Awareness

Understanding, Sensitivity, and "grass roots" interactions

Formal activities include:

  1. Teaching of classes such as "Reading the Landscape," "Artist and the Landscape" and "Outdoor Education."
  2. Initiation of and continuity of organizations such as docent groups and not for profit agencies with roles such as the purchase of land, the running of conferences and the provision of preservation services. The Grand Prairie Friends, Heartland Pathways, Rails, Trails and Greenways, the Sangamon Valley Conservancy, and the Prairie Grove Environmental Education Association are all examples of functional groups where ERES has had an important parental role. ERES continues to interact with many other established and establishing environmental organizations.
  3. Informal activities and extension services provided by ERES are many and varied. They include answering a lot of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) type questions that can sometimes be answered directly or be channeled on to more appropriate authorities.

Informal activities often include consultation with municipal and local government bodies and established agencies in a problem solving setting. In these activities ERES makes use of its extensive collection of art materials, graphics, experiential information. In interagency and interdisciplinary situations field experience and documentation is involved and, if they people involved cannot be taken to the field ERES will bring the field to the meeting by way of video, slides, computer information, specimens and guides.

The use of art to interpret and create sensitivity toward the environment is an important phase of ERES activities. Here ERES combines the disciplines of art, education and science in its focus on the environment.

The sale of silk screen prints, cards and graphics has also provided an important base for income as well as providing access to information about prairie and other topics. Periodically, ERES engages in art gallery and art show activities that spawn community interaction. ERES also supports the radio program "The Prairie Monk" on the community radio station WEFT Champaign 90.1FM and frequently engages in other media activities.

Please direct comments and questions on content to David Monk, monkdavid0@gmail.com.