Karen Witter

Springfield

Connecting people, organizations, and ideas to achieve greater results. Natural and cultural resources and the arts enrich people's lives and communities.

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Articles

Illinois Native Plant Society enhances the environment and communit

1 week ago | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

A diversity of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants will be for sale along with multiple milkweed species and a selection of plants for pollinators and wildlife at the Illinois Native Plant Society's popular annual native plant sale, planned for 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, at the Reisch Pavilion at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Many popular species sell out quickly, so plan to arrive early for the best selection. It's not uncommon for 100 people to be waiting for the sale to open.
Lincoln Presidential Foundation to auction some of its Lincoln artifacts

1 month ago | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation plans to auction a portion of the Taper Collection – including manuscripts, photographs, books, personal effects and sculptural items connected to Abraham Lincoln and Mary Lincoln – to retire the outstanding loan balance from the Foundation’s purchase of the collection. The Foundation’s board of directors has authorized selling 144 items from its 1,540-item collection of Lincolniana.
Camp Compass kids receive handmade quilts and blankets

1 month ago | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

Compass for Kids is well-known in the Springfield community for the many ways it serves children and families through after-school and summer programs that provide academic and social-emotional support. Their goal is to empower Springfield children and families underserved by the community. Club Compass is an after-school program for students at five elementary schools in District 186.
International Women's Day: Unite & Resist in Springfield

1 month ago | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

International Women’s Day has been celebrated since March 8, 1913. Hundreds of people showed up at the Illinois State Capitol on Saturday for International Women's Day - Unite & Resist in Springfield to speak out for women’s rights and protest actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Speakers included Martin Woulfe (Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation), Shatriya Smith (Garvey Tubman Cultural Arts and Research Center), State Sen.
Trees enhance communities

2 months ago | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

Trees not only provide beauty and shade, they help clean particulate matter from the air and make communities healthier. They provide cost-savings in stormwater management and create a healthier ecosystem. They sequester carbon dioxide, increase property values, stabilize soils, reduce erosion and moderate heat islands. Springfield is a designated Tree City USA, a program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and other partners.
Springfield Urban Forestry Commission members resign

2 months ago | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

All appointed members of the city of Springfield's Urban Forestry Commission resigned at the end of January, citing a lack of cooperation from the current administration. The UFC was reinstated in 2019 and led efforts to research grant opportunities, conduct a tree inventory, get a tree ordinance adopted, distribute hundreds of trees and secure substantial funding to plant trees and enhance outreach.
Illinois reacts to World Health withdrawal

2 months ago | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

"The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO," Donald Trump wrote in one of his many executive orders issued on Jan. 20. Public health officials – locally, nationally and globally – are alarmed by the potential impact. The World Health Organization, which is credited with eradicating smallpox and significantly reducing the burden of polio, began in 1948 as a branch of the United Nations focused on global health.
BRUCE HANNON August 1934–February 2024

Dec 24, 2024 | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

In the world of conservation, Dr. Bruce Hannon was a giant. A legend. An activist. A teacher. A mentor. And expert clocksmith. He leaves a lasting legacy – in the lands and waters he helped protect (most notably Allerton Park and the Middle Fork River), the conservation organizations he launched, the oak seedlings he gave to others to plant and the many students he inspired and nurtured who continue to have a positive impact.
CAROLYN SCHNIRRING DUNGAN April 16, 1957–October 6, 2024

Dec 24, 2024 | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

Carolyn Dungan, a lifelong resident of Springfield, had a profound influence on her family, friends and the Springfield community. "Carolyn was an incredibly kind and generous person," said John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln.
A long-silent hotel comes to life as art

Nov 27, 2024 | illinoistimes.com | Karen Witter

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