Please join us for Green Politics Night!

When: Thursday, April 25, 2013, 6-8pm

Where: Escobar’s, 6 East Columbia Ave., Champaign 61820

Hear updates on local environmental issues such as the Champaign bag ordinance, sole source aquifer petition, and climate action plans by local politicians and policymakers. Socialize with fellow environmentalists and enjoy the great food and atmosphere at Escobar’s!

Hosted by Prairie Group of the Sierra Club, Faith in Place, Champaign County Audubon Society, and Prairie Rivers Network.

See photos of the 2013 Boneyard Creek Community Day in the News-Gazette.

330 volunteers removed trash and invasive species at seven clean-up sites throughout Champaign-Urbana. They cleaned up 845 acres of land and 3.9 miles of water to leave these places better than they had found them.

Stay tuned to the Boneyard Creek Community Day website for information about next year’s clean-up!

Join us for six lightning talks and an open discussion on the future of the Vermilion River system:

1. Vermilion River at a Crossroads – Sue Smith, Salt Fork River Partners
2. Fish Diversity in the Vermilion River – Trent Thomas, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
3. Native Mussel Re-introduction – Jeremy Tiemann, Illinois Natural History Survey
4. Danville Dam Removal on the North Fork – Elliot Brinkman, Prairie Rivers Network
5. Coal Ash Clean-Up on the Middle Fork – Traci Barkley, Prairie Rivers Network
6. Return of Coal Mining on the Salt Fork? – Brian Perbix, Prairie Rivers Network

When: March 28th from 7-9 pm

Where: Kickapoo Landing, 1 Clear Pond, Oakwood, IL 61858

From I-74 take Exit 206N. Take the first right and follow the brown signs to Kickapoo Landing on the left after the bridge.

Everyone welcome. Please bring a friend.

*Read a summary of this event in the News Gazette (pdf) on March 29, 2013.*

Thank you to all of you who attended our 14th Annual Dinner and 45th Anniversary celebration in October. The staff and board of directors had a wonderful time visiting with our members and celebrating the successes you made possible.

Congratulations to our 2012 River Steward Brenda Dilts

Each year we recognize and celebrates outstanding river conservationists and their actions on behalf of Illinois’ rivers and streams. This year, Prairie Rivers Network honors Brenda Dilts as our 2012 River Steward. Read more…

A Living Document: The US Constitution and Clean Water

Urbana native and University of Illinois alumnus Dr. Richard Lazarus is distinguished among environmental lawyers for the many environmental law cases he has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. As Prairie Rivers Network’s honored guest speaker for our 45th Anniversary Annual Dinner, Dr. Lazarus applauded the environmental protections achieved in the last forty years, protections that were the result of revolutionary new federal laws that recognized how essential water, air, and land are to this country’s future prosperity. Read more…

Pictures from the Dinner {Continue Reading »}

Urbana, Illinois  native and University of Illinois alumnus Dr. Richard Lazarus is distinguished among conservation advocates for the many environmental law cases he has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. As Prairie Rivers Network’s honored guest speaker for our 45^th Anniversary Annual Dinner, Dr. Lazarus applauded the environmental protections achieved in the last forty years, protections that were the result of revolutionary new federal laws that recognized how essential water, air, and land are to this country’s future prosperity.

Still, the road from environmental legislation to a cleaner world may involve significant detours. And unexpected challenges can present themselves in the form of nine robed figures who have the final say on interpreting the laws of the land.

Posing the question “what does affordable health care have to do with the environment?” Lazarus illuminated how Supreme Court decisions in “non-environmental” cases can impact the reach of federal environmental law protections. {Continue Reading »}