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Earth Day in the Parks

See the list of participating state parks at the bottom of this page. Applications are now being accepted.

View the results of some Earth Day in the Parks projects.

What is it?

Earth Day in the Parks is an event to promote stewardship of our natural resources by Illinois school children. During April and May, students and their teachers from throughout Illinois will come to participating Illinois state parks to take part in natural resources stewardship activities such as: planting native trees and wildflowers; building and installing nesting/roosting boxes; removing invasive exotic species; and building brush piles for wildlife. Students will be helping the environment and wildlife, participating in outdoor activities to increase their fitness and learning that their actions can make a difference in the world. Students are encouraged to return to the state park to see and study the results of their work. Some classes may want to perform additional volunteer work at the park.

Who sponsors this event?

Earth Day in the Parks is sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) in cooperation with the Illinois Conservation Foundation. Funds have been contributed toward this event from many individuals and organizations and for 2012 grants were received from the Illinois Conservation Foundation and the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund.

When is it?

Earth Day in the Parks is held in April and May. Dates vary by location. The table below shows the 2012 event information.

Can my class participate?

The IDNR Division of Education accepts applications from teachers who would like for their class to participate in the program. Only one application per teacher will be accepted. Do not include more than one teacher's class on the application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Winners will be provided with additional information. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of the projects that students will be working on, parks have grade-level and other restrictions for participants.

 What else should I know?

• Classes will be at the park for approximately two hours.
• Schools are responsible for their own transportation arrangements and transportation costs.
• Each class will need to bring one adult per every five students attending the event.
• Applications will only be accepted from schools registered with the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Gloves, plants, tools and other equipment, materials and instructions will be provided.
• A school administrator will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the school and the IDNR.

2012 Application Form

 2012 Participating Sites

(last updated 1/18/2012)

Sites will continue to be added as they are received.