Road salt is an easy way to quickly clear up icy roads and sidewalks on short notice, creating safer conditions for pedestrians and motorists. While road salt is essential for public safety and restoring road access in the winter, it can produce environmental and infrastructural problems over time. Melted ice containing trace amounts of chloride from road salt can flow into storm drains, which ultimately end up in local waterways and sources of drinking water. Over time, chloride concentrations can build up in these water systems, impacting public health and the environment. High concentrations of chloride in drinking water can be hazardous for individuals with high blood pressure, and toxic to some aquatic organisms like fish and amphibians.1 The EPA notes that chloride levels above 250 mg/L may result in undesired taste.2
Since 2023, the Ecology Action Center has been testing sodium chloride concentrations at key locations along Sugar Creek in Bloomington-Normal. These tests get us closer to helping us understand how local road salt usage is impacting Sugar Creek. Chloride levels are tested biweekly at three locations: Ewing Park II, Fairview Park, and on South Main St. in Normal by Monical’s Pizza. Through collecting this data, the EAC has identified trends in seasonal chloride levels in Sugar Creek. As expected, chloride levels sharply rose during the winter months. However, chloride levels stayed high and even had smaller spikes during the summer months. The EAC is looking into why this is occurring and the impacts it has. In the meantime, there are several actions you as a resident can take to reduce chloride contamination.
If you are able, using a shovel to remove snow from your driveway or sidewalk is always the best method as it does not involve applying any kind of road salt to the area. One alternate option to melt ice and snow is salt brine, which is simply a mixture of road salt and water. The key difference is that salt brine contains only 23% salt.3 It is still just as effective, and can be applied before a winter storm occurs as a preventative measure. You can even make it yourself! Simply mix 13lbs of salt in 5 gallons of water until it is fully dissolved.4 From there, use a sprayer of any kind to apply to your sidewalk and driveway. If you must use rock salt, try and apply as sparingly as possible; one grain of salt can go a long way! For more information, please visit mCLEANwater.org.
The EAC is excited to announce that the McLean County Green Awards are making a return! Do you know an individual or group who deserves to be recognized for their efforts to improve and protect our local environment? If so, please nominate them for an award!
Two awards will be offered for 2025:
The McLean County Recycling and Waste Reduction Award – honors businesses, schools, or organizations with outstanding recycling programs or waste reduction efforts. Past recipients include the Bloomington-Normal Terracycle program, Home Sweet Home Ministries, and the Westminster Village Green Team.
The Anne McGowan Making a World of Difference Award – recognizes outstanding projects, activities, or individuals in McLean County who promote environmental awareness or natural resource conservation. Past recipients include Henry Brockman of Brockman Family Farm, Sherrie Snyder of the Wild Ones, and Perry Mayer of the YWCA.
Nominations are being accepted through 5 p.m. on Monday March 16, 2026 and can be submitted online at ecologyactioncenter.org/greenawards/ or by visiting the Ecology Action Center at 202 W College Avenue in Normal. The award winners will be announced on Earth Day in April.
The EAC is asking for recycling donations to use for an upcoming program with local students!
The program’s craft involves empty paper towel rolls, empty toilet paper rolls, and aluminum soup cans that have been washed and dried. Students will decorate their item with construction paper, googly eyes, and stickers. If you have any of these materials and would like to donate them, please bring them to the EAC office, located at 202 W College Ave, Normal Illinois. Office hours are 9am-5pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please see the Ecology Action Center Facebook page for a list of other items we are collecting.
Bristlecone Pine tree from National Park Service Gallery
NAME: Methuselah SPECIES: Great Basin Bristlecone Pine Pinus longaeva LOCATION: White Mountains, California
In addition to being incredibly big, trees are known to be among the oldest living organisms on our planet. The older a tree gets, the more of its trunk is made up of extremely strong dead cells that will not decay as long as the outer layers stay intact.1 So despite their large size, they don’t use a proportionate amount of energy to stay alive. Tree lifespans vary widely between species - small flowering trees may live 30 years, an oak could live 200, and a Bristlecone pine could live over 1,000. Since trees are stationary organisms, outside factors in their environment often determine if a tree reaches its full potential.
So how ancient can undisturbed trees get, exactly? Well, the current verified oldest single stemmed tree still living on earth is a Bristlecone Pine named Methuselah. Methuselah is hidden somewhere in the California White Mountains, and is believed to be 4,767 years old this year.2 That means this ancient tree sprouted about the same time that the Egyptian pyramids were constructed! Methuselah is incredibly old, but if we’re being technical, there are trees that get even older. That’s because trees aren’t always single stemmed organisms! Many tree species create clonal colonies - genetically identical trees connected by a single root system. Located in Utah, The Trembling Giant “Pando” resembles an aspen forest of 47,000 trees spanning 100 acres - but every one of these trees’ roots are connected, making it a single male quaking aspen.3 These trees are much more difficult to date with precision because they regenerate and the oldest parts would have already decomposed before being measured. However, scientists estimate Pando could be as much as 14,000 years old.3
Quaking Aspen from National Park Service Gallery
In the early 1800’s McLean county was a combination of woody areas and tallgrass prairie.4 Bloomington was named after Blooming Grove – a 6,000-acre grove of trees along the southern edge of town.4 Much of the old growth from that time was cut down for timber, but Funk’s grove still remains and is one of the largest remnants of virgin forest in Illinois.5 The original oak trees at Funk’s grove are slowly dying out and being replaced with more shade tolerant sugar maple trees, but if you spot a big oak there is a chance it’s over 200 years old! To do a quick calculation of a tree’s age you can measure the circumference of the tree by wrapping measuring tape around the trunk at 4.5 feet off the ground. Then divide the circumference by pi (π 3.14) to get the diameter. Finally, you’ll multiply the diameter by the tree species’ growth factor.6 That will give you a ballpark estimate of how old the tree is. For example, white oaks have a growth factor of 5 so a white oak with an 8-foot circumference would be about 150 years old.
READER POLL What do you think of this month's Extremely Amazing tree?
“We committed to financially supporting the Ecology Action Center over twenty years ago and have pledged monies to support the Tree Corps, the Household Hazardous Waste collection program, the Yard Smart Program and the General EAC fund.Most recently, we donated to the 2071 Endowment Fund to support the EAC’s efforts for many years to come. We donate to the EAC because we appreciate and support their efforts to promote a healthy environment for all of our local citizens and neighbors!”
Meet Kathy and Paul Packard: They know their Sustainability R’s !
RECYCLE:They have been avid recyclers for over 30 years.
REDUCE:They have reduced their dependency on fossil fuels by installing geothermal heatingand cooling many years ago, and more recently installed solar panels to theirhome.
REFUSE: They always bring their own reusable bags to the grocery store and refuse plastic bags.
ROT: They compost food scraps at home and Kathy volunteers yearly collecting corn cobs for composting at the Sweet Corn Circus in Uptown Normal.
RIDE: They drive an electric car and Kathy frequently uses her bicycle for transportation asshe runs errands.
REUSE: When their kitchen needed remodeling, they refaced their cabinets instead ofreplacing them.
RETHINK: The plants in their yard are all native species, attracting birds and pollinators.
Thank you for all you do Kathy and Paul!
Common Recyclables in Every Room
Starting the New Year by doing some cleaning? Check below before you throw to see where these items should be taken for proper disposal.
🧺 Laundry Room
Washers & Dryers
Still kicking & under 10 years old? Send them to Habitat ReStore for a second life.
Dead or ancient? Off to Alter Metal Recycling they go!
Empty Detergent Bottles
Clean them out and donate to Midwest Food Bank—they’ll refill them for folks in need.
Take them to Best Buy. These are NOT accepted for electronics recycling.
TVs, Electronics & Chargers
TVs, computers, cellphones are accepted at the Normal Public Works Electronics Recycling Garage for ALL McLean County residents. See a full list of accepted materials at RecycleBN.org.
Metal Hangers
Although these are made of metal, they can NOT be put in curbside recycling. Instead, take them to Alter Metal Recycling.
🛁 Bathroom
Beauty & Makeup Packaging
Only plastic jugs, jars, bottles, and tubs are recyclable. To understand if your item is one of these shapes visit RecycleBN.org.
Shampoo & Conditioner Bottles
These are plastic bottles so they are recyclable!
Towels
Still fluffy? Donate. Worn out? Goodwill recycles them.
🍳 Kitchen
Microwaves & Small Appliances
These are NOT accepted for electronic recycling. Please recycle at Alter Metal Recycling.
Large Appliances
Working & under 10 years old: Habitat ReStore (no dishwashers).
Broken/old: Alter Metal Recycling.
Fire Extinguishers
Illini Fire Equipment! They also accept other pressurized gas containers.
These get tangled in recycling sorting machinery so please drop these off at local grocery stores for recycling. Do NOT put them in curbside recycling.
Food Containers
Jug, jar, bottle, or tub? Recycle it. Unsure? Check RecycleBN.org.
🚗 Garage
Paint (Latex & Oil-Based)
NEW PROGRAM!!! Latex and Oil based paint can now be recycled at Sherwin Williams and R.P. Lumber due to new legislation. Learn more at ecologyactioncenter.org/paint.
Automotive Fluids
Team Automotive & Tire has you covered.
Batteries
Recycle at Interstate Batteries (small fee) or Office Depot. Reminder to tape the ends during transport to reduce the risk of ignition.
Lightbulbs (CFLs & Fluorescents)
Echo Electric (formerly Springfield Electric) for recycling (small fee).
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