News & Media
There’s always something happening at the Macon County Conservation District! Staff and volunteers work all year round to provide you with educational programs, restore natural areas, and preserve historic sites. To know what’s going on:
Prairie Islander
Subscribe to the Prairie Islander, our free, quarterly newsletter. You may also read the current issue online or subscribe to our mailing list to have the Prairie Islander emailed to you each quarter. Scroll to the bottom of any page on our website to sign up!
Media Inquiries
For media inquiries about stories or photo requests, call 217-423-7708. If you wish to receive our news releases and photo opportunities via email, send a message to mccd@maconccd.org or call 217-423-7708.
Social Media
Receive trail condition updates, see the work we’re doing, and share pictures of your visits to the conservation areas by following us on Facebook.
Living on the Edge: Part 2
Part 2—Learn about the importance of the boundary zones where two distinct habitats meet in this three part article series.
9th Annual Summer Concert Series
This outdoor concert series sponsored by Stifel Investment Services is held every other Sunday in the summer, and features a variety of bands and performers that play Americana, bluegrass, folk, old-time, and more. Bring a lawn chair or a picnic blanket and sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Living on the Edge: Part 1
In the world of ecology, the "edge" refers to the boundary zone where two distinct habitats meet. These transition areas, known as ecotones, are crucial to the health and functionality of ecosystems.
A Spring Awakening
By Alysia Callison As the days get longer and the air warms, the natural world begins to buzz with signs of spring. One seasonal staple is the appearance of baby animals – new to the world, they often cause concern for well-meaning folks who find them in their yards, along roadsides, or in green spaces. So, what should you do if you find a baby animal? Leave it alone! Unless the animal is clearly injured or showing signs of distress, don’t touch it. Oftentimes, the parents know where the baby is and will return to check on it. Relocating the...
Shake Off Winter with a Dose of Nature
By Ashton Dukeman Celebrate the end of cabin fever because spring is here! Color and sunshine will finally be coming back into our lives as plants start to bud and bloom and the sun banishes those winter-gray skies. What better way to shake off the winter blues than by getting outdoors in less than four layers of thermal gear. During the winter months, when many of us are confined to our homes, screens become a go-to source of entertainment to pass the time. This habit can be hard to break once the weather starts to warm, often leading to less...
District Project Updates
By Jerry Culp With the busy summer and fall seasons behind us, we’re turning our focus to several exciting new projects that will benefit both our community and local ecosystems. Here’s a look into three of our biggest projects. Indoor-Outdoor Classroom A new Indoor-Outdoor Classroom is being constructed in the lower level of the Rock Springs Nature Center thanks to funding from the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act, or PARC Grant, through the State of Illinois. It will feature: Adaptive Classroom Space: With a glass wall that will open to the outside and cohesive flooring that translates...
The Mt. Zion Library has a new seed share! We're happy to work with our local organizations for provide resources like this for our community members! 🌱
The new Squirrel's Nest Conference Room is proving to be one of the best meeting rooms we have in the nature center. You never know who might show up outside the window!🦃
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Check out this interview from our Executive Director Jerry Culp, and Macon County Conservation Foundation president Robin Caceres on this morning's Brian Beyers show! We are SO close to meeting our goal of funding all 1,000 trees for the Rooted in Community: 1,000 Tree Planting Event this Saturday, April 18. We only have 229 trees remaining to fund!
We also would love to have more volunteers to help us the day of, we're already close to reaching 100 volunteers! Do you have a scout group, church group, club, team, or group of friends who are looking to give back to your community? This is the perfect opportunity to do so! This is a project that doesn't just impact today, but will impact our county for generations to come, and we would be honored to have you be a part of that!
You can head to givebutter.com/1000TreesEvent/ to purchase your tree or trees, and to sign up to volunteer as well.
Thank you for celebrating this special milestone year with us. Strong communities start with deep roots, and the future of Macon County is stronger because of you.🌳
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Last night, we honored our volunteers with our annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner where we celebrated 60 years of selfless giving. We had several special guests receive awards, listened to a special presentation about how the Macon County Conservation District was formed, and had a wonderful meal with a room full of wonderful people. We exist thanks to volunteers just like these who, 60 years ago, helped to start our organization. We are proud and thankful to have so many amazing and dedicated volunteers who make what we do possible.
THANK YOU to all of our past, current, and future volunteers! 💚
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Our Natural Resources & Operations crews along with our volunteer gardeners spent a good chunk of this beautiful day getting the gardens around the front of the Rock Springs Nature Center and the Hidden Hollow patio area ready for planting! We're so glad to start seeing more color and signs of spring! 🌱☀️
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