CANCELLED: Tree Planting Workday, Sunday March 30 2025
2025-03-30
This tree planting day has been cancelled. If interested in volunteering for Tree Corps please look at the BNGreen Events Calendar for other workdays.
Help the Ecology Action Center plant small (1-3 ft tall) bareroot seedling trees to improve air quality, sequester carbon, increase wildlife habitat, and more!
Volunteers will meet at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) facility and will carpool to the planting site. We will be planting trees around the I-55/ I-74 interchange off of Veterans Parkway in Bloomington. IDOT personnel will be providing traffic control and appropriate safety signs and barriers, but all volunteers must be ready to follow all safety training and precautions that will be provided. Volunteers must be 18 or older for this project.
Tools and heavy equipment will be in use and all volunteers must be able to safely use hand tools, stay on their feet for 3 hours at a time and lift a moderate weight (~15 pounds). Please dress appropriately for weather conditions and working outside. Long pants and closed-toed shoes or boots are required; no sandals or flip-flops. More information as well as a confirmation email will be communicated to volunteers prior to the workday and NOT at sign up.
Select one (or both!) of the shifts below:
Morning 9-11:30am shift-CANCELLED
Afternoon 12:30-3pm shift-CANCELLED

Watershed Stewards
2025-04-01 | University of Illinois Extension – 1615 Commerce Drive, 1615 Commerce Drive, Bloomington, IL, 61704, United States
This spring, University of Illinois Extension is launching the Master Watershed Stewards Program to be hosted in McLean County. The Illinois-Indiana Master Watershed Steward Program is an 8-week journey designed to empower community members as a guardian of our precious natural ecosystems. Through engaging, science-based education by local experts and group activities, participants gain the tools and knowledge to protect and conserve our land and water resources. The course will run from April 1 through May 25, meeting in person at the McLean Extension Office on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. For $84, participants receive all training materials and program support through the 20 hours of coursework. Topics include water quality science and the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and agriculture. After completing training, participants can connect with local partners to engage in restoration science, community science, and educational programs.
Our three counties, McLean, Livingston, and Woodford are included in the Sangamon, Mackinaw, and Vermilion watersheds. It is vital to protect and preserve the rivers, lakes, and streams that run throughout our communities. The health of a watershed is tied to the health of a community, and understanding where water comes from, how it moves, and what impacts its quality and quantity is crucial to maintaining safe and sustainable water resources now and in the future.
To learn more and sign up visit: https://extension.illinois.edu/events/2025-04-01-mater-watershed-steward-program

Tree Prep Workday, Wednesday April 2 2025 (1-4pm)
2025-04-02 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
1pm-4pm Wednesday April 2nd
Help the Ecology Action Center prepare small (1-3′ tall) bareroot seedling trees for planting. These trees will help to improve air quality, sequester carbon, increase wildlife habitat, and more! Volunteers must be 18 years old or older or alternately 14 years or older and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Tools and heavy equipment might be in use and all volunteers must be able to safely use hand tools, stay on their feet for 3 hours at a time and lift a moderate weight (~15 pounds). Please dress appropriately for weather conditions and working outside. Closed-toed shoes or boots are required – no sandals or flip-flops. More information as well as a confirmation email will be communicated to volunteers prior to the workday and NOT at sign up.
*Registration for this event is closed. Please sign up for one of our other workdays by visiting ecologyactioncenter.org/volunteering*

Bridging Birding and Science to Inform Conservation Management Decisions
2025-04-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Illinois Wesleyan University – Center for Natural Sciences C101, 201 E. Beecher St., Bloomington, IL, 61701-7222, United States
On April 3 at 7:00pm hear from Tara Beveroth, an Avian Ecologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, as she discusses how citizen science efforts for birds sets the foundation for future scientific investigations, and ultimately, for bird conservation. She coordinates multiple citizen science programs including the Illinois Spring Bird Count, Monitoring of Owls and Nightjars (project MOON), and most recently, the Illinois Breeding Bird Survey. This event will be held on Illinois Wesleyan University’s campus at the Center for Natural Sciences room C101. No sign up required.

Tree Prep Workday: April 4, 2025 (9:30-12pm)
2025-04-04 09:30 - 12:00
Help the Ecology Action Center prepare small (1-3′ tall) bareroot seedling trees for planting. These trees will help to improve air quality, sequester carbon, increase wildlife habitat, and more! Volunteers must be 18 years old or older or alternately 14 years or older and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Tools and heavy equipment might be in use and all volunteers must be able to safely use hand tools, stay on their feet for 3 hours at a time and lift a moderate weight (~15 pounds). Please dress appropriately for weather conditions and working outside. Closed-toed shoes or boots are required – no sandals or flip-flops. More information as well as a confirmation email will be communicated to volunteers prior to the workday and NOT at sign up.

Tree Planting Workday: April 5, 2025 (multiple shifts) IDOT Veterans Pkwy
2025-04-05
Help the Ecology Action Center plant small (1-3 ft tall) bareroot seedling trees to improve air quality, sequester carbon, increase wildlife habitat, and more!
We will be planting trees around the I-55/ I-74 interchange off of Veterans Parkway in Bloomington. IDOT personnel will be providing traffic control and appropriate safety signs and barriers, but all volunteers must be ready to follow all safety training and precautions that will be provided. Volunteers must be 18 or older for this project.
Tools and heavy equipment will be in use and all volunteers must be able to safely use hand tools, stay on their feet for 3 hours at a time and lift a moderate weight (~15 pounds). Please dress appropriately for weather conditions and working outside. Long pants and closed-toed shoes or boots are required; no sandals or flip-flops. More information as well as a confirmation email will be communicated to volunteers prior to the workday and NOT at sign up.
Select one (or both!) of the shifts below:
Morning 9-11:30am shift
Afternoon 12:30-3pm shift

Rain Barrel Workshop: Saturday, April 5, 2025 (10:00am)
2025-04-05 10:00 - 11:00
The EAC’s rain barrel workshops teach attendees about the importance of rain water catchment in preventing storm water runoff pollution! Attendees will learn how to locate, install, and set up their rain barrel. We’ll also provide tips to transition downspouts for rain barrel usage, and information on proper winter storage. Workshops cost $55.00 for general public and $45.00 for EAC Members.
Throughout our workshop there will be ample opportunity for Q&A with EAC staff, who can answer questions about beneficial environmental impacts as well as practical everyday use of rain barrels.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have a sound understanding of the individual and community benefits of having a rain barrel, and can be confident about next steps to install, use and care for one. Participants will leave with their very own rain barrel made from a repurposed food-grade 55 gallon drum.

*Workshop registration closes 3 days before the workshop start date.*
The Ecology Action Center will make reasonable accommodations for participation in public programs and services. To request accommodation, please call 309-454-3169×11 or go to ecologyactioncenter.org/accommodation. Please provide two weeks advance notice if possible.

Backyard Composting Workshop: Saturday, April 5, 2025 (11:30-12:30pm)
2025-04-05 11:30 - 12:30
The EAC’s compost workshop will cover the basics of backyard composting. You’ll learn basic techniques to build your compost pile, discuss what materials to include, and talk about what to do with compostable materials that don’t work in a backyard setting. This workshop will additionally help participants understand how to monitor and maintain their compost, as well as how to know when their compost is done and safe to use!

Our educators will provide resources for help identifying jumping worms, and tips for using your compost bin, thermometer, and stirrer to keep them at bay. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a sound understanding of the individual and community benefits of composting, and can be confident about next steps to set up and monitor compost in their own backyard.
For $35 ($25 for EAC members) attendees get backyard composting best practices information and a basic compost bin from a repurposed 55-gallon drum to take home. For $110, attendees get this same compost bin, backyard composting best practices information, a large thermometer to monitor compost pile temperature, and an aerator for stirring their compost pile. For $120 ($100 for EAC members) attendees receive best practices information and a 275-gallon MEGA Composter made from a repurposed food-grade “tote” with durable plastic cube supported by heavy metal cage. Wooden slates added to help stir and remove compost.

*Workshop registration closes 3 days before the workshop.*
The Ecology Action Center will make reasonable accommodations for participation in public programs and services. To request accommodation, please call 309-454-3169×11 or go to ecologyactioncenter.org/accommodation. Please provide two weeks advance notice if possible.
