Earth Day in the Parks Promotes Natural Resources Stewardship for Students

From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

SPRINGFIELD – More than 1,500 students will visit Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) state parks in April for the third annual Earth Day in the Parks event. Earth Day in the Parks is an initiative of the IDNR to introduce students to environmental stewardship.

“Students participating in Earth Day in the Parks will have an opportunity to perform meaningful natural resources stewardship activities, including planting trees, planting native wildflowers, removing exotic invasive plant species, building and installing bird boxes and a number of other activities,” said IDNR Director Marc Miller.

Sponsored by the IDNR Office of Public Services, Office of Land Management and the Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF), Earth Day in the Parks offers students the opportunity to get outdoors and work in nature. Their hands-on experiences will lead them to develop a sense of ownership of the natural resources in our state while also increasing available wildlife habitat. Students and teachers are encouraged to return to the park to study the effects of their work.

“We believe that participating schools realize that this is more than just a field trip. This is an investment in the future generation of conservationists,” said Director Miller. “We hope that these students will continue to visit the parks, not only to check on the success of their projects, but perhaps to volunteer and develop a personal connection to a natural place.”

Earth Day in the Parks continues to grow each year. In fact, the number of participating parks has doubled from last year. 50 state parks are hosting events this year, which means twice the number of schools will be able to participate. School groups were selected by random drawings from an application process held earlier this year.

A grant for the program was provided by the Illinois Conservation Foundation.

Governor Quinn Presents Green Youth Awards for Excellence in Environmental Achievements

From the Office of Governor Pat Quinn

SPRINGFIELD – April 22, 2009. On Earth Day, Governor Pat Quinn presented the 2009 Governor’s Green Youth Awards to recognize Illinois’ schoolchildren for their outstanding work on environmental and conservation projects.

“In order to protect our environment, we must help the next generation understand the importance greening our earth,” said Governor Quinn. “These students are taking learning one step further by teaching their communities about conserving resources, recycling, and energy efficiency.”

The winners of the Governor’s Green Youth Awards were students who worked on environmental projects either individually or as part of a group, and K-12 schools recognized for their achievements in waste reduction, energy efficiency, and sustainability.

“These projects demonstrate the innovative ways young people throughout the state are working to protect Illinois’ environment,” said Doug Scott, Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. “Through these awards, we hope to teach other young people about the importance of environmental protection.”

Governor Quinn also presented a proclamation to Tayler McGillis, a four-time Green Youth Award winner. Tayler, a 14-year-old home-schooled 9th grader from Toluca, has recycled nearly 23,000 pounds of aluminum and his efforts have generated more than $18,000 for local charities, including Habitat for Humanity and a local animal shelter.

The 2009 award ceremony marks the seventh anniversary of the awards, which encourage young people to undertake environmental projects that will make a difference in their community.

IDOT Participates in State's Earth Day Activities

From the Illinois Department of Transportation

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is taking part in numerous Earth Day events this year. In honor of Earth Day, the Department has scheduled tree planting events throughout its nine district offices. In cooperation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDOT has acquired a number of trees free of charge which are being sent to each district office and the Central Office as part of annual landscape material deliveries.

In addition to the tree plantings, IDOT participated in the Governor’s Green Expo in Chicago this week.