Menard County Trails and Greenways

04/25/2026

Perfect morning for birding at New Salem! Highlight was the juvenile great horned owl down by the river!

04/22/2026

Happy
Earth Day!

04/21/2026

Congratulations and a big thank you to the Town & Country Women's Club for the fantastic improvements at Jaycee Park! Your efforts are making our community spaces even more welcoming and enjoyable. We’re excited to try out the new walking path soon!

🚨 Starting TODAY, Jaycee Park in Petersburg will temporarily close while a concrete walking path is installed on the property. The installation is expected to take approximately one week to complete, depending on weather conditions. Signs will be displayed at the park indicating temporary closure and will be removed once installation is complete. We will also make an announcement on this page once the work is wrapped up. 🚨

Installation of a walking path represents the third and final phase of the Jaycee Park Revitalization Project that we are currently fundraising for. These final fundraising efforts also include court striping, purchasing new picnic tables and benches, landscaping, and other enhancements to the site.

🫵 YOU can help us with our final fundraising efforts by donation to our Spring for the Park Calendar that is running through May 15th. We will also be holding a Blanton's Bourbon Raffle at the end of May that we will be sharing next month.

The Jaycee Park Revitalization Project launched in 2021 and to date, Town & Country Women’s Club, with the help of this community, have raised over $500,000 to update the Park by installing all new fencing and gates to fully enclose the property; removal of old playground equipment; purchase and installation of new, accessible playground equipment, new fitness equipment and new sports equipment; installation of turf surfacing under the playground and fitness equipment; removal of the asphalt basketball court and installation of a concrete basketball court; and construction of a one-stall bathroom with water fountain.

🙌 A huge THANK YOU goes out to this community for the support and donations to make this incredible renovation a possibility! 🙌

** Walking path will tie into the basketball court, so rendering is slightly off — you'll only have to wait ~1 week to see it in real life! 😉

04/20/2026

Wow! So much trash! Many thanks to the 11 volunteers who helped with litter pick up on Saturday.

04/19/2026

Ten MCTG volunteers spent a productive morning pulling garlic mustard and other invasive plants along Cardinal Ridge Trail at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site!

Timing is critical—garlic mustard is starting to set seed, and removing it now helps protect the progress made in our restoration areas. Want to lend a hand? Reach out to get on our contact list—we’ll be hosting pop-up workdays over the next couple of weeks.

Take a look at a few snapshots from the morning!

04/17/2026

Celebrate Earth Month in Petersburg! 💚

Pitch in for our first Highway Clean-up of the year this Saturday morning—after a long winter, there’s plenty of litter to tackle and all hands are welcome.

Then join us Sunday for a Garlic Mustard Pull at New Salem to continue our forest restoration work. Prescribed burns and volunteer efforts have made a real difference, but this invasive plant spreads quickly—each one produces thousands of seeds—so ongoing removal is key to keeping it in check.

And while you’re out and about, don’t forget about the citywide garage sales in Petersburg—a great chance to reduce, reuse, and recycle while supporting your neighbors!

04/15/2026

There are some great ways to celebrate Earth Month this weekend! Adopt-a-Highway Saturday, April 18th, 9:00 AM and Garlic Mustard Pull, Sunday, April 19th, 10:00 AM. See posts below for details. Plus, don't forget the City-wide Garage Sale! Be sure to visit the Earth Month Calendar for many more ways to pitch in -- events happening all month long!!

04/12/2026

Garlic mustard is one of the most aggressive invasive plants we manage, crowding out native wildflowers and tree seedlings in forest ecosystems. The good news? It’s easy to identify (look for scalloped leaves and a garlicky smell) and simple to pull—roots and all—making it a great volunteer project for all ages.

Help us protect our restoration areas at Cardinal Ridge Trail and Shickshack by joining our upcoming Garlic Mustard Pull at New Salem!

How bad can a few plants be? Invasive garlic mustard spreads fast. One plant can produce as many as 8,000 seeds each spring.

Now is the time to check wooded areas for garlic mustard! Pull, mow, or cut garlic mustard stalks after they flower and before they produce seeds.
- Southern Illinois: Flowering starts late-March
- Northern Illinois: Flowering starts mid-April

Find tips on identifying and removing garlic mustard at https://go.illinois.edu/GarlicMustard.

04/10/2026

Want to get outside this weekend?? Take the whole family for a hike and enjoy a sweet treat!!

🌿 Family Adventure Alert! 🌿

Join us for the Railsplitter Recon— a fun spring scavenger hunt at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site! 🕵️‍♀️🌼 Perfect for getting outside, exploring nature, and making memories together.

🌎 Part of the Menard County Trails and Greenways Earth Month Calendar of Activities!

How it works:
1️⃣ Stop by the Visitors Center to grab a clipboard (hunt, map & marker included!)
2️⃣ Explore Cardinal Ridge or Shick Shack Trails 🥾🌳
3️⃣ Return your clipboard to earn a sticker AND a coupon for ice cream at Railsplitter Gifts & Eatery 🍦✨

Bring your curiosity and your crew—it’s adventure time! 🌷💚