The Deer Grove Natural Area Volunteers hold workdays at Deer Grove throughout the year—mostly on weekends, but occasionally during the week as well.  The restoration activities change over the course of the seasons. 

In the Fall and the Winter, we focus on brush cutting and seed collecting (Fall only).  We have our annual seed processing workday sometime in late Fall, and spread seed in late Fall and early Winter.  Winter is the best time for brush cutting.  There are no plants to trample and few animals to bother.  The frozen ground also means we minimize disturbance on wet soils or around wetlands. 

During the Spring we finish up our brush cutting season and start on weed scouting.

During the Summer we are both out “weeding” the prairie and starting to collect important seeds.  Our weed scouting efforts focus on invasive plants that can take over an ecosystem:  garlic mustard, yellow and white sweet clover, teasel, reed canary grass and phragmites (to name the worst offenders).  

Normally we have workdays throughout the year on Saturday mornings (9AM to 11AM or noon), and Sunday afternoons (1PM to 3 or 4PM).  Our meeting places vary with the different activities.  We post these events on the Cook Country Forest Preserve website (https://fpdcc.com/volunteer/#opportunities ).  The most reliable source of workday information is to get onto our weekly mailing list (contact us at deergrovenav@gmail.com ). 

Here is how to prepare for a work day:

• Dress for the weather (Long pants, sturdy shoes recommended)
• Signing the Cook Country Forest Preserve waiver form.  You can do this by either registering at the Forest Preserve website (https://fpdcc.com/volunteer/#opportunities ) We also bring these forms to all workdays. 
• If you are under 18 years old, please have your parent/guardian or your organization leader to join you for the workday.