It’s the time of year when many households are buying Christmas Trees. Help our local environment by donating money to plant trees in our community this Christmas!
The Ecology Action Center’s Tree Corps program seeks to plant 10,000 trees a year for at least ten years. 2022 was wildly successful, with over 12,500 trees planted! 2023 can be equally successful with your help!
Planting trees gives us great opportunities to:
Add never-ending beauty to Central Illinois
Enjoy working with friends for community benefit
Improve local air quality by removing the air pollutant ozone to improve public health
Sequester climate-changing carbon emissions
Increase native species, helping to preserve biodiversity
The EAC is joining with churches, civic groups, local governments, and many interested individuals and groups to plant trees around McLean County. Please donate now to our Plant a Tree For Christmas campaign to provide funds for 10,000 trees to be planted in McLean County in 2023!
Note: Tree Tribute donations intended as gifts for Christmas 2022 must be made by noon on December 16, 2022 in order for the recipient to receive their certificate before the holiday.
Curb your leaves: A Sonnet (-ish)
In the fall the leaves start falling down
What shall we do when the leaves are downed
There are many good options so do not frown
Let the leaves lie to give nutrients to the ground
Leaves are a home for insects in winters hard
Don’t like the look? Mulch them with your mower!
Or you can compost them in your backyard
No compost bin? They are great for growers
So curb your leaves and let the vacuum go
Rake all your leaves but not into the street
Leaves in the drains hurt wildlife, oh no!
They cause algae blooms which are not that neat
They also make our water taste a bit gross
Keep leaves out of the drains and do the most
Let ‘em Flow, to the tune of Let it Go from Frozen
Let ‘em Flow, Let ‘em Flow
Don’t let it hold water no more
Let ‘em Flow, Let ‘em Flow
Turn it on and watch it go
Winter is here and the time is now
Winterize your barrel!
The cold will bother it otherwise
To ensure that Elsa doesn’t harm your rain barrel make sure to turn the spigot on and let all the remaining water flow! Once the water is gone it’s important to reconnect your downspout to look as it did before you added your rain barrel. Find what your diverter looks like below and follow the instructions!
If your barrel is installed with a “Y” diverter, all you need to do is slide the lever from one side to the other to switch from summer to winter configuration – this will divert water away from your rain barrel and back down your downspout.
With the FlexiFit diverter, remove the screws above and below the point of attachment, squeeze and wiggle the flexible insert to remove it from the downspout, then use the two screws to attach the flat cap to the downspout.
If you’ve removed the original downspout and attached different sections in order to route water to the barrel, remove the new sections and replace the original one. To accomplish this, you’ll probably need to remove and replace a few screws.
Your rain barrel can then be stored in a shed, or in place, or wherever else is convenient. It is made to withstand the seasons, and doesn’t need to be indoors. If you do leave it outside, be sure to place some weight on top to ensure it you don’t find it rolling all the way to Arendelle.
If you have any trouble with this process, find that a component needs to be replaced, or want to change your setup and need a different diverter, don’t hesitate to call us! 309-454-3169 ext. 13. Watch this video for visual instructions! Watch this video for visual instructions!
convenient. It is made to withstand the seasons, and doesn’t need to be indoors. If you do leave it outside, be sure to place some weight on top to ensure it you don’t find it rolling all the way to Arendelle. 
