Above / The Conservation Foundation is located on the former McDonald Farm property, 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road, in Naperville. (PN File Photo)
Jeff Wehrli, of Oswego, has joined The Conservation Foundation board for a three-year term after retiring as Kendall County Forest Preserve president for the past six years.
Wehrli spent a total of 13 years on the Kendall County Board, also serving as a forest preserve commissioner during that time. He worked with the assistance of The Conservation Foundation to pass two referenda totaling $50 million, which was used to purchase and improve Kendall County forest preserves.
After retiring last year, Wehrli said he didn’t want to stop all the good things that had been accomplished in Kendall County.
“I want to see it continue, and The Conservation Foundation is an obvious way to do that and help out different communities,” Wehrli said. “If I can help out with that I’d be happy.”
Naperville roots
Wehrli grew up in Naperville, where the Wehrli name goes back generations. He said the subdivision he grew up in included large wooded lots. He remembers he had two rules as a kid: lunch is at noon and dinner is at six. He said he would like his granddaughter to enjoy the outdoors as he did as a child.
After working for his uncle in excavating while still in high school, he realized he wanted to continue in the field, so he started Jeff Wehrli Excavating in 1985.
He lives in Oswego with his wife Barb and they have two grown children.
The Conservation Foundation since 1972
The Conservation Foundation, celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2017, is one of the region’s oldest and largest not-for-profit land and watershed conservation organizations. Since it was founded in 1972, TCF has helped preserve nearly 33,000 acres of open space, restored and cleaned miles of rivers and streams, and educated thousands of kids by engaging them in nature and the outdoors.
Work is focused in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties to preserve and restore nature in your neighborhood. For more information, visit theconservationfoundation.org.
Story and photo submitted by Sandy Kaczmarski for The Conservation Foundation.
