MCTG News

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Plant pollinator habitat at home

Wanting to add more pollinator habitat at home? Look no further: native plant seed packets are available again in Petersburg! You can find displays at the Petersburg Public Library, 1st and 3rd Boutique, the Talisman, and the Crazy Daisy Gift Shop. This year we are offering 13 colorful species collected from the plantings on Petersburg’s square, Historic Wayside Park and our members’ own gardens and prairies. The packets are free, but we welcome donations that support Menard County Trails & Greenways. The displays will be restocked until we run out!

Wondering how to choose? 

Check out blog posts highlighting the available species:

Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Purple Prairie Clover, Golden Alexanders

Small Yellow Wild Indigo, Butterfly Milkweed, Blue Star

Black-eyed Susan, Rattlesnake Master, Purple Coneflower

Swamp Milkweed, Sneezeweed, Aromatic aster

We’ve added one new species to the mix this year: Wild quinine. More on that species soon!

Wondering how to plant them? 

Follow the detailed planting instructions on the back of each packet, and check out this blog post with instructions on the winter sowing method. Also– watch for an announcement about upcoming winter sowing workshops where we’ll have these species and many more to share!

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Scary Invasive Plants in Your Landscape

Scarier than goblins, witches and ghosts are all the invasive plants we have planted in our yards and gardens! This Halloween we bring you a post about the horrors of invasive plants in your landscape.

Some of our Menard County Trails & Greenways members have already been hard at work on the restoration efforts at New Salem in recent weeks. With the arrival of cooler temperatures, we’ll be scheduling volunteer work days soon! Be watching our Facebook page or your email if you’re an MCTG member for those dates. If you’d like to contribute to our forest restoration efforts at New Salem, but you can’t make it to our work days, there is still something you can do to help: remove invasive garden plants in your own yard!

There are many problematic plants still being sold in garden centers for use as landscape plants and seeds from those plants end up growing at New Salem and in other natural areas. Here are some of the worst offenders: Continue reading “Scary Invasive Plants in Your Landscape”

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2023 Annual Fall Float

It was a beautiful day for a float on the Sangamon River!

This past Saturday, Menard County Trails & Greenways (MCTG) hosted its Annual Sangamon River Fall Float from Gudgel Bridge to New Salem.

Approximately 30 paddlers launched their canoes and kayaks in the afternoon and wound their way down five miles of river, taking in blue skies, crisp air, the beginnings of changing leaves, and even a bald eagle!

The river was a little low, but we managed to navigate around those really low spots.

Immediately following the paddle, everyone enjoyed a toasty campfire complete with hotdogs and s’mores.

The float would not have been possible without the help of many, including: Gudgel Bridge property owner, MCTG volunteers, the PORTA school district (who kindly provided our shuttle bus), our bus driver Tiffany, the New Salem State Historic Site staff for cleaning up the shelter before our event, and the American Canoe Association. A special thank you to Dave Hedrick for setting up the campfire and making the roasting sticks!

We hope everyone had a great time! See you next year!






Sangamon River Fall Float 2023

Registration Deadline Extended!! 

Join Menard County Trails & Greenways on October 7, 2023 as we paddle 5 beautiful miles of the Sangamon River from the Gudgel Bridge to the New Salem riverside picnic area/boat ramp.

Take part in this annual event where we join together to enjoy the solitude, beauty and natural history of the Sangamon River as it meanders through rural Menard County. With a hint of fall in the air, the tree-lined river will likely be stunning. Immediately following the float everyone is invited to socialize around a cozy campfire at New Salem State Historic Site riverside picnic area for a weenie roast (provided with registration).

$25 Registration Fee — includes shuttle, snacks, weenie roast, local geologic features handout, and best of all–comraderie with fellow boaters.

All participants must pre-register! Registration is limited and closes at 5:00 PM October 4, 2023!

Each Participant MUST:

Register online by 5:00 PM October 4, 2023

Sign a Waiver and Release of Liability form (available at sign-in)

Provide your own canoe or kayak and paddles

Provide a PFD(personal flotation device)

Be responsible for delivering your equipment to the launch site at Gudgel Bridge by noon, and completing your registration and sign-in at New Salem before 1:00PM. Shuttle will depart New Salem at 1:00 PM back to the launch site. (Detailed directions will be provided in a confirmation email following online registration.)

Cancellation Policy:

In the event the float must be cancelled due to inclement weather or unsafe river conditions registrants will receive a full refund (minus handling fee).

Cancellation policy for participants: Ticket price (minus handling fee) will be 100% refunded if cancelled prior to 5:00 PM October 4, 2023. Refunds will not be granted after 5:00 PM October 4, 2023.

American Canoe Association

This is an American Canoe Association (ACA)–sanctioned event. Everyone will have the opportunity to join the ACA at the individual membership rate. 
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Riverfront Development

image of report cover
The Sangamon River shares a place in Petersburg’s rich history since the town was formed nearly 200 years ago. Its waters led to the arrival of a young Abraham Lincoln who later surveyed land that is now Petersburg. The river and the tracks along it shuttled 100,000 visitors in the 10 day mega-event each year known as Chautauqua on a site just a mile south of town in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Sangamon River was the subject of popular writings of Edgar Lee Masters as he described the beloved Sangamon River and the people who called the area home. Native Americans utilized the river for food, water and transportation. In much earlier times, it was home to mastodons and a wide variety of animal life.  Yes, the river has a rich history right here in our hometown of Petersburg.

The Sangamon is a gem, and Petersburg is fortunate to have city owned land running nearly uninterrupted along the riverfront. Although parks and recreation are two main draws for visitors and reasons why people choose a community in which to live, much of the riverfront has been unused and inaccessible to citizens and visitors. However, its natural beauty is coming to life as the city has accepted the Finding and Recommendations of the Riverfront Development Group to enhance the riverfront properties.

The full report can be downloaded here.

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Garlic Mustard Pulls at New Salem

Why do we pull garlic mustard?

Each garlic mustard plant grows pods called siliques and each plant produces on average 22 siliques, each silique containing as many as 28 seeds. That is over 600 seeds on an average per plant, with some particularly robust plants producing almost 8,000 seeds. That’s why it is so important to remove the plant before it sets seed.

garlic mustard plants
There are at least 50 plants in this photo. 50 x 22 x 28 = over 30,000 potential seeds !!

Continue reading “Garlic Mustard Pulls at New Salem”

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Winter Seed Sowing Check In

Time to check in with our winter sowers! In the past few weeks, we’ve seen a lot of seedling germination. There is some variation, so it may have taken some containers a long time to show anything, but by now they should all have germinated and growing!

Participants at two winter sowing workshops enjoyed creating their own miniature greenhouses.

Removing the Tops and Watering

The weather has been pretty erratic this month, with some very warm days and some very cold nights. Up to this point, the top of the milk jug or container lid has helped to retain moisture and protect seedlings from temperature extremes and wind. Now that the temperatures have turned quite warm some days, it is important to open the containers up. This allows for good air circulation that will toughen up the plants and prevent fungal diseases. On particularly warm days, leaving the lid on can be very detrimental. Those delicate seedlings can bake in the heat! Continue reading “Winter Seed Sowing Check In”

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