You make a difference to the work we do, to our leaders in Springfield, and to the communities who rely on your advocacy. You inspire change across Illinois. Here are some of the ways we have inspired Illinois together in 2021.
This year, PRN staff and member/volunteer Marty Kemper conducted a field visit at the Washington County State Conservation Area to teach agency staff about the symptoms of herbicide injury in trees and plants. This is part of our ongoing campaign to call attention to the threat herbicides pose to specialty crops, natural areas, gardens, and native species, and the pollinators that rely on them.
Our Volunteers Inspire Us
We were fortunate that two amazing PRN members volunteered to write guest blogs for our website. Patsy Hirsch wrote a compelling account on the impact that the herbicide Dicamba has had on her once majestic oak trees in a piece titled A Future Shade-less Summer. Then, in Martha’s Monarchs, Martha McSims chronicled her experience raising and releasing over 60 of these most beautiful butterflies.
In April, we partnered with the International Crane Foundation (Baraboo, WI), other groups, and volunteers to organize the first effort to count and document cranes in the Illinois River Valley.
Hundreds Took Action
Thanks to the hundreds of you that took action to pass the Climate & Equity Jobs Act, Illinois’ Solar for All program will expand and provide more opportunities for critical service providers and people with low and moderate incomes to go solar. We also achieved improved solar market access for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE), and we’re on the way to seeing solar on Habitat for Humanity Homes and Champaign Housing Authority affordable housing properties.
Late in 2020, we called on you to comment on what Illinois needs for our updated State Water Plan. Of the 703 people who submitted comments, 25% of those were PRN members and supporters. That’s amazing! And this year, your input has already had an impact. The state heard from you that water quality and climate change must be top priorities.
On April 26th, many of you joined the virtual Environmental Justice Lobby Day to ask your legislators to support the Lead Service Line Replacement Act, the Environmental Justice in Permitting Act, and CEJA.
Fighting for a Fossil Free Future
PRN Water Resources Engineer Andrew Rehn appeared in a documentary on the Wood River Power Plant demolition in East Alton, Illinois. The plant was destroyed in early February with little notice or input from the community. The documentary shines a light on the power plant, the folks fighting to protect their communities, and the power company that has ignored their call for transparency. Watch the video at: https://tinyurl.com/WoodRiverDoc
With partners, we co-hosted a Geothermal Power Hour about the basics of geothermal, how people can benefit, and how the group buy program works. In March, we hosted a virtual town hall on transitioning away from the expensive, dirty, Prairie State coal plant to a cleaner energy future.
Thank You!
Lastly, thanks to PRN members and supporters in the Champaign-Urbana area, we raised $4,103.35 in this year’s Round Up for Good at Common Ground Food Co-op in Urbana. And over the years, you’ve contributed over $30,000 during the Round Up campaign. Thank you!
The support we’ve received from our members and supporters in 2021 has been astounding. We really could not do the work of protecting water, healing land, or inspiring change without you!
