Herbicide Drift and Trespass: Impacts and Implications
2025-10-08 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Room C101, Center for Natural Science, Illinois Wesleyan University, 201 Beecher St., Bloomington, IL, 61701
Kim Erndt-Pitcher, director of ecological health for the Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), will present “Herbicide Drift and Trespass: Impacts and Implications,” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 8, in room C101, Center for Natural Science, Illinois Wesleyan University, 201 Beecher Street, Bloomington.
Erndt-Pitcher’s presentation, co-sponsored by the Grand Prairie Bird Alliance, is free and open to the public.
Kim Erndt-Pitcher is the co-author of the study Hidden in Plain Sight: Herbicide Drift and Chemical Trespass: A Summary of 6 Years of Monitoring and Tissue Analysis. Erndt-Pitcher will summarize the results from the study and the steps that are needed to address this important issue.
Over the past six years, PRN has been monitoring symptoms of herbicide drift and damage to non-target broadleaf plants and trees across rural and urban Illinois. Herbicide drift — the movement of toxic chemicals through the air to a non-target site — is damaging wild and cultivated plants and trees throughout Illinois, threatening human health, and impairing our ability to adapt to a changing climate. The sources of drift are primarily from Illinois’ massive row crop industry but also include chemical lawn and turf treatments.

Backyard Composting Workshop: Thursday, October 9, 2025 (5:30-6:30pm)
2025-10-09 17:30 - 18:30
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.

*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.
