8 Environment & Nature Grants totaling $26,587 awarded in 2026

First Baptist Church of Bloomington – $2,000
“Pollinator Habitat Phase 3” to install educational signs throughout the habitat along with signage with the habitat’s name and sponsors.

First Presbyterian Church of Normal – $3,500
“Natural Prairie at First Presbyterian Church” to create a 2+-acre natural prairie that encourages environmental education and stewardship, and creates a place of beauty and peace for all to enjoy.

Friends of Everbloom – $5,500
“Canoes for Cleaning Our Lakes and Rivers” to purchase used canoes, new canoe trailer, paddles and life vests, allowing the group to conduct river/lake cleanups, provide outdoor education and offer recreational opportunities.

Grand Prairie Bird Alliance – $3,450
“Purple Martin Stewards in McLean County” to increase nesting sites for Purple Martin breeding populations in McLean County; volunteers will install, monitor and maintain nesting structures in public spaces.

Home Sweet Home Ministries – $5,000
“Shelter and Stewardship: Home in Bloom at the HSHM Bridge Shelter Village” to beautify the surrounding environment of newly built shelter community by planting trees, shrubs, perennials and native grasses to transform both lives and landscapes.

McLean County Unit School District No. 5, Eugene Field School – $300
“Natives in the Outdoor Classroom” to add native plants to a newly created outdoor classroom; students have individual goals related to completing tasks, communication, appropriate social interaction and following directions that they work on in various environments.

ParkLands Foundation – $3,562
“Navigating Through Nature with a Clear Path” to enhance navigation across 15 miles of ParkLands preserves and trails in McLean County by installing clear trail markers and directional signage; markers will improve safety, accessibility and visitor confidence.

Town of Normal, Children’s Discovery Museum Foundation – $3,275
“Can You Dig It?” to promote inter-generational learning by engaging museum visitors in a novel way; this program is included with museum admission and is hosted twice weekly during high-traffic visitation periods from June through September.

7 Environment & Nature Grants totaling $25,385 awarded in 2025

Bloomington Public Library - $3,000
“BPL Native Plants Garden” to assist in the creation of garden on the library’s patio featuring indigenous pollinators & wildlife, raise ecological awareness, and host educational programs/events.

Corpus Christi Catholic School – $3,200
“Sensory & Pollinator Garden” to create an outdoor space for students to learn about ecology, pollinators and sustainability; promotes hands-on, sensory-based learning, supporting environmental stewardship and biodiversity while addressing the need for outdoor, nature-focused educational experiences.

First Baptist Church of Bloomington – $4,000
“Pollinator Habitat Phase 2” to continue the next phase of habitat that was planted the previous year; installation of a pathway, birdhouses and benches will provide a natural aspect to the current habitat and allow for its enjoyment by the community.

Illinois Art Station – $7,385
“The Art of Nature Play: Willow Wood Nature Program at IAS” to provide transformative experiences for young audiences and families through play-based nature exploration and artistic creation.

McLean County Parks & Recreation Department – $1,000
“Nature Trails Day” to educate the people, especially youth, of McLean County about the importance of nature and the environment, and how they directly or indirectly affect humans’ lives.

Mid Central Community Action – $3,000
“Giving Garden at MCCA” to improve and expand the “Giving Garden,” a parcel of land on MCCA's property that is already a producing parcel, providing free, nutritious, organic, fresh vegetables to any and all community residents, regardless of socioeconomic status, age, gender, race or orientation.

West Bloomington Revitalization Project – $3,800
“Rick Heiser Memorial Sensory Garden at WBRP” to focus on environmental sustainability, while enhancing sensory experiences through colors, textures, tastes, and sounds; garden will include native plantings for pollinators, recycled art and more.

7 Environment & Nature Grants totaling $38,775 awarded in 2024

Bloom Community School – $1,355
“Bloom Community School and Refuge Food Forest” – To allow students to actively develop an outreach program about the food forest to members of the surrounding community; the food forest is adjacent to the school.

Ecology Action Center – $22,500
“Emergency Weatherization Program” – To provide supplemental funding for mobile home residents in need of energy-efficient improvements to their homes.

First Baptist Church of Bloomington – $2,000
“East 5 Acres Pollinator Habitat” – To create an environment for pollinator and wildlife habitats with access for nearby residents.

Heartland Community College – $2,000
“Edible Windbreak” – To create an edible windbreak to increase student awareness of agroforestry, along with farmer and general public awareness.

John Wesley Powell Audubon Society – $2,920
“Native Planting at Ewing Park” – To purchase native plant seeds to spread at Ewing Park where volunteers have cleared invasive species.

McLean County Historical Society – $3,300
“Seeds of History” – To help the museum connect people to local history by planting and labeling native plants in public places and offering educational programs.

ParkLands Foundation – $4,700
“Volunteer Steward Supplies” – To provide volunteer stewards with supplies used for land restoration, address storage issues and streamline stewardship for restoration of 3,600 acres of preserves in Central Illinois.