John Fuqua of Plainfield is the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s 2024 Volunteer of the Year.

The award was announced at the annual volunteer banquet on Thursday, April 3, at Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville. 

“It’s quite an honor,” Fuqua said after receiving his award. “It’s been an amazing and fun journey, and I’ve had great support from the staff and other volunteers.”

Fuqua began volunteering for the Forest Preserve District in November 2021 and one of the first volunteer programs he attended was at Hammel Woods in Shorewood.

“I had a great time there and we could really see the results of the work we were doing,” he said. “When I passed the herbicide test and became a site steward, they asked which place I would like work. They gave me a bunch of choices, and Hammel Woods was the one I really liked.”

His work at Hammel Woods has included thinning the forest canopy, removing woody and herbaceous invasive species and spreading native seeds.

Fuqua, who works full time as a CPA at an insurance company, said he spends a lot of his free time outdoors hiking, biking, birding and exploring with his dogs. 

“Volunteering allows me to give back to something I really cherish," he said, "but I get the added bonus of participating in a setting I love.” 

Emily Kenny, the Forest Preserve’s volunteer services supervisor, said the Volunteer of the Year award goes to the individual who is willing to work many hours and has a willingness to grow. Fuqua was chosen because of the fast restoration progress he has made at Hammel Woods and his natural ability to engage the community. 

“His contagious passion for improving the preserve draws others in and inspires them to join the effort,” Kenny said. 

Lifetime achievement

Also, during the banquet, a Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Espie and Don Nelson of Plainfield, who have given the Forest Preserve more than 4,000 hours of service since 2001. 

They have worked tirelessly to care for Vermont Cemetery Preserve in Naperville and have helped with native plant sales and prescribed burns, Kenny said. And Espie also has compiled comprehensive historical records of the cemetery. 

“The Nelson’s are not only role models but mentors, having guided many newcomers over the years with patience, kindness and expertise,” Kenny said. 

Other awards announced at the banquet included: 

• Special Acts: Tony Blake of Romeoville, a volunteer since 2017, helped with the deer management program and assisted other volunteers with equipment. 
• Outstanding Group: Target employees and their family members cleaned up a section of the Joliet Junction Trail.
• Outstanding Family: Eli and Mallory Eisfeller of Manhattan cleaned up a section of the Wauponsee Glacial Trail in their town. 
• Outstanding Youth: Eliana Nungaray of Bolingbrook regularly performed clean-up work at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm and Whalon Lake preserve.
• Outstanding Senior: Jim Evans of Channahon volunteered as a trail sentinel, collected fishing line for recycling, taught CPR and First Aid classes and performed in Forest Preserve drum circles. 
• Rookie of the Year: Maren Oslac of Mokena donated more than 124 hours at Hickory Creek Preserve in 2024 as a trail sentinel. 
• Spirit of the District: Alex Vancina of New Lenox participated in a Forest Preserve event every month in 2024 while also working out in the field. 

During the ceremony, Tara Neff, executive director of the The Nature Foundation of Will County, awarded two Restore Will County grants to volunteer John Fuqua, who received $500, and to Julie Bozzo, the Forest Preserve’s natural resource management crew leader, who received $2,000. The grants can be used for supplies and equipment.

At the conclusion of the banquet, Executive Director Ralph Schultz thanked the volunteers for their contributions, which totaled 13,200 hours in 2024.

“We wouldn’t be what we are and who we are without all of you,” he said. “The amount of service and the amount of work and the amount of volunteerism that you’ve put in this past year and years previous really do make a difference across the organization and to all the people we serve across Will County.”