Sangamon Watershed Celebration – November 10, 2018

Richland Community College-Shilling Center Decatur, Illinois

The Agricultural Watershed Institute and the new Sangamon River Alliance are pleased to invite you to the ‘New and Improved’ Sangamon Watershed Celebration! The 2018 Sangamon Watershed Celebration will be held on Saturday, November 10, at the National Sequestration Education Center building on the campus of Richland Community College in Decatur, Illinois. The day will be packed with a variety of enjoyable, educational and community-building activities and speakers. 9 AM – 12 PM: Family-oriented displays and activities 12 – 1 PM: Lunch available for purchase 1 – 5 PM: Concurrent sessions on topics related to local history, recreation, and environmental stewardship 5 – 7:30 PM: Dinner ($15 per person payable online or at the door) followed by a presentation and discussion of the documentary film “The Sangamon River: A Sense of Place” led by UIS Professor Emeritus Charles Schweighauser. PAY for DINNER HERE on the Agricultural Watershed Institute website!! Event Flyer Event Schedule

2nd Annual Mudpuppy Festival

Monticello Brewing Company 212 S. Independence Street, Monticello, IL

2nd Annual Mudpuppy Festival scheduled for Saturday, February 2, 1-4 pm at the Monarch Brewing Company in Monticello. Mudpuppies are a threatened species of salamander that sound like a puppy barking when on land. And, we have them right here in Monticello in the Sangamon River! Check out this YouTube video to see one in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pcuKcGZ8ns  

The Beauty of Spring Woodland Wildflowers

Brady Woods 10 County Road, 1800N, Seymour, IL, United States

LCF members and Master Naturalists! Join us at the 20-acre Brady Woods  in western Champaign County for glorious spring wildflowers. This site is known for its spring beauty and bluebells -- and more. Address is 10 County Road, 1800N, Seymour 61875. Directions: I-72 to Mahomet, IL-47 Exit. Turn Right on IL-47 then at first left 1675N White Horse Farm sign). Travel about 2 or 3 miles to 1500 E (no sign, but small White Horse Farm sign on telephone pole). Turn right. Travel to end of road, turn at arrow. The second mailbox, 10, is your destination. Parking is limited along the road. Leaders: Melissa Records & Teresa DeWittt, Master Naturalists Earn 1 Master Naturalist’s CE Credits

Those Elusive Amphibians

Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial 39.805351, -89.104150, Decatur, Illinois

Floodplain Forest Birds

Sangamon River Corridor Preserve 802 Allerton Rd, Monticello, Illinois

Join Tara Beveroth, an ornithologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey for a walk on the 2.3-mile Bruce Hannon Levee Trail to identify the birds we find in this 108-acre floodplain forest. Meet us at the Sangamon River Corridor Reserve parking lot on Allerton Road adjacent to the Monticello Golf Club at 8:00 a.m. Bring binoculars (and a bird book if you like), plus water/snacks. Leader: Tara Beveroth, INHS Earn 1 Master Naturalist’s CE Credits

Agricultural Innovation & Perennial Crops In Central Illinois

Richland Community College-Shilling Center Decatur, Illinois

Free public event is for farmers, landowners, scientists, environmentalists,
business and civic leaders, and everyone interested in innovative practices, crops,
and markets for a sustainable agriculture future.

Life in the Sangamon River

Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial 39.805351, -89.104150, Decatur, Illinois

Explore the Sangamon River for critters large and small.

From egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly!

Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial 39.805351, -89.104150, Decatur, Illinois

Butterflies do more than just paint a pretty picture. They help flowers pollinate, eat plenty of weedy plants and provide a food source for other animals. In addition, their presence or absence can tell us a lot about the local environment. Join us as we learn how to protect and promote threatened pollinators like Monarch Butterflies.

Macon County Community Environmental Council Quarterly Environmental Forum

Decatur Public Library - Madden Auditorium 130 N Franklin Street, Decatur, IL, United States

Frank Grgurich, a Master Gardener who has been growing vegetables for several years on a large scale as well as composting will talk about:  “Garbage to black GOLD.  Free fertilizer from your kitchen and yard and maybe your neighbors.”