Thank you for coming to our 2025 Annual Dinner.
Prairie Rivers Network was thankful to have members and new friends from across the state join us on Friday for a wonderful evening of celebration, connection, and renewed commitment to the bumpy road ahead.
In a time when our bedrock environmental protections are being dismantled at the federal level, our work on the ground in communities across Illinois has never been more important. From protecting the Mahomet Aquifer, to supporting communities like Dowell and the Quad Cities in building resilience, our state and local efforts DO add up! And it’s our members who push our work forward.
As Robert Hirschfeld, our Director of Water Policy, said in his closing remarks, it’s the gifts of members that help us answer the call and address the issues that some would shy away from.. It’s gifts from members that help us keep our mission and programs intact when Executive Orders attempt to threaten them. The support of our members ensures our team is prepared, strong, nimble, and relentless. Donate here.
2025 Annual Dinner Awardees
Despite the challenges we are currently facing, the PRN Annual Dinner has always been a time to celebrate accomplishments of our network and individuals across the state who are making an impact. This year, we had the honor of presenting two awards.
The River Steward award was presented to Kelly McKay, a wildlife biologist who lives and works in the Quad Cities area. He has spent years documenting species living in the Milan Bottoms wetlands, including the largest Bald Eagle night roost in the lower 48 states.
The inaugural Hannon Seeds of Change award–named for PRN’s founder, Bruce Hannon – was awarded to Pam Richart and Lan Richart. As co-founders of Eco-Justice Collaborative, the Richarts have worked with PRN on many projects over the past decade, including the passage of legislation to protect the Mahomet Aquifer.
Read our full press release about our outstanding awardees here.
Would you like to sponsor Prairie Rivers Network?
Prairie Rivers Network invites you to protect water, heal land, and inspire change by becoming a business and community member of Prairie Rivers Network. For more information, please view our Sponsorship Form, or contact Devin Walker at 217.344.2371 or dwalker [at] prairierivers.org
Looking Back at Previous Dinners
For more than 20 years, Prairie Rivers Network members, board, and staff have been coming together for the Annual Dinner. As an organization, we are so thankful for the network of individuals that support the work that we do and this dinner has been a place to connect and celebrate with you all. To see pictures from previous dinners, please visit our Flickr account.
