The district applied
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  Speaker 1: for an IDNR Regional Tales Program grant for two hundred
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  Speaker 1: thousand dollars with an additional two hundred and seventy two
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  Speaker 1: thousand dollars commitment from the Kendall County Transportation Alternatives Program.
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  Speaker 1: It helps expand the trails. White said. It connects three
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  Speaker 1: forest preserves, Hoover, Fox River Bluffs and Subat. It adds
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  Speaker 1: a safety aspect because now there's a way to cross
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  Speaker 1: the bridge into the different forest preserves. You don't have
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  Speaker 1: to go across the road, you can go under it safely.
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  Speaker 1: It is open to walkers, bikes, and equestrians. It is
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  Speaker 1: a multi use trailed. For White, her life has come
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  Speaker 1: full circle. As a child, she visited the Laws of
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  Speaker 1: Nature Center, which is located in the offices of the
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  Speaker 1: Kendall County Forest Preserve District in the Kendall County Historic Courthouse.
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  Speaker 1: White started as a volunteer for the district when she
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  Speaker 1: was in high school. I started volunteering during the summer,
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  Speaker 1: she said. Prior to being named executive director in November,
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  Speaker 1: she was the district's acting executive director for two years.
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  Speaker 1: White worked with outgoing executive director Dave Gertz, who retired
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  Speaker 1: from the position. I love this place so much, White
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  Speaker 1: said in talking about her desire to become the district's
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  Speaker 1: executive director. Everyone who works for the district is here
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  Speaker 1: because they want to be here. They feel so passionate
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  Speaker 1: about their work, and I feel that the best way
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  Speaker 1: I can help support them and get them what they
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  Speaker 1: need to do their job is to be the executive
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  Speaker 1: director and to advocate for them. White believes a forest
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  Speaker 1: preserved district's job is to preserve land and help take
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  Speaker 1: care of the natural resources that are in the area.