“Somethings were going in my life that needed a change. Elmore, Friends of the Forest Preserves production manager, said that she needed something that would allow her to get outside and feel able to breathe again.
It worked. Elmore has enjoyed more than a decade of restoration work at the Forest Preserves, Cook County.
Elmore said that he had an “aha” moment and realized what he wanted to do. “It was just me, peace and serenity just to show up and now all I hear is nature.
She didn’t care much about nature before she entered the field.
“I wasn’t a nature person. She said that the most I had done in nature was helping my mom plant vegetables in a garden.
Elmore stated that she understood the importance of protecting the environment from the beginning, but not as much now.
As a production manager, she has the responsibility of directing crews to remove invasive species from forest preserves. Elmore warns that plants not native to a given area can cause havoc in the ecosystem.
She said, “We have to get them out here so that the things that should exist here can thrive and grow.” “Every native plant can be a resource, a food source for something.”
Elmore sees beauty both in nature’s looks and in the role it plays in our world. She stated that plants can store and absorb carbon from the atmosphere. This can help reduce global warming.
She said, “We want this ecosystem to be maintained or we will do our best get it back to its natural habitat.”
Elmore works to educate others, especially those of color, about the importance nature conservation.
According to the Center for American Progress (CAMP), people of color continue being subject to violence or intimidation while enjoying nature. They have been excluded by the U.S. conservation movement that has been dominated by white people and their perspectives.
Elmore is a recruiter for the field.
She stated, “I encourage peoples of color to come out and join us in fighting to save the planet, save the environment.”
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