For 84 young people, this summer was about much more than earning a paycheck. It was about restoring native habitats, discovering new career possibilities and leaving a lasting mark on the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

The Forest Preserves Experience celebrated its 11th graduating class, recognizing youth who spent five weeks developing leadership, teamwork and job skills. This year’s cohort included 71 crew members and 13 crew leaders, continuing a program that has now engaged more than 1,150 young people and contributed more than 101,000 hours of conservation service over the past decade.

For former participant Luis Cabrales, the program helped shape his future.

Cabrales first discovered conservation as a student crew member with the Student Conservation Association before joining the Forest Preserves Experience as an assistant crew leader in 2016. Today, he works as an environmental educator with the Chicago Park District, introducing young people to nature every day.

“I was at the beginning of learning what conservation is,” Cabrales said. “What really got me was caring about something bigger than yourself. I like that conservation is so place-based. It’s about the locations and bringing people back to them.”

That first experience opened doors he never expected. While attending the University of Illinois Chicago, Cabrales worked in the university greenhouse, completed an urban ecology internship at the Field Museum and continued building a career rooted in environmental education.

“It was that first introduction to conservation that made me decide I was going to study science,” he said. “There have been so many career pathways that branched off from that experience.”

Just as important were the friendships and teamwork that defined his summers outdoors. One memory still stands out. During a workday that brought multiple crews together, dozens of participants transformed the entrance to Beaubien Woods in a single day.

“The amount of work we were able to do still stands to this day,” Cabrales said. “It was that significant of an impact.” Cabrales hopes to create that same sense of connection for the next generation.

“The kids who come to [Chicago Park District’s] Big Marsh every day, I hope one day they’ll say, ‘Yeah, we were Big Marsh kids,'” he said. “That’s ultimately the goal.”

That ripple effect is exactly what the Forest Preserves Experience was created to inspire. Each summer, participants help restore forests, prairies and wetlands while gaining confidence, practical job experience and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. For some, it becomes the beginning of a career. For all, it is a chance to make a difference in places that will benefit their communities for years to come.