For two consecutive summers Green Earth has hosted international interns as part of the Paul Simon Public Policy's program of introducing foreign students to different aspects of American government and culture.  Part of this program includes learning about the American not-for-profit sector.  The Indonesian interns participating in the program visit several different types of not-for-profit organizations within the Carbondale area.

On a very warm day in mid-July, I met with seven of the interns at Green Earth's Chautauqua Bottoms Prairie to discuss why nature preserves are important for our local community.  The discussion turned to how Green Earth depends not only on financial support from the community, but also on the volunteer labor needed to manage a nature preserve.  After a short discussion the interns gathered up gear and followed me into the tall grass prairie for an afternoon of removing encroaching sapling trees.  

Even though working in the heat of the day was exhausting, the interns were especially cheerful and enthusiastic.  Several told me of living near, or visiting nature preserves in their own countries, and how much they appreciated having these.  Luckily the southern Illinois summer wasn't a match for the heat and humidity these interns are use to and a lot was accomplished that afternoon. 

I had a wonderful time getting to know our international volunteers.  I sincerely hope Green Earth is invited to continue to participatein this program for selfish reasons (so I can continue to work with such fun, dynamic,and enthusiastic students from so far away) and for altruistic reasons (if students from different cultures and backgrounds can see how much effort Americans are willing to invest in protecting our natural areas, maybe that lesson can be taken back to regions that may not necessarily regard undeveloped areas as precious). 

Our thanks to Misty McElyea or River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area for assisting in leading the volunteer work and to the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute for arranging this opportunity.  More photos of this workday are available in our photo gallery.

Stephanie Eichholz

Executive Director