Phyllis Schulte of Mokena was named the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year during an April 5 banquet at the Joliet Country Club.
Schulte first started volunteering with the District in 1991 after she saw an article about a “cleanup” event at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. She said she was looking for a way to get some exercise without going to a gym.
The work suited her and she soon signed up to volunteer as a preserve steward for Hickory Creek Barrens Nature Preserve in New Lenox.
For information on volunteer opportunities with the Forest Preserve District, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.