Start Planning Now for Earth Day on April 22nd!

Earth Day is a great opportunity to make a difference, educate yourself, and renew your commitment to being a good steward!

We have put together a list of some of the many Earth Day activities taking place here in Illinois. If you see something missing, please let us know! We will add all Earth Day events and opportunities to our online calendar.

CHAMPAIGN URBANA

Boneyard Creek Community Day

Ages: all

When: 9am-12pm Saturday April 14, 2012

Where: Check in is at Scott Park starting at 9 am

Protect our local creeks and lakes to ensure a healthier community by picking-up litter, removing non-native plants, and installing stormdrain medallions. Register online and check out the website for information on what to bring and wear.

Sierra Club’s Natural Yard Care Workshop in Champaign

Ages: Adults

When: 9am-12pm Saturday April 21, 2012

Where: Champaign Public Library

Details: Free. No registration required.

Join us for tips on how to care for your yard without harming the environment. The hosts and topics include:

Theresa Meers (Parkland Horticulture Department) – eco-conscious lawn care

Cathy Bilow (Grieder’s Nursery) – kid conscious lawn care

Jamie Ellis (Grand Prairie Friends) and Stacy James (Sierra Club) – landscaping with native plants

Earth Day Celebration  Urbana Champaign

Ages: All ages

When: 1 – 3 pm Saturday April 21, 2012

Where: Anita Purves Nature Center

Cost: Free

Earth Week at UIUC

The University of Illinois Champaign–Urbana and  Students For Environmental Concerns (SECS) will be hosting events to celebrate Earth Week, April 16-20. Click here for a tentative schedule and event details.

WESTERN ILLINOIS

Sierra Club Volunteer Opportunities

When: 10am-12pm Saturday April 21, 2012

Where: Great River Road from Godfrey to Grafton

For more information: Call (618)462-6802 or e-mail Christine Favilla christine.favilla_at_sierraclub.org

There are many events throughout the year but Saturday April 21, 2012 features the Great River Road clean-up. The clean-up will focus on the 11 miles from Godfrey to Grafton up the streets and riverside. Help drop supplies every mile, shuttle volunteers, clean up the road of trash and debris on both sides of the road!

NORTHERN ILLINOIS

3rd Annual Earth Day Celebration Paddle 2012 in Morris

When: 11am Sunday, April 22, 2012

Where: William G. Stratton State Park  701 E. Illinois Ave, Morris, IL (map)

Cost: FREE if you bring your own equipment, but $39-49 if you need to rent. Limited rentals are available, so rent yours today!

It’s about 7 miles and will take 3-4 hours depending on how awestruck we get by our great Earth along the way!

Fox River Clean Sweeps

Join Sierra Club and other local groups as we continue a 10 year tradition of clearing the Fox Riverbanks of winter’s debris. Check back for updates.

Aurora Area

When: 9am-12pm, April 21, 2012

Where: Meeting place: Orchard Ave. This small street is just east of IL RT. 31/Lake Street in Aurora near the intersection of Lake St. and IL Ave or just west of the IL Avenue Bridge. Watch for Green SC signs at entrance of parking lot. You can’t miss us if you cross the bridge from either direction.

Elgin Area

Check back for details.

Earth Day 2012 in Geneva

When: 11am-3 pm, Saturday April 21, 2012

Where: Peck Farm Park 4038 Kaneville Road, Geneva,IL60134

Cost: FREE

Go green at Peck Farm on Earth Day. There will be rain barrels for sale, bicycle tune-ups, the Geneva Green Market, a Bicycle Rodeo, free paper shredding, green education, electronic recycling, local merchants and more!

McHenry County Conservation District and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County Event

The event is held both indoors and out and will go on rain or shine!

When: 11am–4pm Saturday, April 21, 2012.

Where: Prairieview Education Center, Crystal Lake

• Puppet shows

• Join in a guided nature hike

• Live music

• Help out on a restoration service project.

• Get your Earth Day 2012 Patch. Youth group members can do activities and earn the patch at a reduced cost.

• Enjoy hands-on games, crafts and storytelling

• Over 20 Environmental Exhibitors

CHICAGOLAND

23rd Annual Earth Day Parks and Preserves Clean Up Chicago

When: 9am-12pm Saturday April 21,2012

Where: Multiple locations throughout Chicago

With events hosted across Chicagoland, there are endless opportunities from litter pick up to graffiti removal and community gardening. Check out www.earthdaychicago.com for specific locations and to register for the event.

Celebrate Earth Day in Humbolt Park

Where: Humbolt Park

When: 12-2 pm

After the activities at various parks and locations throughout Chicago, stop by Humbolt park from 12-2 pm

Run or walk in Chicago’s 3rd Annual Earth Day 5k

When: 8 am Saturday April 21, 2012

Where: 1400 North Sacramento Blvd. Chicago, Illinois

Registration Closing Date: Wednesday, April 18, 2012   11:59 PMUS/Central

Cost: $20 for those under 11-18, and $30 for adults.

Presented by Merchants Banc, the Earth Day 5k is committed to hosting a green event and making it a goal this year to reduce the carbon footprint of the event itself.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2012

Mississippi River Groups Hit EPA with Dual Legal Actions on Pollution that Fuels Gulf Dead Zone 

(New Orleans, LA)— Today environmental groups challenged the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) refusal to address a critical pollution problem it has acknowledged for decades. The two legal actions filed today seek action from the agency on nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, which stimulates excessive growth of algae, kick-starting a biological process that severely depletes oxygen levels in aquatic ecosystems and chokes marine life. An enormous example of this problem is the “Dead Zone” that forms in the Gulf of Mexico in the summer. In addition, toxic algae blooms result in fish kills, the death of livestock and pets, and damage to drinking water supplies. Addressing Dead Zone pollution is thus necessary to restore health to the Gulf of Mexico and upstream waters of the Mississippi River Basin.

“The ecology and economy of the Gulf of Mexico have paid the price for EPA’s endless dithering about Dead Zone pollution,” said Matt Rota, Director of Science and Water Policy with the non-profit Gulf Restoration Network. “The most meaningful action the EPA can take is to set limits on the amount of these pollutants allowed in theMississippi River watershed so that the fish and the fisheries can recover.”

Members of the Mississippi River Collaborative, represented by the Natural Resources Defense Council, are challenging EPA’s denial of a 2008 petition to the agency asking EPA to establish quantifiable standards and clean up plans for Dead Zone pollution. Separately, several conservation groups are seeking to compel EPA to finally respond to an even older petition – a 2007 request that EPA modernize its decades-old pollution standards for sewage treatment plants and include the Dead Zone pollutants nitrogen and phosphorus in those standards.

“Decisive EPA action on Dead Zone pollutants is a decade overdue,” said Glynnis Collins, Executive Director of Illinois-based Prairie Rivers Network. “Illinois is the biggest contributor of pollution that creates this yearly crisis. With little action coming from the state, we clearly need an external push to be a more responsible neighbor.” {Continue Reading »}

Stream brown with livestock waste from nearby factory farm

BY STACY JAMES

Prairie Rivers Network works with partners across the state to reduce water pollution from factory farms. Livestock waste pollutes Illinois’ water with disease-causing bacteria, antibiotics, ammonia, nitrates and algae blooms. In the most egregious cases, streams turn brown with raw sewage that kills all wildlife inhabitants. Pollution happens when waste storage structures leak or spill, a far too common occurrence that often goes undetected until there is a fish kill. Another way that streams become polluted is when too much manure is applied to farm fields as fertilizer and rain or melting snow carries the waste into nearby streams.

Factory farms are one of the least-regulated sources of pollution. Some regulations exist but they do not require adequately stringent manure management practices. State government is also underfunded to inspect factory farms and prevent problems from happening in the first place.

Consequently, we are seeking changes at the state level that would make a significant impact on Illinois’ rivers. We are focused on strengthening the rules that govern factory farms, and increasing the revenue available to the Illinois EPA for inspections. Fortunately, these efforts are proving fruitful, and we have made new allies along the way.

2 Steps Toward Cleaner Water

After two years of advocating for rule changes that would require more responsible livestock waste management, the Illinois EPA adopted several of our recommendations! The draft rules limit how much manure and liquid waste can be applied to farm fields. Applicators will be prohibited from applying waste close to ditches and other conduits that lead to streams. And the waste storage capacity requirements will be increased, so that overflows and untimely land application are less likely to occur. {Continue Reading »}

Whether you have visited the Upper Mississippi River once, or lived next to it all your life,

we invite you to enter an essay contest: “Our Upper Mississippi River: Connection, Inspiration, Transformation.”

Share your experiences with, and connection to, this natural wonder. How has the river inspired you? How has the Upper Mississippi River changed your life? How do you protect this river you love?

For almost 45 years, Prairie Rivers Network has been working to foster a healthy environment, healthy people, and healthy communities. We have accomplished a lot in those years thanks to the continued support of our members and dedicated, passionate conservationists throughout Illinois.

Making a Difference for Illinois Rivers in 2011:

1. “Traditions” mega-dairy denied permit to fill in stream to make manure storage pond.
2. Industry coal mine is being held accountable for over 300 Clean Water Act violations.
   

   

   Click image to download 2011 accomplishments.

3. Wasteful spending on unnecessary expansion of harmful Upper Mississippi River navigation structures blocked.
4. 30 million gallons of polluted water no longer destined for Coffeen Lake; new coal ash pond at Coffeen Power Station will use state-of-the-art pollution controls.
5. Deer Run and Sugar Camp coal mines required to reduce water pollution & demonstrate new pollution control measures that will set the bar higher for other mines.
6. Voters make a difference! After hearing from our members:
   • Reps. Dold and Biggert changed votes to support EPA efforts to protect air & water from mercury pollution; and
   • Rep. Johnson voted to support EPA’s role protecting clean water.
7. South Sangamon Water Commission’s new drinking water plant will reduce pollution to the Sangamon River and protect onsite wetlands.
8. New habitat conservation plan for Vermilion River will improve riverside habitat.
9. New rules will finally protect users of the Chicago River from bacteria and viruses in sewage.
10. Growing support for restoring the natural divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to prevent the transfer of invasive Asian carp and other harmful plants and animals.
11. Village of Sycamore Sewage Treatment Plant will reduce nutrient pollution to Kishwaukee River.

View Prairie River Notes – Fall/Winter 2011 Newsletter with the following articles:

• Asian Carp’s Watershed Moment
• Factory Farms: 2 Steps in the Right Direction
• Introducing the Bruce Hannon Friends of Illinois Rivers
• State Proposes to Allow Serial Polluter to Open a New Mine
• Annual Dinner Round-up and River Steward Award Winnter – Scott Hays
• Run for Your Rivers

Also take a look at our 2011 Accomplishments.