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Past Prairie Group General and Special Meetings

Current and Future meetings are listed on our HOMEPAGE.

2009:

Saturday, September 26, 2009
 Armory Park Care
Four of us volunteers met at 8:30 am at Armory Park. This is a small triangular park north of University Avenue a little east of Cunningham Avenue in Urbana. It is bounded on the northwest by the Boneyard Creek and there is a small parking lot off of the first street east of there.
In about 3 hours, we collected 4 large bags of trash and cleared about 35 feet of dense honeysuckle brush.
Kirstin reports: "It's going to take several more workdays to clear the brush - it's amazingly thick in several patches. It would be great if we could double our workforce for the next time. And I'm thinking maybe we should try for one more day this fall."
Improving this little park is a project that the Prairie Group has taken on, with the cooperation of the Urbana Park District.

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009, time: 6 pm
At Dick Bishop's House
3514 N Highcross Road

August Picnic!

The attendance was small, only 5 besides hosts Dick and Dolores, but the food was good and the conversation stimulating.

2008:

Unless stated otherwise, Meetings during Sept. 2007 through May, 2008 were held at 7 PM, 2nd Tuesday of the month, Bondurant Room (2nd floor), Illinois Disciples Foundation, 610 E Springfield, Champaign (NW corner Springfield & Wright)

Tuesday, Apr. 14th, 2008, 7:00PM
McKinley Foundation Geneva Room
809 S. 5th Street (5th & Daniel), Champaign

Boneyard Creek

In preparation for Boneyard Creek Community Day (on 4/18), our April 14th meeting was about the Boneyard creek and plans for it.

Stacy James spoke about the Boneyard Creek Second Street Detention Project.

This project will provide detention storage in two detention basins along Second Street between Springfield and University avenues. An underground storm sewer will convey many flood flows through Scott Park while maintaining a surface creek.

Tuesday, Mar. 10th, 2008, 7:00PM
McKinley Foundation Geneva Room
809 S. 5th Street (5th & Daniel), Champaign

Champaign County Forest Preserve
 Jerry Pagac

The guest speaker for this meeting is Jerry Pagac, Executive Director of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District (CCFPD). We are very fortunate to have such an eminent person in that position. As a former Director of State Parks in Indiana, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his position. The CCFPD is a tax-supported branch of the county and runs the five various forest preserves throughout the county. These districts serve multiple environmental and recreational purposes, ranging from manicured picnic sights, pavilions for meetings, and a golf course to lakes for fishing, a camping site, and wild areas for hiking and birding. Besides these districts, the CCFPD will also be given the task of maintaining the Champaign County portion of the Urbana-to-Danville bike trail, which we hope will soon become a reality. Jerry will give a survey of all the activities of CCFPD -- there are many more than already mentioned. Please attend and come armed with all the questions you want to know about CCFPD.

Tuesday, Feb. 10th, 2008, 7:00PM
McKinley Foundation Geneva Room
809 S. 5th Street (5th & Daniel), Champaign

“My First Summer in the Sierra”
Book Club event

Join us to talk about the writings of John Muir, Sierra Club's founder! As another of the Prairie Group's efforts to bring diverse programming to our members, we're going to try a "book club" event. This is a great opportunity to read (or re-read!) one of Muir's most popular works. If there is sufficient interest, we may begin hosting environmental book club events on a more regular basis. And guess what? You don't even have to buy the book - most of Muir's works are available free on the internet! Point your browser to
  http://tinyurl.com/5kq888
and you will download a .pdf of this book, including illustrations. (This file is approximately 1 MB in size.)

Tuesday, Jan. 13th, 2009, 7:00PM
McKinley Foundation, Geneva Room
809 S. 5th Street (5th & Daniel), Champaign

Film: "The Real Dirt on Farmer John"

We'll show a documentary film, The Real Dirt on Farmer John (one of those selected at last year's Ebertfest), about Illinois farmer John Peterson.

"The award-winning true story of third-generation American farmer John Peterson's hero's journey of success, tribulation, failure and rebirth. Peterson is a true American original. His story parallels that of the family farm in 20th Centur America. What makes The Real Dirt on Farmer John so special is the fact that John Peterson is not only a farmer ... he's an artist, too."

Tuesday, Dec. 9th, 2008, 7:00PM
McKinley Foundation Geneva Room
809 S. 5th Street (5th & Daniel), Champaign

Holiday Celebration and Photo Show

Join us again on Tues., December 9, 7 p.m., at the McKinley Foundation in the Geneva Room for our annual holiday photo show. Bring photos of your summer vacations or any other nature pictures to share with others. We will have both a Mac and Windows PC available for you, so bring your photos on a CD or memory stick. Treats will be provided.

Tuesday, Oct. 14th, 2008, 7:00PM
Champaign Public Library
200 W. Green St., Champaign

Clean Cars and Alternatives
 Presented by Will Reynolds
Chair, Illinois Sierra Club Clean Car Committee

Despite rising gas prices and the threat of global warming, the Illinois legislature failed to vote on the Illinois Clean Car Act this year. Find out how Illinois can reduce polluting emissions while improving mileage standards and get more alternative cars on the road. Also learn why false fuel alternatives proposed by the polluting industries won't work.

Tuesday, Sept. 9th, 2008, 7:00PM
Urbana City Council Chambers
400 S. Vine St., Urbana

Political Forum on the Environment

Local politicians will give their views on environmental issues, and those in office will discuss their environmental legislative accomplishments. The Prairie Group has been hosting this Forum for the last three elections, and this year promises to be another exciting debate. The environment has become a hot issue, and the Forum will be an opportunity for the pols/candidates to give their views and/or report their progress.

Each candidate will start with a brief statement. Then, our MC, Kirstin Replogle, will ask the panelists a series of questions, some which will be prepared in advance and some which will be taken from the audience.

The speakers will be:

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the Forum's organizer, Jim Beauchamp, jwbeauch {at} illinois.edu.

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 6:00 pm
Ambucs Park, E. University Ave., Urbana

Potluck Picnic and Softball Game

We will picnic at the Nick Santi Shelter towards the west end of the park. Grilled burgers and veggie-burgers with condiments will be provided. Please bring your own drinks, plates, and eating utensils and a dish to pass. After the meal we will have an informal softball game. Bring your mitts! This is a chance to show off your hitting, running, and fielding skills!

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008, 7 PM

Marie Streenz, Horizon Wind Energy

Marie Streenz of Horizon Wind Energy in Bloomington will talk about the McLean County Twin Groves Wind Farm and its environmental impact.

Monday, May 5th, 2008, 6 PM (rescheduled from March 25th original)

EPA Public Hearing on Andersons Ethanol Plant
Building D (South side of campus), room D244
Parkland College, Champaign

The Andersons' proposed ethanol plant, to be built just west of Champaign, will draw something like 1.8 million gallons of water per day from the Mahomet aquifer. Much of that is to be evaporated in cooling towers, but about 720,000 gallons per day of variously processed water will be discharged into the Kaskaskia Ditch, the upper reach of the Kaskaskia River.

At 6pm on the evening of May 5th, in Parkland College's Room D244 (in building D, on the south side of campus), the Illinois EPA will hold a public hearing on the draft water-discharge permit. Details here:
    EPA May 5th Public Hearing Announcement (PDF)

The IEPA has made a tentative determination to issue this five-year discharge permit. The draft of it can be found at:
    http://www.epa.state.il.us/public-notices/2007/andersons-ethanol/index.pdf

The IEPA will accept comments from the public, either at the above hearing, or in writing until June 4th. (See the Hearing Announcement for details.)

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008, 7 PM

Carolyn Raffensperger
Science & Environmental Health Network

Carolyn is the Executive Director of Science & Environmental Health Network, which is based in Ames, Iowa.

SEHN was founded in 1994 by a consortium of North American environmental organizations (including the Environmental Defense Fund, The Environmental Research Foundation, and OMB Watch) concerned about the misuse of science in ways that failed to protect the environment and human health. Granted 501(c)(3) status in 1999, SEHN operates as a virtual organization, currently with six staff and seven board members working from locations across the U.S.

Since 1998, SEHN has been the leading proponent in the United States of the Precautionary Principle as a new basis for environmental and public health policy. SEHN has worked with issue driven organizations, national environmental health coalitions, municipal and state governments, and several NGO/government teams to implement precautionary policies at local and state levels.

The Science and Environmental Health Network engages communities and governments in the effective application of science to protect and restore public and ecosystem health.

Saturday, April 5th, 2008, 10:00am - 3:00pm

Prairie Rivers Network Biofuels Workshop
White Oak Park, Bloomington, IL

Details taken from the workshop flyer:
Understand the true costs of biofuel production and its impacts on Illinois' water resources. Learn how to participate effectively in the biofuels decisionmaking process. Topics:

  • The True Cost of Biofuels
  • Water Supplies in Illinois
  • Aquifer Hydrology: An Interactive Lesson
  • Impacts of Ethanol Plants on Water Quantity & Quality
  • How to Effectively Participate in Biofuels Decisionmaking: A Case Study of One Activist's Lessons Learned
Cost: $15 including lunch. Limited to 30 participants.
Register: please visit http://www.prairierivers.org/ for the registration form.
Contact: Cecily Smith, csmith at prairierivers.org, 217-344-2371.

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008, 7 PM
East-Central Illinois Environmental Alliance Meeting
Champaign Public Library
Robeson Pavilion Room C <

Gary Jackson, Environmental Advisory Panel

The next meeting of the East-Central Illinois Environmental Alliance will be Tuesday 3/25, at 7:00pm, in the Champaign Public Library's Robeson Pavilion Room C.

The speaker will be Gary Jackson. Gary is well known for his long-time involvement with a variety of local environmental groups including Sierra Club and Prairie Rivers Network. Gary was a member of the Environmental Advisory Panel which prepared the November 2004 Report to the Champaign County Board, and a member of the environmental section of the Big, Small, All project. He will discuss implementing some of the recommendations contained in those reports, and how this relates to activities of local environmental groups.

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008, 7 PM

Traci Barkley, Prairie Rivers Network
"In Search of a Water Conservation Policy"

Prairie Rivers water resources scientist Traci Barkley will give a talk:

"In search of a water conservation policy"
She'll look at water use and management in central Illinois, especially in Champaign County.

The story has many interrelated parts: the ongoing regional water supply planning process, the impact of major extractors like Illinois-American Water and proposed ethanol plants, domestic and industrial and municipal water use and misuse, and the role of conservation.

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008, 7 PM

Executive Committee meeting
Kirstin Replogle's House
808 S. Cedar, Urbana

See the agenda here; here's a summary:

  1. Election of Excom Officers (Chair, Treasurer, Vice-Chair, Secretary)
  2. Other Excom members, to be elected with terms as follows
  3. Other chairmanships -- using HELEN, Leader Change Worksheets:

    Chapter Delegate; Membership Chair; Newspaper layout, Environmental Education, Conservation, Publicity; Webmaster; Publications Representative, Calendar Sales.

    There are many other less significant chairs; some will remain vacant.

  4. Treasurer's Report
  5. Prairie Flyer articles
  6. General Membership meetings in April, May, June, with a point person for each meeting
  7. Lincoln Bicentennial Project -- Barbara Wysocki's note to Cynthia
  8. Place for Chapter Excom meeting of Saturday, March 8, 2008 (we will be hosts)
  9. Someone to investigate about pipeline from Canada to Decatur and cooperate with Chapter Conservation Committee
  10. Distribution list for Prarie Flyer - to places, nonmembers
  11. Report on meeting with Chrissy Maher & John Gaudette of IEC; membership in IEC; lobby day April 2
  12. Report on meeting with T. Johnson's representatives concerning Utah Wilderness legislation

    Tuesday, January 8th, 2008, 7 PM

    Film Night!

    We'll watch some films. Some suggested are "Being Caribou", "Sierra Club Chronicles" (activists' personal stories), and "Story of Stuff", a look at the workings and side effects of our material culture. (To be updated...)

    2007:

    Annual Vacation Slide Show

    Join us for our annual "Vacation Slide Show" evening! We will have a slide projector and computer equipment (for both PC and Apple computers) available. In order to accommodate everyone, please limit your presentation to 10 minutes or less. Please feel free to bring a holiday treat to share!

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