FIELD NOTES BLOG

Introducing Sydney

Sydney Sherbitsky
November 1, 2024

Hello everyone! My name is Sydney Sherbitsky (she/her) and I am excited to join the Severson Dells team as an Environmental Education AmeriCorps member! I’m from Long Island, New York, so I am looking forward to experiencing the beauty of the Midwest and its changing seasons for the first time.

I graduated this past spring from Stony Brook University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies as well as minors in coastal studies and urban planning. My studies have allowed me to deepen my experiences in the natural world where I studied abroad in Ecuador, led the Stony Brook Environmental Club, and conducted ecotoxicology research.

My curiosity for nature began at a young age, with my family frequently visiting local parks and nature centers. This early spark carried into young adulthood, where I took a high school hands-on environmental science class that explained environmental complexities I could observe outside and fueled my passion to pursue an environmental career.

As an environmental educator, I believe that people can’t care about what they don’t know about, so I’m excited to help bridge that gap and ignite new curiosity for the natural world in others.

While I am in the Midwest I would like to explore the many conservation areas nearby, but when I’m not at Severson Dells or hiking you can find me catching up with friends and family, embroidering, painting, or reading.

I look forward to learning with you all soon!

RECENT ARTICLES

Getting Kids Outside!

By Elly Salazar • May 14, 2025
Encouraging children to spend time outside is essential. However, this is not a new concept; in fact, many people are already aware of the benefits of kids spending time outdoors! Examples, including getting vitamin D from sun exposure, exercise, and educational opportunities, have been highlighted in articles that urge parents to take action. But many more reasons can be used to convince further nature skeptics. Spending time outside is great for fostering curiosity and autonomy in children. These are both valuable traits that kids carry with them into adulthood. Going outdoors also builds resiliency and critical survival skills. Who knew that letting kids play outside can help improve their safety! Finally, allocating some of a child’s day to being outside can further connections with the real world, such as deepening understanding of a sense of place, and relationship development with food systems.

Spring Pollinators in Illinois

By Shannon Osadjan • May 1, 2025
Take a look outside. Most of the flowers, trees, and plants you see exist because of a special group of insects and animals that transfer pollen from one plant to another. These insects and animals are referred to as pollinators, and they are essential for plant reproduction. Around three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about one-third of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce! Pollinators do a lot for life on earth, and without them, our earth would look vastly different.

AmeriCorps Cuts at Severson Dells

By Ann Wasser • May 1, 2025
Impacts on Members, the Community and Severson Dells