Student workers Dalton Presswood of Lincoln and Conner McEvoy of Springfield help Dr. Dennis Campbell prepare steps from the boardwalk to the Creek area at Creekside Outdoor Center for Environmental Education. The latest boardwalk extension will be available for visitors at this Saturday’s Earth Day-Arbor Day events.
 

Lincoln College Plans Special Earth/Arbor Day Events
Activities Both on Campus and at Creekside

 

[April 26, 2019]  LINCOLN - Interested in supporting the environment? There will be plenty of chances Saturday, April 27, both on campus and at Lincoln College’s Dr. G. Dennis Campbell Creekside Outdoor Center for Environmental Education, just north of Lincoln.

Combined Earth Day and Arbor Day events have been scheduled for Saturday to make it easier for the public to participate. (The actual Earth Day date was April 22 and Arbor Day is April 26.)

Creekside events will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 3 p.m., weather permitting. Meanwhile, on campus at Lincoln College, members of the EcoLynx club will host an Earth Day Marketplace also beginning at 10 a.m. and running until 3 p.m. in the Davidson-Sheffer Gymnasium.

For the Marketplace vendors, artists, and clubs will host booths. Students and members of the community can come and purchase items from the vendors as well as participate in different kid friendly, Earth Day inspired activities. The Marketplace serves as a fundraising activity for the EcoLynx Club to support club activities.
 

Local vendors can reserve tables for $10, with all proceeds going to the EcoLynx Club. Vendors can contact club vice-president Kelli Allison at kjallison@ stumaillincolncollege.onmicrosoft.com  to reserve their table.

A highlight of the activities at Creekside will be the dedication of the new Herschel “Herb” Campbell Tulip Poplar Grove, at 1:30 p.m. A donation in honor of Herb Campbell has been used to purchase 16 tulip poplar trees for a grove near the Kickapoo Native American Indian shelter along the Peoples of the Past Boardwalk. Funds were also used to purchase a vehicle, water tank and pump for maintaining the grove.

While visitors are invited to come out and enjoy the ever-growing range of activities available at Creekside, those who want to get more involved will have the opportunity to do so. Again this year, Creekside is offering volunteer activities for those wishing to participate.

Hands-on volunteer opportunities include:

• Barking and improving forest trails

• Removing dead vegetation from the parking lot pond

• Pulling weeds and removing dead stems from flowerbeds

• Planting wildflower seeds in seedling trays

• Potting seedlings

• Transplanting plants to the forest garden and pollinator habitat

• Planting vegetable garden in Insectarium

• Clearing and making brush piles in woodland garden

• Cutting streambank stairs for creek access

• Cleaning out Log Cabin after hard winter

• Painting/applying stickers of nature designs on Little Free Library box

• Pulling the invasive garlic mustard plant in forest

• Cleaning up the archaeological dig pit

For more information about the volunteer work at Creekside, contact Creekside Director, Dr. G. Dennis Campbell, 217-735-7260; -- dcampbell@lincoln college.edu 

Creekside is approximately 4 miles due north of Lincoln, off of County Rd 2000N halfway between County Road 1100E and 1215th Ave (Google map address is 1234 2000th St., Lincoln, 62656); from Co Rd 2000N take the gravel road (at the large Creekside sign) north to the Center.

[Mark Gordon
Public Relations and Media Manager
Lincoln College]