The Heart of Illinois Group is one of fourteen local groups of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States, founded by John Muir in 1892. The Heart of Illinois Group has over 900 members residing in the following counties:  Bureau, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, La Salle, Lee, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, Peoria, Putnam, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, and Woodford.

Group Meetings

We hold Group meetings the third Wednesday of the month in September, October, November, March, April, May, and sometimes in January and February. Our meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and include a guest speaker on a topic of environmental interest. Meetings are currently at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria. Sometimes our meetings are also offered on Zoom, and occasionally we have Zoom-only meetings. For Zoom access to our meetings, you will need to register on our calendar to receive the Zoom link.  All Group activities and meetings are open to the public. Check our calendar for up-to-date information on our meetings and activities.

Executive Committee

Our Executive Committee of seven elected members meets once a month to formulate policy, identify priorities, and plan activities, according to the bylaws of our Group. Check our contacts for Executive Committee members and other Group officers.

Current Issues and Activities

Our members are involved in many different activities to help protect the environment of our local area, the state, and the planet, including the following:

• We work with local citizens to protect our land, air, and water resources from destructive development. We are currently fighting proposals to build carbon dioxide pipelines and sequester carbon dioxide under ground in Central Illinois.
• We support renewable energy and efforts to build wind and solar farms in Central Illinois and throughout the state.
• We are looking for volunteers to join our Water Sentinel Team to sample and test water from various locations in Central Illinois.
• We have informational displays about our Group and/or specific environmental issues at various local events throughout the year, including the Earth Day Festival at Forest Park Nature Center, the Clean Water Celebration, the Juneteenth Festival, Plant Based Peoria Expo, and others.
• We lobby our local and state politicians for better environmental laws and policies, and endorse candidates who support the environment.