Giant City State Park volunteer receives honor

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR, honored eight individuals and two groups for exceptional volunteer service to the department and the people of the State of Illinois at the Illinois State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 20.

One of the individuals honored is from Southern Illinois.

The IDNR Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards are presented each year during a ceremony in Conservation World at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

“From helping researchers at the Illinois State Museum learn more about the natural and cultural history of the state, to clearing trails and hosting youth hunts at our state parks, volunteers provide tens of thousands of hours of their time to help our staff and those who visit our IDNR sites,” IDNR director Wayne Rosenthal said in a news release.

“The annual volunteer awards program is one of the ways we thank these dedicated individuals and organizations, and spotlight the important contributions volunteers make every day.”

Janet Sundberg of Carbondale was one of the individuals honored as an outstanding volunteer of the year.

IDNR noted that Sundberg has dedicated thousands of volunteer hours to assisting staff and visitors at Giant City State Park near Makanda.

Sundberg has worked as a volunteer docent, helping to lead interpretive hikes and assisting in educational programs at the park.

She is also an accomplished photographer and has provided hundreds of images of the park, many of which are on display at the Giant City visitor center and in a wildflower and plant identification book.

The photos and research on the park provide a reference for visitors and staff.

The person who nominated Sundberg for the award wrote: “Jan always has a smile on her face when volunteering...her enthusiasm for the park is contagious and Giant City is so very lucky to have her as a volunteer.”

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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