Member Bios

Kyle Plummer is a recent graduate from Denison University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Geosciences. He loves camping and backpacking, gardening, bicycling, cooking, reading, and playing guitar. Kyle is eager to begin his work helping young people develop a passion for the earth, an attachment to their environment, and a love of science.

My name is Will Hagen and I am from the fine state of New Jersey. I grew up half an hour from New York City, an hour from the Pocono mountains, and two hours away from the Jersey Shore. During high school and much of college I was a volunteer firefighter in my hometown. The first half of my college experience was spent at the Military College of Vermont and the other at the Liberal Arts College of New Jersey which as you can imagine are two very different places. While in college I did everything from training with a mountain warfare unit to managing a neuroscience lab. I am currently the project leader for the DRC's Kiavah Wilderness crew. I love this job because it allows me to use so much of my previous training and life experience. The desert is an amazing place and I am looking forward to spending the next few months of my life here.

My experiences working with the SCA as well as Friends of the Forest Preserves for the past four summers have been some of the best things that have happened to me. These experiences have allowed me to spend my days working to protect places that I love to look at. Over the course of my time spent working with the SCA I have learned a wide variety of new plants, trees, birds, and other wildlife. After this position with the Forest Preserve Leadership Corps I would like to pursue a career in forestry but for now I am going to keep enjoying cutting brush and burning brush piles!

My name is Daiva Gylys, I was born in Chicago but have lived most of my life in Kalamazoo, Michigan (yes it is a real place and no there is not a zoo). I graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2011 with a duel degree in Environmental Science and Socio-Cultural Anthropology, as well as a minor in Peace and Social Justice Studies…I have always had the problem of having a wide range of interests, which has served to be super difficult for me in choosing a career path! I think it finally hit me during a study abroad program I did in Costa Rica that focused on resource management and sustainable development. Somewhere between surveying coral reef health, exploring the ecology of coffee plantations, and interacting with community members of eco-tourism cooperatives I found my calling! Performing hands-on work in the field is my haven and working with people is my motivator.

This realization led me to finding the SCA last summer leading a community crew in Detroit where we constructed and maintained a mountain bike trail in Rouge Park. I continued my journey with the organization by moving back to Chicago and working as a crew leader for the year-round community program as well as for the summer program. I have come to learn and love the conservation opportunities that exist in the city.

In Chicago it’s almost too easy to get closed off in the whirlwind of tall buildings, non-stop traffic, and the busy mentality of city folk who seem to always walk with a mission and never stop to look around. In my eyes, the SCA attempts to break the barriers of this lifestyle by bringing vibrant pocket parks to vacant lots, encouraging youth to become involved in their communities by exploring their green spaces, and informing others on what we can do to preserve our protected lands surrounding the city. From educational nature centers, vibrant prairies, recreational trails, and wildlife viewing, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) is truly a gem that in my opinion city dwellers don’t venture into enough!

I feel extremely lucky to work for the SCA and Friends of the Forest Preserves. Our team has the luxury to work from site to site within the FPDCC, explore new areas every week, and meet site stewards and new volunteers all of the time. I also get to boast that my office is a woodland, my desk is the earth, and my office supplies consist of drip torches, back-pack sprayers, loppers, and pulaskis. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

My name is Dyrell Williams but I prefer to go by Rell. I'm 19 years old and I just recently graduated from Prosser Career Acedemy. My hobbies include reading philosophy books and playing basketball. Some things about myself: I am the youngest of three siblings, my favorite movies are Disturbia and I Am Legend, and my favorite musical artist is Eminem. I have been working with the SCA for a few years through the year round program and worked this summer at the Dan Ryan Forest Preserve with a summer crew. I am really proud of the projects I have worked on through the SCA. This work has really influenced my future plans to travel and learn about different cultures and their connection to the environment.