The Champaign County Forest Preserve District (CCFPD) maintains seven locations spanning a cumulative 4,000 acres. These locations include the Lake of the Woods, River Bend, Sangamon River, Heron View, Homer Lake, Middle Fork River, and the Kickapoo Rail Trail. Officially first opened in 1948, the CCFPD has provided the public with both leisure and education.
The forest preserves are an optimal setting for nature walks, camping, biking, skating, recreational athletics, and other outdoor activities. They also provide spaces for water activities like kayaking, paddle-boating, fishing, and boating. It should be noted that permitted activities will vary based on location.
Although known for being outdoor-oriented, the CCFPD also maintains indoor attractions. The Museum of the Grand Prairie at Lake of the Woods, located in Mahomet, Illinois, and the Homer Lake Interpretive Center are some examples. Both facilities offer an array of interactive exhibits, displays, and other historical information. If you visit any one of the preserves, you will notice an abundance of information posts detailing the area from the vegetation to the location-specific history.
Champaign County’s forest preserves are often overlooked, yet they serve as a multi-purpose environment for the community. First and foremost: preservation. The CCFPD has ongoing efforts to restore damaged land with conversions to prairie grass, as well as the planting of trees. In addition, the organization recognizes the pressing issue of climate change and has further committed to reducing harmful contributions.
With continuous urbanization, much of our environment has been impacted. Though it can be a relatively slow process, it is vital that we work to conserve and restore local wildlife and plant life. With the help of local volunteers, this initiative will persist.
As a volunteer with the CCFPD Preserves can look like a golf course stewardship, gardening, guiding tours, or working at various district-sponsored events. Anyone is eligible to volunteer, though you must be accompanied by an adult if under the age of 14. No prior skill is typically needed to volunteer.
Elizabeth, a veteran volunteer of the Summer Research and Fellowship Program (SRFP) and the Sangamon River Valley Forest Preserve, is a Master Naturalist, having completed the UIUC program in 2014. Her advice to prospective volunteers of the CCFPD: “Try a number of activities and see which ones best fit your interests”.
I had the opportunity to work with Elizabeth earlier this year. Along with a few of my classmates, we spent the evening clearing invasive honeysuckle bushes. Elizabeth educated us on the many plants we encountered, along with gardening strategies and tips. Her lifelong commitment to environmental education and work is quite inspiring. “Being a volunteer has been a source of endless joy and learning about plants, wildlife, and ecosystems: rivers, prairies, woodlands, and wetlands,” she described.
For more information about the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, visit their website. Employment and volunteer opportunities can also be explored through the website.
