Membership & Donations

Dear Friends,

Our home state, Illinois, ranks 49th of the 50 states in the percentage of natural areas surviving. In the Sangamon Valley, the invaluable remnants of our natural areas are at high risk to the effects of urban expansion and rural development. Our Sangamon Valley prairies, forests, wetlands and our river are in need of protection.

The Friends of the Sangamon Valley is a charitable membership organization dedicated to the preservation of our natural heritage by acquiring, restoring and protecting ecologically significant lands in the Sangamon River watershed.

The lower Sangamon Valley region we serve has no conservation district, forest preserve district, or other land trust organization dedicated to preserving, restoring and maintaining these natural areas. Thus, the Friends work in this region is crucial.

Since our formation in 1999, the Friends have successfully accomplished stewardship activities for our region’s prairies, forests, wetlands, river and its people:

• Ongoing restoration of the Revis Hill Prairie in Mason County
• Reforestation of floodplain hardwoods in Sangamon County’s Carpenter Park
• Initiation of restoration of Old Salem Chautauqua wetlands in Menard County
• Continuation of the annual Sangamon River clean-up, in partnership with the Sangamon Valley Group of the Sierra Club
• Ongoing environmental education to local landowners regarding conservation easements and other conservation programs
• Completion of a detailed natural area inventory of Sangamon County—the Friends anticipate the inventory results may be used as a “green print” to aid city and county planners in planning, development and conservation decision-making
• Communication with regional elected officials on relevant conservation issues
• Production of an informative quarterly newsletter
• Creation of volunteer opportunities, tours, workshops, special events and environmental education programs
• Dedication to long-term commitment, furthered by a grant-funded, part-time Friends staff position

We are in the process of adding another stewardship activity to our program, a 55-acre floodplain reforestation project for Gurgen’s Park, adjacent to Carpenter and Riverside Parks. As we maintain and expand our programs, our need for Friends support grows. We need your help to preserve our remaining Sangamon Valley natural areas. By joining us as members of the Friends community, you will play an active role in leaving a natural heritage legacy to all of our relations.

A $25 membership will get you onto our mailing list – you will receive our quarterly newsletter and notification of special events in our area. It will also give you the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping secure our natural resources for future generations. Please click the button below to make a donation today – we will appreciate any amount that you can afford. When the PayPal screen comes up you will have the opportunity to charge it to your PayPal account or a credit card using their secure servers.

Thank you for your support!

Vern LaGesse, President
Friends of the Sangamon Valley