After retiring from a career as an industrial chemist, Aldo began volunteering at the Chicago Botanic Garden where he worked to restore and manage the Garden’s native habitats. Aldo joined our team of citizen scientists in 2001. While working with the Echinacea Project, he has cleaned Echinacea heads and counted many achenes. In fact, Aldo has counted nearly 200,000 Echinacea achenes! During his research career, Aldo helped develop numerous products used in the agriculture and horticulture industries. He holds more than 40 U.S. Patents!

This is one in a series of profiles recognizing the hard work and dedication of citizen scientists volunteering for the Echinacea Project at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

After retiring from a career in sales, Bob’s lifelong enthusiasm for the outdoors led him to begin volunteering with the Chicago Botanic Garden. While working in the Garden’s prairies and woodlands, Bob helped plant native prairie, cleared brush, identified insects, and even discovered his artistic talents while sketching fungal specimens. Since joining the Echinacea Project in 2001, he has counted over 200,000 achenes! Outside of the lab, Bob remains active with the Boy Scouts of America and continues to cultivate his artistic talents through painting and photography.

This is one in a series of profiles recognizing the hard work and dedication of citizen scientists volunteering for the Echinacea Project at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Anne joined the Echinacea Project’s volunteer team in 2007 after learning about volunteer opportunities with the Chicago Botanic Garden through her local garden club. During her time with the Echinacea Project, she has helped with nearly every lab task from cleaning heads to counting achenes. In fact, Anne has counted more than 300,000 achenes! She also volunteers with the Garden’s seed bank helping to clean and prepare seeds for future habitat restoration. Outside of her work at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Anne works part time and is an active member of her church congregation.

This is one in a series of profiles recognizing the hard work and dedication of citizen scientists volunteering for the Echinacea Project at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

After retiring from a career in which he wore a number of different caps (physicist, mathematician, professor of computer science and rocket scientist to name a few), Lou began volunteering at the Chicago Botanic Garden in 1993. Lou has put the full range of his diverse skillset to use at the Garden. For the Echinacea Project, Lou has written a computer program to mathematically describe flowering phenology in Echinacea, built face shields and scanning trays to help process Echinacea achenes in the lab, and constructed survey grids to help us locate seedlings in the field. Most recently, he created a device to help us calibrate the levels on our GPS units. In his spare time, Lou enjoys woodworking.

This is one in a series of profiles recognizing the hard work and dedication of citizen scientists volunteering for the Echinacea Project at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Bill, a former state attorney, began volunteering at the Chicago Botanic Garden after his retirement in 2002. In his time at the Botanic Garden, Bill has removed invasive species from the Botanic Garden’s restored habitats, monitored rare plants through the Plants of Concern program, and helped clean and count Echinacea achenes. Since joining the Echinacea Project, he has counted over 340,000 achenes! Outside of the lab, Bill enjoys playing the piano and collecting stamps from around the world.

This is one in a series of profiles recognizing the hard work and dedication of citizen scientists volunteering for the Echinacea Project at the Chicago Botanic Garden.