On a steamy Wednesday morning in mid-June, 38 employees from the Barrington office of BMO Harris Bank showed up for one of Flint Creek Savanna’s most productive days ever, according to restoration director Tom Vanderpoel.
Photo by Bob Lee
Breaking into six work crews, each led by a CFC volunteer, the group planted 1,000-plus wetland plugs and 30 oak seedlings from acorns collected last fall. In addition, many hours’ worth of help in seed management, such as seedling-labeling, were provided for the Native Seed Gardener project and for plants in cold frames, Vanderpoel said.
Vanderpoel described the BMO Harris contingent as “the best corporate group we’ve ever had — hard working, careful, and fired up over the project and property. Many questions were asked. They thanked us for the opportunity and praised the organization of the event.”
Photo by Bob Lee
The leader of the BMO Harris volunteers, vice-president Raymond K. Mau sent this memo to his bank colleagues later: “Thanks for taking the time this morning to help with the various projects at Citizens for Conservation….Whether you were working in the savanna, the wetland, or the barn, you helped BMO make a positive difference in the local environment. Hopefully you had some fun doing it too!”