Join Master Naturalist, Terri Freehill-Davis for Preserving A Piece of the Illinois Prairie: An Overview of East Central Illinois Master Naturalists and Loda Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve at the Moyer District Library, 618 S Sangamon Ave., Gibson City, IL 60936 on April 5th at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room.

Becoming a Certified Master Naturalist through the East Central Illinois Master Naturalist (ECIMN) Program offers you opportunities to discover the natural world through classes, comradery, and service learning. Volunteer opportunities include stewardship, outreach, citizen science, and nature related program planning. Local stewardship opportunities are available at Loda Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, a rare black soil prairie remnant.

The Loda Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve is comprised of 5 acres of remnant black soil prairie and 9 acres of previously farmed land that has been restored to tall grass prairie.  Seeding of this addition began in 2009. Loda Cemetery Prairie is owned and managed by Grand Prairie Friends, a conservation organization and land trust.  The group is committed to preserving and restoring tall grass prairies and woodlands in East-Central Illinois.

The Illinois Extension Master Naturalist Program is volunteer training program offered by University of Illinois Extension. East Central Illinois Master Naturalist is our local chapter of the program which includes volunteers from Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion counties. Find other Illinois Master Naturalist groups on the state website. 

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Ryan Pankau at rcpankau@illinois.edu or 217-333-7672. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.