Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences. ParkLands Foundation protects and restores natural lands in the Mackinaw River valley of McLean and Woodford counties. Our goal is to create a network of conservation lands corridors along the Mackinaw River and its tributaries. Since its founding in 1967, the organization has protected and restored (through ownership, intermediary conservation buyer or conservation easement) more than 3,200 acres pf prairie, savanna, floodplain forest and river habitat in the Mackinaw River valley of McLean, Tazewell and Woodford counties, and in other watersheds within McLean County. This includes two Illinois Nature Preserves that are owned (Ridgetop NP, Merwin NP), one that we manage in conjunction with our owned buffer strip (Weston Cemetery NP) and one that we donated to the IDNR (ParkLands NP). This also includes one designated Illinois Land and Water Reserve that we own; we are in the process of dedicating three additional owned preserves within this program. | |
| Friends of Kickapoo Creek is a local organization that works with neighbors, surrounding communities, and other conservation associations to promote stewardship of this unique natural resource through advocacy, education, and monitoring. Purpose: Friends of Kickapoo Creek is an organization that works with neighbors, surrounding communities, and other conservation associations to promote stewardship of this unique natural resource through advocacy, education, and monitoring. Many of us live, work or play along the Kickapoo or its tributaries. Popular recreation activities include fishing, kayaking, hunting, wading, bird-watching, and photography. Kickapoo Creek and its tributaries are home to a wide variety of animals and plants including: smallmouth bass, spiny softshell turtles, yellow sandshell and fatmucket mussels, bullfrogs, red fox, mink, wood ducks and great blue herons. Streamside woodlands contain giant cottonwood and sycamore trees, among others. | |
| Ecology Action Center | |
| The Ecology Action Center is a walk-in information and environmental education center for individuals, classes, workshops, and meetings. Environmental groups in McLean County are encouraged to network here and may hold their board meetings by participating in a comprehensive working calendar, which helps avoid schedule conflicts and duplicated services Mission Statement: To promote environmental stewardship in McLean County by educating people about the environment and coordinating communications among environmental groups. | |
| Grand Prairie Friends | |
| Reason to click: Grand Prairie Friends of Illinois is a non-profit land trust that is committed to preserving and restoring tallgrass prairie in East-Central Illinois by acquiring and managing high quality prairie remnants, propagating prairie plant species for prairie reconstructions, and generating interest in prairie through community programs. GPF was formed in 1984, when a group of citizens from Champaign-Urbana, IL, joined together with a commitment to preserve and restore tallgrass prairie in East-Central Illinois. | |
| The Nature Conservancy (Illinois) | |
| The Nature Conservancy is a well known conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. | |
| Mackinaw Canoe Club | |
| The Mackinaw Canoe Club of Central Illinois is a not-for-profit organization of amateur canoeists and kayakers whose sole purpose is to promote the safe and responsible use of our navigable waters throughout Illinois and neighboring states. | |