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Trash Taskforce: Good Clean Fun
Join the Menard County Trails and Greenways (MCTG) and Petersburg Athletic Association’s (PAA) Trash Taskforce as we clean up litter around Petersburg! We will pick up litter at several parks and spaces around town on Saturday, April 2, from 9:30 – 11am (Rain Date: April 9 or 10 – TBD). We need your help! Meet at Hurie Park (just east of County Market) to register and pick up supplies. We will be clearing out litter from the parks and surrounding vacant lots. Whether you have 30 minutes or a full hour, every little bit counts! To thank you for helping to keep our community clean, and on a first-come, first-serve…
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Partnership with Broadgauge Establishes Menard County Forest Fund
Menard County Trails & Greenways has entered into a partnership with Broadgauge that is dedicated to beautifying our community by planting and preserving native trees on public lands in Petersburg and Menard County.
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Invasive Species at New Salem State Historic Site
It is very exciting to kick off our habitat restoration work at New Salem Historic Site in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources! While the site is best known and visited for the recreated village where Lincoln once lived, much of the site is forested land, from the floodplains along the Sangamon River to the upland forests crisscrossed by several miles of hiking trails. Like most natural areas, regular management is necessary to deal with invasive species that have displaced so much of our native flora.
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MCTG Comments on State Water Plan
Last month we posted Public Access to Illinois Waterways, that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources was working on the development of a revised State Water Plan, and announced the opportunity for the public to review the recommendations and provide feedback. Menard County Trails & Greenways provided the following comments. (see below). Public feedback will be used to further develop a State Water Plan Draft Report, and public outreach meetings will be held in November 2021 to allow input to the report. We’ll keep you posted. Dear Illinois State Water Plan Task Force, Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on the revised water plan for the State of…
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Public access to Illinois waterways
Illinois Department of Natural Resources working on the development of a revised State Water Plan. The public is invited to review the recommendations by the Task Force of each critical issue and provide feedback to ensure that the project is addressing everybody’s most important water-related needs in IL. Virtual public hearings (identical) were held May 25-27 by IDNR at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/WaterResources/Pages/StateWaterPlanTaskForce.aspx Prior to the Live Meetings, DNR suggest that you listen to the Recorded Summary to obtain a brief overview about each of the 13 identified critical issues. The presentation has been provided in both a video or slideshow format to allow viewing options. Recorded Summary Video Link: View Download Recorded Summary Slideshow Link: Link …
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Petersburg Mayor Signs Earth Day Proclamation
Earth Day was established in 1970, and is an annual, worldwide event to raise awareness about issues affecting our land, air, and water. On April 2nd, Petersburg Mayor Rick Snyder signed a proclamation encouraging businesses, organizations, and individuals to participate in a city-wide litter clean-up on Earth Day, April 22, 2021, and throughout the year, to make Petersburg and Menard County Communities healthy and environmentally friendly.
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Congratulations Menard Animal Protection
MENARD ANIMAL PROTECTION AWARDED GRANT TO FUND A PETERSBURG DOG PARK Menard Animal Protection (MAP), a local non profit, has been awarded funds by the Sedlak Vaughan Charitable Trust to construct a dog park and install pet waste stations in Petersburg. MAP is excited about the opportunity to partner with the City of Petersburg and local businesses to find suitable locations for these much-needed improvements. They will provide recreational opportunities for dog owners and their 4-legged friends. Three pet waste stations will be installed in dog walking areas when weather and soil conditions permit. The dog park will be a 100 X 75′ chain link fence enclosure and will include…
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Earth Day 2021 — Pitch In for Petersburg!
Tired of seeing litter — cans, bottles, fast food wrappers, and more — strewn along our river front, in our parks, and along our streets and ditches? If everyone pitches in we can make a big difference in the appearance of our beautiful little city and health of our environment. Ways to Help Sign in at Hurie Park after work or school starting at 4:00 PM (or whenever you can get there) to get a trash bag, your free tote (while they last), and DQ cone coupon (while they last). We’ll assign you a location or you can tell us where you plan to pick up. Pick up around your…
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What is the meaning of Sangamon?
In 1721, a small group of Frenchmen paddled canoes from the confluence of the Theakiki (Kankakee) and the “River of the Illinois (tribe)” to the Mississippi River. They were on their way to French settlements in Louisiana. Among the group was Pierre-Francois Xavier de Charlevoix, a Jesuit priest. Charlevoix documented the voyage in a series of letters that include descriptions of the landscape and Native American residents of the river valley.
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Native American Trails
Native Americans were the only human beings in Menard County for more than 10,000 years. Traces of their way of life in the form of stone tools and pottery sherds continue to be found throughout the county. Their legacy is also documented by trails—a path or track worn by the passages of persons traveling. Identifying ancient Native American trails is difficult at best. Some Native American trail maps survive, such as the 1837 Ioway map, but they are extremely rare.
