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SPRINGFIELD – More than 1,500 students will visit Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) state parks in April for the third annual Earth Day in the Parks event. Earth Day in the Parks is an initiative of the IDNR to introduce students to environmental stewardship.
“Students participating in Earth Day in the Parks will have an opportunity to perform meaningful natural resources stewardship activities, including planting trees, planting native wildflowers, removing exotic invasive plant species, building and installing bird boxes and a number of other activities,” said IDNR Director Marc Miller.
Sponsored by the IDNR Office of Public Services, Office of Land Management and the Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF), Earth Day in the Parks offers students the opportunity to get outdoors and work in nature. Their hands-on experiences will lead them to develop a sense of ownership of the natural resources in our state while also increasing available wildlife habitat. Students and teachers are encouraged to return to the park to study the effects of their work.
“We believe that participating schools realize that this is more than just a field trip. This is an investment in the future generation of conservationists,” said Director Miller. “We hope that these students will continue to visit the parks, not only to check on the success of their projects, but perhaps to volunteer and develop a personal connection to a natural place.”
Earth Day in the Parks continues to grow each year. In fact, the number of participating parks has doubled from last year. 50 state parks are hosting events this year, which means twice the number of schools will be able to participate. School groups were selected by random drawings from an application process held earlier this year.
A grant for the program was provided by the Illinois Conservation Foundation. The list of Earth Day in the Parks sites, dates and participating schools are shown below.
Earth Day in the Parks sites: Date Participating School
Apple River Canyon State Park April 29th Warren Community Unit
8763 E. Canyon Road School District #205, Warren
Apple River, IL 61001 Time: 12:15pm – 2pm
Phone: (815)745-3302
Argyle Lake State Park April 30th Brown County High School,
640 Argyle Park Road Mt. Sterling
Colchester, IL 62326 Time: 9:30am- 11:30am
Phone: (309)776-3422
Beall Woods State Park April 15th Grayville High School,
9285 Beall Woods Avenue Grayville
Mount Carmel, IL 62863 Time: 9am-noon
Phone: (618)298-2442
Beaver Dam State Park April 15th Vandalia High School,
14548 Beaver Dam Lane Vandalia
Plainview, IL 62685 Time: 10:30am-12:30pm
Phone: (217)854-8020
Big River State Forest April 30th Galesburg High School,
RR 1, Box 118 Galesburg
Keithsburg, IL 61442 Time: 9am - noon
Phone: (309)374-2496
Cache River State Natural Area April 30th Century Elementary School,
930 Sunflower Lane Ullin
Belknap, IL 62908 Time: 9:30am-11:30am
Phone: (618)634-9678
Carlyle Lake Wildlife Management Area April 15th Vandalia High School,
R.R. #2 Vandalia
Vandalia, IL 62471 Time: 9am-11:30am
Phone: (618)425-3533
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area April 15th Grant Middle School,
7251 Ranger Road Springfield
DeWitt, IL 61735 Time: 10:15am - 1:30pm
Phone: (217)935-8722
Eagle Creek State Recreation Area April 30th Sullivan Middle School,
R.R. 1 Box 198-B Sullivan
Findlay, IL 62534 Time: 9am – 1pm
Phone: (217)756-8260
Eldon Hazlet State Park April 15th Lebanon H.S., Lebanon
20100 Hazlet Park Rd. Time: 9:30am – 11:30am
Carlyle, IL 62231 Odin H.S., Odin
Phone: (618)594-3015 Time: 1pm-3pm
Ferne Clyffe State Park April 28th Odin High School, Odin
Rt.37, P.O. Box 10 Time: 10am- noon
Goreville, IL 62939
Phone: (618)995-2411
Fox Ridge State Park April 15th Casey-Westfield High School
18175 State Park Road Casey
Charleston, IL 61920 Time: 9am- noon
Phone: (217)345-6416
Franklin Creek State Natural Area April 30th Kishwaukee Education
1872 Twist Road Consortium, Malta
Franklin Grove, IL 61031 Time: 10am - noon
Phone: (815)456-2878
Frank Holten State Recreation Area April 15th Belleville West High School,
4500 Pocket Road Belleville
East St. Louis, IL 62205 Time: 8:45am – 11:45am
Phone: (618)874-7920
Gebhard Woods April 30th Peru Washington M.S.,
401 Ottawa Street Peru
P.O. Box 272 Time: 9:45am - noon
Morris, IL 60450
Phone: (815)942-0796
Giant City State Park April 15th Pinckneyville High School,
235 Giant City Road Pinckneyville
Makanda, IL 62958 Time: 9:30am- 11:30am
Phone: (618)457-4836
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area April 30th Tobin Elementary School,
5010 N. Jugtown Rd. Burbank
Morris, IL 60450 Time: 10:15am – 12:15
Phone: (815)942-2899
Hamilton County Conservation Area April 15th Ina Grade School,
R.R. 4, Box 242 Ina
McLeansboro, IL 62859 Time: 9am – 11:30am
Phone: (618)773-4340
Hidden Springs State Forest April 30th Cowden- Herrick H.S,
R.R. 1, Box 200 Cowden
Strasburg, IL 62465 Time: 9am-11am
Phone: (217)644-3091
Illinois Beach State Park April 30th John T. Magee M.S.,
Lake Front Round Lake
Zion, IL 60099 Time: 10am - noon
Phone: (847)662-4811
Iroquois County Conservation Area April 15th Donovan Elementary,
R.R. #1, 2803 E. 3300 N. Rd Donovan
Beaverville, IL 60912 Time: 12:30pm–2:30
Phone: (815)435-2218
James “Pate” Phillip State Park April 30th Lincoln M.S.,
2050 W. Stearns Road Schiller Park
Bartlett, IL 30103 Time: 10am-12:30pm
Phone: (847)608-3100
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area Astoria High School,
10149 County Hwy. 11 April 15th Astoria
Chandlerville, IL 62627 Time: 9am- 2pm
Phone: (217)452-7741
Johnson Sauk Trail State Park April 30th Bureau Valley H.S.,
28616 Sauk Trail Rd. Manlius
Kewanee, IL 61443 Time: 10am–11:30am
Phone: (309)853-5589
Jubilee College State Park April 30th Brimfield E.S.,
13921 West Route 150 Brimfield
Brimfield, IL 61517 Time: 9:30am- 2pm
(309)446-3758
Kankakee River State Park April 30th Kankakee Trinity
5314 West Rt. 102 Academy, Kankakee
Bourbonnais, IL 60914 Time: 10am- noon
Phone: (815)933-1383
Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area April 30th Lena-Winslow Elem.
8542 North Lake Road School, Lena
Lena, IL 61048 Time: 10am - noon
Phone: (815)369-4282
Lincoln Trail State Park April 30th Marshall North Elem.
16985 E. 1350th Rd School, Marshall
Marshall, IL 62441 Time: 10am - noon
Phone: (217)826-2222
Mermet Lake Conservation Area April 15th Maple Grove Elem.
1812 Grinnell Road School, Metropolis
Belknap, IL 62908 Time: 11am- 2pm
Phone: (618)524-5577
Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area April 30th Holy Family School,
10906 Kickapoo Park Road Danville
Oakwood, IL 61858 Time: 9am- 2pm
Phone: (217)442-4915
Mississippi Palisades State Park April 30th Scales Mound Comm.
16327A IL Rte. 84 Unit School District
Savanna, IL 61074 #211, Scales Mound
Phone: (815)273-2731 Time: 9am - noon
Moraine View State Recreation Area April 15th Tri-Point Junior High,
27374 Moraine View Park Rd. Piper City
LeRoy, IL 61752 Time: 10:30am – 1pm
Phone: (309)724-8032
Nauvoo State Park April 15th Nauvoo-Colusa Elem.
P.O. Box 426 School, Nauvoo
Nauvoo, IL 62354 Time: 9am - noon
Phone: (217)453-2512
North Point Marina April 30th Robert Abbott M.S.,
701 North Point Drive Waukegan
Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096 Time: 9am - noon
Phone: (847)746-2845
Pere Marquette State Park April 15th Southwestern H.S.,
Route 100, P.O. Box 158 Piasa
Grafton, IL 62037 Time: 9a.m. - noon
Phone: (618)786-3323
Prophetstown State Park April 29th Dixon High School,
Riverside Drive Dixon
Prophetstown, IL 61277 Time: 8:45am-10:45a
Phone: (815)537-2926
Pyramid State Recreation Area April 15th Coulterville H.S.,
1562 Pyramid Park Rd. Coulterville
Pinckneyville, IL 62274 Time: 9am – 11am
Phone: (618)357-2574
Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area April 15th St. Elmo High School
Ramsey Lake Rd St. Elmo
Ramsey, IL 62080 Time: 9am - 2pm
Phone: (618)423-2215
Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area April 15th Herrin Elem. School, 1210 Tipple Road Herrin
Carrier Mills, IL 62917 Time: 9:30am-11:30
Phone: (618)276-4405
Sam Dale Lake Conservation Area April 15th Clay City H.S.,
R.R. 1 Clay City
Johnsonville, IL 62850 Red Hill H.S.,
Phone: (618)835-2292 Bridgeport
Time: 10am – 1pm
Shelbyville Wildlife Management Area April 28th Lovington E.S.,
R.R. # 1 Box 42-A Lovington
Bethany, IL 61914 Time: 12:30pm-2:30
Phone: (217)665-3112
Silver Springs State Park April 30th Boulder Hill Elem.,
13608 Fox Road Montgomery
Yorkville, IL 60560 Time: 9am- noon
Phone: (630)553-6297
Spitler Woods State Natural Area April 30th Cerro Gordo M.S.,
705 Spitler Park Drive Cerro Gordo
Mt. Zion, IL 62549 Time: 8:45am-11am
Phone: (217)864-3121
Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area April 15th Vandalia Junior High
6924 Omega Road Vandalia
Kinmundy, IL 62854 Time: 9:45am- 2pm
Phone: (618)547-3381
Tunnel Hill State Trail April 21st Carbondale Comm. H.S.,
Highway 146 East Carbondale
P.O. Box 671 Time: 10am - noon
Vienna, IL 62995
Phone: (618)658-2168
Volo Bog State Natural Area April 30th Special Education District of
28478 W. Brandenburg Road McHenry Co., Woodstock
Ingleside, IL 60041 Time: 10am – 1pm
Phone: (815)344-1294
Walnut Point State Park April 15th Chrisman High School,
2331 E. County Road 370 N. Chrisman
Oakland, IL 61943 Time: 9am -11am
Phone: (217)346-3336
Weldon Springs State Park April 15th Central Catholic H.S.,
4734 Weldon Springs Rd Bloomington
Clinton, IL 61727 Time: 10am- noon
Phone: (217)935-2644
William Powers State Recreation Area April 30th The Willows Academy,
12949 Avenue O Des Plaines
Chicago, IL 60633 Time: 10am - noon
Phone: (773)646-3270
Wolf Creek State Park May 1st Mattoon Middle School,
R. R. 1, Box 99 Mattoon
Windsor, IL 61957 Time: 8:30am - noon
Phone: (217)459-2831
**Media interested in photo/video opportunities can call 217-558-1540 or 217-558-0994 to set up interviews or other requests**
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