McHenry County Conservation District by Dean Johnson

Over Thanksgiving break I visited the Rush Creek conservation site in Harvard, Illinois. It is part of the McHenry County Conservation District which owns or manages twenty-seven sites, totaling over 23,000 acres of land for the purpose of preserving nature in McHenry County. These sites consist of woodlands, prairies, wetlands, ponds, creeks, and rivers that are open to the public all year. They offer many opportunities in outdoor recreation and education to the over 300,000 residents of McHenry County.

MCCD was created by a group of McHenry County citizens in 1971. They began with the mission "to preserve open space, and to provide environmental education programs and resources for recreational opportunites to the public." Available recreation activities include bicycling, camping, canoeing, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, picnicking, and snowmobiling. They also offer a wide variety of educational programs for all ages from basket weaving to owl watching at a low or no cost. They also lend their educational services to youth groups, scout troops, and school field trips.

MCCD employs workers in many different departments including land & facilities management, education services, natural resources, wildlife resources, and planning & development. They employ their own police force that patrols the many sites. They also offer summer jobs to college students. I have had several friends work for MCCD. The District also utilizes many community volunteers.

A huge current trend in our society is becoming environmentally friendly or "going green." MCCD fits perfectly into this trend by its efforts of preserving, restoring, and monitoring nature and wildlife. They are continuing to expand their lands and increasing their number of public programs. They are working to improve their sites by creating quality recreational opportunities for their visitors and are continuing to educate the population on sound environmental practices.

I would say MCCD's definition of leisure exists within their mission statement: "The McHenry County Conservation District exists to preserve, restore, and manage natural areas and open spaces for their intrinsic value and the benefits to present and future generations." They work to provide quality experiences that promote green, healthy, and balanced lifestyles.

After visiting one of the MCCD sites it became apparent to me that they are perfect places for delivering leisure experiences. MCCD sites and programs combine relaxation, physical activities, and learning experiences in a family-friendly setting. Also, in our country's current economic situation they provide a cheap, readily-available alternative to expensive leisure pursuits. If you are a person who enjoys nature and wildlife, working for MCCD would be perfect. The only drawback may be the pay. Overall I think MCCD is a great agency that benefits our population and society. The sites are great places to spend leisure time. Find out more at www.mccdistrict.org.

Allison's Assignment 1

This agency is a private membership work out center because members must pay a yearly membership fee. The Sportspex is located in my hometown in Orland Park, Illinois. This is a newly built club which was completed and open to its member in 2008. It has everything from kids birthday parties to personal trainers and classes available to its members. In order to provide a more affordable place for people to get their sweat on rather then paying high membership fees at other private clubs such as Lifetime fitness; the city of Orland Park decided to build another club. Because many amenities are available and also because of the fees that are required to use such amenities this is a private member organization. The workout center is managed by the the city itself because it is not a franchise. There are many different employment opportunities available at this establishment. Jobs are available for high schools and for business management people to the personal trainers and receptionists. It helps a lot if one has training in CPR in case aid is needed. Also, if one knows someone who is currently employed at the center it is a great way to get a relevant reference and to share information that general resumes cannot provide.


Current trends at the Sportsplex include various activities that are offered. During the winter, step aerobics classes are most commonly filled along with the time slots for birthday parties for the kids. Then once spring starts to roll around classes all aerobics classes are filled. Spring is the time when people begin to pay that extra buck to work with a personal trainer in order to get ready for summer. Over the course of the year yoga and pilates are there number one packed area. However, aside from the popular activities a current issue is people ending their membership because the facility does not have an indoor pool for its members. This is a great problem for them because many people enjoy a swim for exercise and for fun.


The facility also offers rock climbing and two large basketball courts and two indoor soccer fields for members to enjoy socializing while getting physical activity. This is a very important aspect because people love being able to bring friends as a guest to the club. Their philosophy on leisure is the ideal picture: it is overall wellness, it includes the mind, body and soul. Their goals are include providing an environment for people to help maintain overall wellness; to create a lifestyle.


After visiting and thinking over the different aspects of this facility it has come to my attention that a career here may not be as rewarding as expected. It seems as though the current employees( physical trainers etc) are not enthused about their career location. Enthusiasm is important and it lacks at this facility. Since there are not an enormous amount of members it is easy for a personal trainer to really get involved and close with a trainee which is positive for the trainee as well as the trainer. The agency fits into the leisure delivery service because it provides the overall wellness to its members. For example, during the summer there are competitions held whether it be on teams who can lose the most weight or the option to be in a "marathon" type activity. This motivates as well as provides the members with an enjoyable activity .From the activities, motivation, the affordable costs, it provides a place of leisure for nearly everyone in the surrounding area. When I say nearly everyone, I really do mean just that, it is free for people to come in and walk around the track, they do not have to be a member. This means that even the poor or lower middle class can get their much needed exercise during the winter. This is delivering leisure.

Leisure means to us

Team name: team 14

Team members: Dean Johnson, Alex Reavy, Allison Swieca, Ryan Sumait

Leisure to us is what we do to enjoy life. We do this while we have free time in order to break away from the normal required tasks. It is beneficial to us both physically and mentally, without it we would more than likely go crazy. Our leisure often includes socializing with others.