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Earth Day in the Parks

Listen to the podcast of this information.

Earth Day in the Parks

"I feel like I am really making a difference." 2013 Student participant at Beall Woods State Park

View the results of some Earth Day in the Parks projects.

See the list of participating state parks at the bottom of this page.

What is it?

Earth Day in the Parks is an event to promote stewardship of our natural resources by Illinois school children. During April and May, students and their teachers from throughout Illinois will come to participating Illinois state parks to take part in natural resources stewardship activities such as: planting native trees and wildflowers; building and installing nesting/roosting boxes; removing invasive exotic species; and building brush piles for wildlife. Students will be helping the environment and wildlife, participating in outdoor activities to increase their fitness and learning that their actions can make a difference in the world. Students are encouraged to return to the state park to see and study the results of their work. Some classes may want to perform additional volunteer work at the park.

Who sponsors this event?

Earth Day in the Parks is sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Funds have been contributed toward this event from many individuals and organizations and for 2013 a grant was received from the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund.

When is it?

Earth Day in the Parks is held in April and May. Dates vary by location. The table below shows the 2013 event information.

Can my class participate?

The IDNR Division of Education accepts applications from teachers who would like for their class to participate in the program. Only one application per teacher will be accepted. Do not include more than one teacher's class on the application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Winners will be provided with additional information. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of the projects that students will be working on, parks have grade-level and other restrictions for participants.

What else should I know?

Classes will be at the park for approximately two hours.
Schools are responsible for their own transportation arrangements and transportation costs.
Each class will need to bring one adult per every five students attending the event.
Applications will only be accepted from schools registered with the Illinois State Board of Education.
Gloves, plants, tools and other equipment, materials and instructions will be provided.
A school administrator will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the school and the IDNR.

The application form for Earth Day in the Parks 2014 events will be available in December 2013.

2013 Participating Sites

(last updated 4/11/2013)

Park	City	Project	Date	Grade Levels
Argyle Lake State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Colchester	planting native prairie wildflowers and grasses	May 2, a.m.	any of grades 9-12
Argyle Lake State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Colchester	planting native prairie wildflowers and grasses	May 2, p.m.	any of grades 9-12
Beall Woods State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Mt. Carmel	plant native prairie wildflowers and install tree protective devices	May 1	any of grades 9-12
Beall Woods State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Mt. Carmel	plant native prairie wildflowers and install tree protective devices	May 2	any of grades 9-12
Cache River State Natural Area REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Cypress	plant prairie wildflowers	April 12, a.m.	any of grades 5-12
Eldon Hazlet State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Carlyle	plant prairie wildflowers	May 10, a.m.	any of grades 9-12
Ferne Clyffe State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Goreville	plant a pollinator garden	April 25	any of grades 8-10
Fort Massac State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Metropolis	plant a pollinator garden	April 19	grades 3-6
Giant City State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Makanda	plant native wildflowers	April 18	any of grades 9-12
IDNR Headquarters REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Springfield	plant native prairie wildflowers and grasses	April 25 - a.m.	any of grades K-12
IDNR Headquarters REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Springfield	plant native prairie wildflowers and grasses	April 25 - p.m.	any of grades K-12
IDNR Headquarters REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Springfield	plant native prairie wildflowers and grasses	April 26 - a.m.	any of grades K-12
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Chandlerville	plant native wildflowers, grasses and trees	April 10	any of grades 9-12
Lincoln Trail State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Marshall	plant native prairie wildflowers and grasses	April 25	grades 3 and 6
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Belknap	plant a pollinator garden	April 12	grades 3-6
Pere Marquette State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Grafton	remove invasive plants	April 19	any of grades 9-12
Pere Marquette State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Grafton	remove invasive plants	April 25	any of grades 9-12
Pyramid State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Pinckneyville	planting native wildflowers and grasses	April 17	any of grades 5-9
Volo Bog State Natural Area REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Ingleside	planting native shrubs and wildflowers	April 18	any of grades 7-12
Weldon Springs State Park REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Clinton	transplanting redbud tree saplings	April 26	any of grades 5-12
William Powers State Recreation Area REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.	Chicago	build and install bird-feeding stations	May 1	any of grades 5-8