Menard County Trails & Greenways
Ways to Discovery!
Trails & Greenway is a proud sponsor of this family event organized by Birth to Five Illinois: Region 51 to introduce little ones to gardening with hands on experience of planting vegetable and native pollinator plant seeds. They will also learn about the importance of pollinators for our food supply. See the image below for event details and list of sponsors. If you’re interested in helping out let us know.
1st & 3rd Boutique & Wine Bar has generously donated their event space. Please show your support — come early to shop, get a beverage & maybe a charcuterie board!
Event Limited to 30 Registered Participants — Fill Out Form at Bottom of Page
It’s never too soon to think of spring! Join some adult-only fun at the Sip n’ Sow Workshop! Sip a glass of wine and sow some native flower seeds for your summer garden. Native plants attract pollinators and serve as butterfly host plants, including many species growing on the square in Petersburg.
The evening will kick off with a slide presentation with photos and discussion of some of the species that will be available. Participants will then use the winter sowing technique to plant native species of their choosing. Seeds, soil, tools, and some containers provided. Participants are encouraged to bring additional CLEAN plastic milk jugs if you wish to plant multiple containers.
Alana McKean (Starhill Forest Arboretum), Cindy Andreasen (Illinois Extension Master Gardener), and Terri Treacy (Menard County Trails & Greenways) will be leading the workshop. Bring your questions about gardening with native plants and any native seeds you wish to share!
No fee but donations appreciated! And, please support 1st & 3rd — come early, shop, grab a beverage and even a bite to eat!
Questions? Email Cindy at event@menardcountytrailsandgreenways.org; (Please don’t contact 1st & 3rd — use the email provided!)
In Part 2 we learn about the geological history of the Sangamon that runs through Central Illinois, from millions of years ago to present time. (Part 1 can be viewed here.)
History of Sangamon River Valley Part 2 with Michael Wiant. from Treetop Productions on Vimeo
For those who missed Chris Evans and Ray Geroff at Broadgauge on February 22, or simply want to review all the great information that was shared, here is the video recording of Battling Invasive Plant Species.
River valleys have a great many stories to tell. History is revealed in riverbanks all over the world. It is written in sediment, fossils, and artifacts. In some places, rivers expose ancient land and waterscapes created long before the river. Today, many rivers are refuges, tiny bits of what once was a far-reaching ecosystem. Life at the equator, colossal glaciers and the birth of rivers, megafauna, the arrival of people, earthquakes, a profound transformation of the landscape, but no dinosaurs, all these stories and more are told by the Sangamon River as it meanders its way across central Illinois. This video, History of the Sangamon River Valley by Michael Wiant, reveals some of the stories the Sangamon has to tell.
History of the Sangamon River Valley – HD 720p.mov from Treetop Productions on Vimeo.
Experts to discuss invasive plant crisis–why it’s important and what can be done!
Menard County Trails & Greenways invites the public to an engaging presentation about invasive plants—what they are, why they are a serious problem and what can be done about them—February 22, 2023, at Broadgauge in Petersburg at 7 p.m. Continue reading “Battling Invasive Plant Species–Special Presentation”