Friends of the Sangamon Valley

10/14/2026

We hope to see you this Sunday! Our fall gathering is at the w**ery beginning at 1:30 pm (please arrive early to check in). We'll enjoy a beautiful autumn day with great music and kindred spirits in nature! See link in comments.

A local favorite returns to Hill Prairie Winery!

Antone DeRocchi is back this Sunday, October 18th, bringing his incredible guitar playing and a great mix of music to the w**ery!

Fall is a beautiful time to visit Hill Prairie, so grab your friends, enjoy a glass of w**e, cold b**r, or your favorite cocktail, and spend the afternoon with us.

Sunday, October 18th
Doors open at noon | Live music 2–5 PM

10/07/2026

Thanks to a great crew from PNC and to volunteers Davina and Greg for leading the efforts!

DOA PROJECT: Friends of the Sangamon Valley

PNC volunteers joined Friends of Sangamon Valley to harvest native plant seeds from pollinator plots. Those seeds can later be planted to expand pollinator habitat at Gudmundson Wildlife Sanctuary.

Helping today to grow tomorrow!

Thank you, PNC volunteers, for supporting conservation and healthy habitats right here in our community! 💛💙❤️

10/06/2026

Shared with me by one of our wonderful volunteers! I thought it was very appropriate to pass along. 🌳

09/03/2026

Join the Illinois State Museum, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Monarch Project, and a host of community partners as we celebrate Illinois’ state insect, and everyone’s favorite garden visitor, the Monarch Butterfly! Enjoy FREE games, activities, giveaways, and more at this community event – rain or shine!

Learn more here: https://illinoisroute66.org/event/monarch-butterfly-festival/

Illinois State Museum Route 66 Monarch Flyway Illinois Department of Agriculture Illinois Monarch Project

09/03/2026

08/19/2026

Wolfgang is a Friends of the Sangamon Valley member! We appreciate his support and admire his dedication to native landscaping!!

Wolfgang Arterberry says he has 70 different species of native plants in his one-acre yard.

But what he sees as protecting prairie plants, some of his neighbors see as a problem. He has received two violation notices from the city of Springfield warning him to mow his property or face fines.

While he found a resolution to his situation, he hopes to educate people about laws protecting those who plant Illinois-native species on private residential lawns.

Article link in comments.

Share your thoughts by emailing [email protected].

08/18/2026

Anyone curious about how the Sangamon river begins and flows, take a look at this graphic. All the water eventually ends up in the Illinois river which eventually winds up in the Mississippi.

08/12/2026

Calling all birders! Here's a great opportunity to explore TNC's Emiquon preserve on a guided birding hike with two-time Cook County Birding “Big Year” record holder, Tarik Shahzad. This event will be divided into two separate hikes. Participants are welcome to attend one or both portions of the day.

🦅 6:00–8:00 a.m. Hike the Ridge

🦆 9:00–11:00 a.m. Hike the Public Use Area & Secret Spot

This event is free to attend but registration in advance is required.

For all the details and how to register, visit https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/events/emiquon-bird-hike-august/?en_txn1=s_fbo.reg_mw.x.x

05/14/2026

Thanks to the Illinois Military Academy Senior Leadership Group for volunteering at our Wolf Preserve yesterday! They moved downed limbs off of a trail and cleaned up the neverending accumulating litter along Boy Scout Trail Road. We couldn't do all that we do for natural areas in the Sangamon River Watershed without volunteers!

04/30/2026

Thanks to our new friends at Heartland Coca-Cola!

We kicked off Day of Action on Wednesday with 9 volunteers from Heartland Coca-Cola! We matched their team with Friends of the Sangamon Valley, right along the banks of the Sangamon River- where they removed invasive species, seeded pollinator plots, and helped with trail work. Protecting our natural spaces is community care too. Thank you, Heartland Coca-Cola for your hard work on Wednesday (and your sponsorship of Day of Action 2026!)