My name is Joel Rosario and I work for the cook county forest preserve. In my opinion, I have lived a weird life, but I am 100% sure that it has been that way for a purpose. For the last four years I had an idea swirling in mind and heart.

Applying what I do at work, to what I should be doing in my own life. As a resource tech, some of my duties at work are to assist in the on going restoration of forestlands and prairies. These lands have been invaded by weeds, destroyed, and neglected by those who own it. From what I know and see, I will try to give a watered down version, what these factors have done to these lands. The diversity of plants and animals are no longer there. Making these lands have little or no good impact to the ecosystem. Lands so invested by weeds that you will be hard pressed to find out what it used to be.

When I started working on these lands and was being inform why we were going through such great lengths to restore them, I suddenly started being inundated with thoughts that have been tugging at my heart ever since.

A lot “What ifs” that I can not go back in time to change, moments that still scare me today, fears that render me useless. These are my “WEEDS”, my deliberate acts of stupidity, and moments that were out of my control.

I have been told many times “that I was bag of good talent in the garbage”. Seeing how bad life has gotten at times, I would have to agree with that statement. What has cause me make bad choices in life “WEEDS”, what has made me blind when a good thing was coming “WEEDS”, what has cause me to break the law “WEEDS”, what has ruin good relationships with people that were just trying to guide me to a better quality of life “WEEDS”! I can go on forever, but I just want to get my point across. I started comparing my life to these forestlands and prairies.

The amount of work that it takes to get these lands even to start looking like they were meant to be is staggering, just as hard it has been to rid my self of my “WEEDS” that I have let grow in my life.

That is why the thought of starting a program that uses the example of these lands, with the application of someone who acknowledges the “WEEDS” in their lives, with the by product of neglecting them, coupled with the outcome, and the confession of the work that it has taken to eliminate those “WEEDS” from their lives, will and can motivate some else to start looking in their own lives to see what they can start doing to improve their quality of life. If the talk portion of this program does not get them motivated the physical part will.

Since a large portion of people are not audible learners. Taking the people to these lands, show them a picture of what they should look like, and give them an opportunity to assist in the on going process of restoration, will motivate people to start working on their own lives, before the “WEEDS” dominate their lives to the point, were those on the outside looking, in will say “What a waste of life”.

“Weeds” the name of the program that is geared to motivate anyone who is in need to make better choices in their life, so they and those around them, will live a life full of significance. They will be asked to take a long look at their lives and see if there are certain “Weeds”. A weed is defined as a plant that due to its aggressive growth habits will over take an area and not allow other desirable plants have a chance to establish themselves, because it is not suppose to be their. Using that same definition to our lives, what are the “weeds” that continue to dominate our lives, and cause it, to be of low quality, insignificant, and down right harmful to ourselves and those around us. This program will have two parts.

1. I intended to meet with anyone and discuss certain negative experiences in my life, certain friends, and past attitudes. Looking back these things were “Weeds” that caused me to constantly make bad choices. Help them identify their “Weeds” and try to motivate them, to make an effort, and rid themselves of these “Weeds.

2. The program will also take these people to the Cook County Forest Preserve to see what “Weeds” have done to our Forest and Prairies. They will see the outcome of letting “Weeds” grow without an effort to eliminate them. They will witness first hand the effort that is ongoing by volunteers and the Forest Preserve staff to restore these Forestlands and Prairies. They will be invited to assist with the restoration projects.

I strongly feel that this idea will improve the quality of life for these people, while adding more hands to what is an almost impossible task, taking on the restoration of these extremely neglected Lands.