Listen: The Urban Ecology Center certainly has a committed and sharp staff, but they also have a whole brigade of volunteers who are integral to their operations. With everything the UEC has going on, they need a lot of manpower and brain-power to keep things running smoothly -- during the two different stops I made at the UEC last week, I saw a handful of school groups, students visiting from Germany, a good deal of individual visitors of all ages, and a whole gaggle of other groups using the center.
Tom Briscoe, a longtime volunteer for the UEC, showed me what he does around the East Side location. A former IBM programmer and repairman for IBM, Tom's quite handy, so he finds himself using his mechanical ingenuity to help out with odd jobs. And he's also been able to develop a new skill as well -- bus driving:
I'm so happy to have joined a wonderful instructional crayfishing moment from Tom with Elvis Presley's song "Crawfish." Also! Check back tomorrow as Tom's wife Sherry (she can be seen in the pictures) tells a wonderful story of a time she planted wildflowers with eager kids.
The Urban Ecology Center! Learn more about them at their website. Also, you can get involved with one of their many volunteer opportunities! Finally, you should just go and check them out in person either at their Riverside Park or Washington Park locations -- they're very welcoming folks.