During Sunday School time, the children will reseed to the pollinator garden at the east end of the church grounds.

Questions? Email Jeff Mengler.

(Updated 9/19/25. Source: Dorene Tieche’s 9/18/25 email.)

Our Fall 2025 EcoWalk will take place at James Pate Phillips State Park on Stearns Road, beginning at 4:00 pm.

This autumn EcoWalk will be at 4:00 pm on October 11 for another sunset in the prairie walk. This location was suggested by one of our regular participants, who has been there on a hike with another group. 

When people think of a state park, they often imagine significant or unique natural features that warrant the need to be protected for posterity. First-time visitors to James "Pate" Philip (formerly Tri-County) State Park may initially wonder what the area's specific feature is. The significance of James "Pate" Philip State Park appears after taking a closer look. It is in large part that this amount of land is preserved and protected from further development. This land adds to the large block of open space to the south, which currently is preserved as the 3,432 acre Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve. Together, both spaces significantly improve the integrity of the natural processes throughout the region. The property also protects some remnant prairie and wetland that did not fall victim to the plow. The goal of James "Pate" Philip State Park is to preserve these remnant pieces and to restore the ecosystems in order to support the highest possible level of biodiversity. 

Note that the visitor/nature center is operated by Bartlett Park District and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Region 2 offices are closed to the public.  But the state park remains open for walkers like us!  Please join us for this intergenerational activity. We'll meet in the main parking lot by the visitor center

Questions? Email Jeff Mengler.

(Updated 9/15/25. Source: Minutes of the August 21, 2025 Earth Stewardship Team meeting.)