Meet TLC Member Jacob Karkowski

How did you find out about TLC?

I found out about TLC, probably around 2017, through my student advisor at McHenry County College, Leslie Krebs. Shortly after, I started going to Green Drinks, which is a monthly meeting to share interesting topics in the areas of environment, conservation and sustainability.

By going to Green Drinks, I started getting to know about all kinds of “green” things happening in our area. I went to my first TLC workdays a month later, and started getting more involved as a volunteer.

Why did you decide to become a member of TLC?

McHenry County has important land ecologically. And TLC does a really good job caring for and preserving the land. It’s not just that, TLC also builds a community around caring for the land.

Also, there are constant opportunities for me to do something in this world. I’m trying to do something good, and TLC has been a pathway for that. When I found out about TLC, I was an aspiring ecologist. It was a great way to get experience and learn from other volunteers and the TLC staff. I continue to learn today, with the current TLC staff.

What would you tell someone who’s thinking about joining TLC?

If you want to learn more about ecological restoration—it’s a passion of yours—there’s no better way to find out than just doing it.

Beyond that, there are many ways to connect to nature. It’s about making people part of nature, and there are so many different avenues to do this.

TLC also shows people how to grow their own native garden at home. If you want to find a way to connect with nature in McHenry County, TLC is how you do it. TLC streamlines everything that’s possible in the community if you want to do the same things at your home.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I think TLC’s CLIP internship program is the future. There are so many opportunities to learn and see how the work is done and get hands-on experience. It’s a great way for people to learn more in the field and why it matters in the first place. The people of tomorrow are going to start out with the tree that we planted today.