Joliet students build wood duck nesting boxes

JOLIET – As Chicagoland Speedway and Joliet Township High School entered their seventh consecutive year of partnering on curriculum development, they proudly announced that Ducks Unlimited, the world leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation and partner of Chicagoland Speedway, would join the collective effort to support the innovative curriculum project.

This year’s project provided environmental science students the opportunity to create wood duck nesting boxes that were installed March 8 at the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, where students will continually monitor them and maintain the boxes.

For the past five months, JTHS students have worked closely with Ducks Unlimited and Chicagoland Speedway on the duck nesting boxes through the guidance of Ducks Unlimited Biologist Michael Sertle, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, ILDU Youth and Education Chairman Vicki Mandurano and IL DU State Chairman Dennis Wooten.

In November the materials were delivered by Illinois Ducks Unlimited State Chairman Dennis Wooten to JTHS and the assembly began. Complete with Chicagoland Speedway, Ducks Unlimited and JTHS logos engraved by Wooten on the boxes, they will be installed at the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, where students will continually monitor them and maintain the boxes.

In addition to the curriculum integration, which allowed students in Advanced Placement Environmental Science to gain real life experience in the areas of conservation, natural resources and community outreach, all of the students in the course will have the opportunity to apply for a $2,500 scholarship.