For their years of devotion to preserving nature, Addison Township residents Pat and Joe Schnur were presented with a certificate of appreciation last Wednesday, honoring them for their hard work during the collective 21 years they spent serving on the township’s parks board.

Parks Committee Co-Chairman Chuck Peringian, who presented the certificate, said the pair had worked hard and had been instrumental in guiding the vision of the current Watershed Preserve Park, a 229-acre park located north of Leonard, and Lake George Nature Park, an 82-acre site located west of Leonard Village.

Today, thanks to dedication and years of hard work on the part of Pat, Joe, and other park board members, Watershed Preserve Park now has features including outdoor lighting, a parking lot, closed circuit cameras and the historic Arnold Schoolhouse, built in 1956, which will serve as a welcome center for educational groups starting this year.

Peringian described the pair’s award as “long overdue.”

“We want to thank Pat and Joe for all their hard work and all the direction that they gave us to make this park what it is and we couldn’t have done it without their efforts. They’ve just moved everything forward in the right direction and made our parks what they are today,” said Peringian.

Joe Schnur served on the park board for 15 years, from 2001-2016, and Pat Schnur served for six years, from 2010 through 2016, up until their retirement.

Although Joe Schnur appreciated the recognition, it was witnessing the natural beauty of Addison Township’s Watershed Park, where the small award ceremony was held, that moved him the most that day.

“Everything we did, Chuck was right there with us. It was a huge operation. This is a large, primitive area, and when you walk here, it’s like you’re walking up north. You don’t have to drive 200 miles to get the kinds of things that are here,” said Joe. “We got people like Chuck who were there all the time and they were the most excellent people in the world to work with. It’s nice to be (honored) on paper, but when you walk around and see what they’ve done to this place, that makes me feel good. A piece of paper is great, but it’s our parks that show action.”