HR1042 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1042 LRB100 21878 MST 39739 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor and celebrate the life of Thomas "Tom" Waid Vanderpoel; and

WHEREAS, Tom Vanderpoel was born on February 10, 1951 to Waid and Ruth Vanderpoel; and

WHEREAS, Graduating from Barrington High School in 1969, Tom Vanderpoel and his four brothers developed an appreciation for wildlife and conservation thanks to their parents; and

WHEREAS, Following high school, Tom Vanderpoel went on to study wildlife biology at the University of Wyoming; and

WHEREAS, Returning to the Barrington area after his studies, Tom Vanderpoel followed in his father's footsteps and became actively involved in the Citizens for Conservation, ultimately taking on the role of Director of Restoration; and

WHEREAS, Tom Vanderpoel became widely recognized for the many native restoration efforts he led in the Barrington area, part of a vision to create a series of high-quality habitats and pathways to connect preserves throughout the area to allow wildlife to flourish; and

WHEREAS, The countless hours Tom Vanderpoel spent planning future restoration tasks, encouraging volunteers, and doing the hard physical labor of digging, burning, and picking is seen today in the transformation of the formerly fallow, weed filled fields at Grigsby Prairie and Flint Creek Savanna that now thrive with seas of native grasses; and

WHEREAS, Tom Vanderpoel's spearheading of local initiatives has restored and preserved more than 3,500 acres of natural habitat in the Barrington area; and

WHEREAS, Although he never sought leadership positions, Tom Vanderpoel's abilities were constantly sought by leading ecologists, leading to his participation in many more restoration efforts throughout Illinois and Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, Despite the many overtures for his services, including by the Nature Conservancy, which is a leading international conservation organization, Tom Vanderpoel remained passionately focused on local conservation projects and education; and

WHEREAS, Tom Vanderpoel's contribution is not only seen in restoration projects, he shared his expertise freely and kindly to both educate and inspire young and old alike; and

WHEREAS, Tom Vanderpoel shared this knowledge and worked collaboratively with the Nature Conservancy's Volunteer Stewardship Network, the Bobolink Foundation, Audubon Great Lakes, the Lake County Forest Preserve, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, and member organizations of Chicago Wilderness; and

WHEREAS, Although Tom Vanderpoel never pursued personal accolades or recognition, he received numerous awards for both his volunteerism and his restoration work, notably being named the 2009 Citizen of the Year by the Barrington Area Development Council and receiving the inaugural Excellence in Conservation Award from Chicago Wilderness in 2004, an honor he cherished; and

WHEREAS, Those who knew and volunteered and worked alongside Tom Vanderpoel saw his passion and willingness to teach others as an inspiration to all, thus he was called a "conservation luminary" by a colleague for his lasting contribution to his community; and

WHEREAS, Tom Vanderpoel passed away unexpectedly on August 8, 2017 at the age of 66, but his work has left a lasting impression for decades to come; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor and celebrate the life of Tom Vanderpoel for his many years of dedicated service to his community, the Citizens for Conservation, and natural restoration; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Tom Vanderpoel as an expression of our esteem and respect.