Champaign County Volunteer Opportunities

Champaign

Ems Tract: 2007 Workdays: Saturday June 2nd. Come and help make our vision of a prairie plant nursery a reality. We'll continue to remove unwanted woody vegetation and we may even start planting seedlings. Bring gloves and wear clothing appropriate for cutting and hauling brush. Some refreshments provided. Meet at Anita Purves Nature Center at 1:00 p.m. to carpool to this site east of St. Joseph. We'll work for a couple of hours. For more information call Jamie Ellis at (217) 244-5695, jamese@inhs.uiuc.edu.

Nettie Hart Memorial Woodland workdays: (Grand Prairie Friends/Prairie Grove Volunteers)
Workdays vary. Help us remove one of the more insidious invasive plants-garlic mustard, as well as other non-natives. This woodland includes upland forest and floodplain forest along the Sangamon River. Please wear gloves and bring drinking water.
Directions: Meet at the Anita Purvis Nature Center at 9:00, located at 1505 N. Broadway Ave. in Urbana to carpool. For more information call Bryant Barnes (217) 493-8686 or e-mail bbarnes@prairienet.org

Windsor Road Prairie Restoration workdays: (Grand Prairie Friends/Prairie Grove Volunteers)
Workdays vary, contact site steward.The group will be pulling sweet clover, spraying vetch and Canada thistle, picking up trach, mulching the garden, and cutting bruch. Wear appropriate clothing (i.e. gloves, boots or comfortable shoes, long sleeves, long pants, durable clothes) and bring plenty of drinking water. Pleasebring gloves, hand pruners, a tree saw, and a shovel if possible.
Directions: Take First Street south to Windsor Road. Turn right. The prairie is on the right.
For more information call Ruth Green (217) 355-3058, (217) 355-8125 or e-mail r-green@uiuc.edu

Champaign County Humane Society Native Garden workdays: (Grand Prairie Friends/Prairie Grove Volunteers)
Every Friday Evening (beginning in May): 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Primary activites will be weeding and seed collecting. Bring gloves and wear clothes of natural fabrics.
For more information call Jim Hoyt (217) 352-6733 or e-mail jwhoyt@prairienet.org

Red Bison Prairie Corridor workdays:
Every Sunday, 1:00 PM. Members and non-members welcome
Directions: Meet at 1:00 PM at the University YMCA, located on Wright Street in Campustown or at the site located on Rt. 45 (Neil Street) between Curtis and Windsor Roads in Savoy, IL. For more information contact Paul Heiberger at pheiberg@uiuc.edu or Micahel Avara at avara@uiuc.edu or visit http://www2.uiuc.edu/ro/redbison/

Mahomet

Buffalo Trace Prairie
2007 Workdays: Sunday June 10th, Sunday June 17th. Help pull parsnip! Bring gloves, water, and wear long sleeves. Bring a snack too if you'd like. Workday will start at 8:30 a.m. Latecommers welcome.
Directions: From I-74, take Route 47 North away from Mahomet. Turn left on 2100 N and turn left again at the next left. Parking lot is on the left across from the cell-phone tower. Walk out on the bike path to the prairie between the 0.2 and 0.3 mile mark on the bike path.
For more information, contact Philip Hult and Gail Snowdon (217) 586-4511.

Rantoul

Patton Woods workdays: (Grands Prairie Friends/Prairie Grove Volunteers)
Workdays vary, contact the site steward.
Trail maintenance, brush clearing, and some litter pickup. Wear gloves, and bring pruners, or rakes if you have them. Call for additional information.
Directions: From C-U head north on either I-57 or US 45 to US 136 to Glifford then north on County Rd. 2300E about 6 miles to the T-intersection with 3600N (County Line Rd.) Head east on the County Line Rd. about 2 miles to 2500E. Go south on 2500N about 1/4 mile to Patton Woods enterance.
For more information call Earl Creutzburg (217) 328-2375 or e-mail ecreutzberg@parkland.cc.il.us

Short Line Railroad Prairie workdays: (Grand Prairie Friends/Prairie Grove Volunteers)
2007 Workdays: Saturday June 9th, Saturday June 30th.
Help restore Grand Prairie Friends first prairie remnant by removing non-native vegetation. Wear long sleeves and bring gloves and drinking water.
Directions: Meet at the Anita Purvis Nature Center at 9:00 AM , located at 1505 N. Broadway Ave. in Urbana, to carpool, or 9:45 AM at the site.
For more information call Paul Marcum (217) 390-6141 or e-mail pmarcum@inhs.uiuc.edu

Urbana

Middle Fork Woods Nature Preserve Workdays vary, contact the site steward. Help us maintain this site as we remove garlic mustard and honeysuckle. We'll follow up with a nice hike! Wear gloves and bring plastic bags, loppers, and pruners if you have them. Bring drinking water and a snack. Meet at the Cypress parking lot in Kickakpoo State Park at 10:00 a.m. For directions more information contact Grant Cunningham at (217) 773-2660.

Middle Fork Bluffs Spring 2007 Workdays: Saturday May 19th. Come enjoy an early season hike to see Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale). We will also pull and scout for garlic mustard as we hike through the woods. Bring gloves and drinking water. Water, food, and restrooms are also available at the Salt Kettle I-74 rest-stop (just west of the site). Meet at APNC at 9:00 a.m. to carpool or at the Salt Kettle rest-stop at 10:00 a.m. This rest area is just west of Danville. Workdays vary, contact steward. Meet at Anita Purvis Nature Center at 9:00 a.m. to carpool or at the Salt Kettle rest stop off I-74 at 10:00 a.m. For more information please contact Paul Marcum at 333-8459 or 390-6141for more information.

James Nance Woods Workdays vary. We'll be basal bark spraying sugar maples in dense areas. Take 6th Street west from Neoga and go 2.2 miles past the city limits to Shelby County Road 3425 E. Turn right and go 0.9 mile past two "S" curves to the woods on the right. Bring water, gloves, and loppers if you have them. Snacks provided. For more information contact Jim Payne at jpayne@shout.net or (217) 493-7840

Horseshoe Bottom and Windfall Prairie Nature Preserves Workdays vary. Meet at Anita Purvis Nature Center at 9:00 a.m. to carpool or at the Lake Mingo dam parking lot at 9:45. For more information contact Rick Larimore at (217) 337-7006/244-6716 or Jim Smith (217) 896-2079.

Jasmine Hollow Spring 2007 workdays: Saturday May 26th. We'll be pulling garlic mustard, thinning coralberry and gooseberry. The spring wildflowers should be showing nicely! Meet on site at 9:30 a.m. Work until noon, have refreshments, and then take a hike afterward if folks are interested. Address is 1172 N. 200 East Road, Piatt County. For more information call (217) 344-7840 or email jpayne@shout.net

Baber Woods Nature Preserve Workdays vary, contact steward. Bring a lunch and drinking water. Meet at Anita Purvis Nature Center at 7:45 a.m. to carpool. For more information contact Rick Larimore at (217) 337-7006/244-6716 or rlarimo@inhs.uiuc.edu

Orchid Hill Tour Sunday May 13th, 2007 10:00 a.m. Led by Illlinois District Heritage Biologist, Bob Szafoni. Come see the orchids in spring bloom and enjoy some topography. This is a rare chance to explore this natural area which is usually closed to the public. Contact Paul Marcum (pmarcum@inhs.uiuc.edu, 333-8459) to sign up and get directions. Space is limited to 12 people. Meet at site at 10:00 a.m. or at APNC to car pool at 9:15 a.m.

Busey Woods workdays: (Grand Prairie Friends/Prairie Grove Volunteers)
Second Saturday of every month, 9:00-11:00 AM.
Meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center. Busey Woods is located behind the Nature Center.
Directions to the Anita Purvis Nature Center, 1505 North Broadway, Urbana, IL. Take University Avenue to Broadway Avenue. Turn north. Go 6 blocks. Nature center entrance is on the left at sign.
For more information call Derek Liebert (217) 344-9583 or e-mail daliebert@urbanaparks.org

Meadowbrook Prairie Restoration workdays: (Grand Prairie Friends/Prairie Grove Volunteers)
Fourth Saturday of every month, 9:00 -11:00 AM
Help remove invasive plants, improve trails, plant native trees and flowers, and assist with general clean-up. Tools will be available and refreshemnts will be served.
Directions: Meet at Meadowbrook at the Race Street parking lot.
For more information call Derek Liebert (217) 344-9583 or e-mail daliebert@urbanaparks.org or just call the nature center at (217) 384-4062

Weaver Grove Workdays Second Saturday of every month, 1:00-3:00 PM. Directions: pull off south of intersection of Main St. and Smith Rd.

Pellville Cemetary Workdays: Workdays vary. Help pull some invasive species!! Wear gloves and bring drinking water. Meet at the Anita Purvis Nature Center at 9:00 AM to carpool. Contact Paul Tessene at (217) 244-7984 or ptessene@inhs.uiuc.edu for more information.

Middle Fork Fish and Wildlife Area Workdays: Workdays vary. Contact Paul Marcum for more information (333-8459, 390-6141).