Forest Preserves of Cook County 2022 Summer Brochure

As soon as LaVonte Stewart starts talking to the young people in Lost Boyz Inc. about upcoming outings to the Forest Preserves of Cook County, he sees the excitement on the faces of the boys and girls served by his nonprofit group. “Getting out of their neighborhood to do something is encouraging to them, being outside of their comfort zone and seeing that Chicago is a huge city and that you can have all this green space inside of an urban jungle,” says Stewart, the founder and executive director of Lost Boyz Inc. “You can find all this serenity and these spaces for peace.” Nature Express Bus Provides Free Rides to Nature Lost Boyz Inc. provides sports-based development for youth from South Shore, Pilsen and other under- resourced neighborhoods in Chicago, as well as opportunities for civic engagement and recreation. The Forest Preserves Nature Express Bus program has become a valuable resource to this small organization. 14