Wayside Park Celebration

Menard County Trails & Greenways will host an event on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 5:30 at the park (Rts. 97 and 123, south of Petersburg) to celebrate and acknowledge community contributions to Wayside Park.

Located in southern Menard County at the intersection of Illinois Routes 97 and 123 (Gudgel Ave) Wayside Park was developed in 2006 by Menard County Trails & Greenways through the cooperation and assistance of the Illinois Department of Transportation and contributions of supporters.

Wayside, a 2+ acre IDOT right-of-way, includes a huge red hawthorn tree from an early roadside beautification project, a stone council ring, and a pollinator waystation planting around the council ring. The site provides visitors a historic, land, and water resource overview of the area through interpretive signs integrated with the council ring.

The event will be a celebration of the:

• Wayside Park partners–IDOT, Trees Forever and Menard Electric Coop/CoBank
• New site signs IDOT has placed on the corner of Rts 97 and Rt 123;
• Historic red hawthorn that Trails & Greenways saved after it was severely damaged in a windstorm a couple of years ago;
• Rehabbed pollinator waystation made possible through a generous donation by Menard Electric Coop and CoBank; and
• Dedicated volunteer team that maintains the park (mowing, spraying, mulching, weeding, watering…..) throughout the growing season.

Speakers:

• Kent Massie, board director, MCTG — History of Wayside Park
• Guy Sternberg, Wayside Park committee chair, MCTG
• Debbie Flugel, Field Coordinator & Program Manager, Trees Forever
• Trish Michels, Dir. of Member Services, Menard Electric Coop