CANTON, Ill. - Illinois 4-H and the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts have been selected to receive an Illinois Forestry Development Grant to expand the 4-H Green Communities Oak Tree Savannah planting project in 2025. As part of the initiative, the Fulton County 4-H program was awarded twenty-five oak trees for planting on public land within the county.
The Fulton County Junior Master Naturalist 4-H Club, which meets monthly at the Canton Park District from January through July, took on the responsibility of selecting a planting site and carrying out the project. On April 23, 2025, eleven youth members, under the guidance of 4-H Club leaders Amanda Atchley and Jenny Beal, partnered with volunteers from the Illinois Extension Master Naturalist and Master Gardener programs to plant the trees at Wallace Park in Canton.
Support from the Canton Park District was instrumental in the project’s success, with staff providing essential assistance in preparing the site—digging holes, transporting soil and mulch, and watering the newly planted trees.
The 4-H Green Communities Tree Program is one of several statewide outreach efforts designed to engage youth in environmental stewardship and community improvement. The Fulton County 4-H program expresses its gratitude to the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Illinois Extension Master Naturalists, Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, and Canton Park District for their collaboration in bringing the Oak Tree Savannah project to life.
For more information about joining a 4-H club in Fulton County, contact the Illinois Extension Fulton County office at 309-547-3711.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.