Shawnee Group Programs - Educational and Free!

Free and Open to all!

Upcoming Programs, Shawnee Group

NOTE: Start time at 7 PM!
Location (unless otherwise noted): 217 East Main, Carbondale, IL. Entrance is in the alley behind Consume, Buckwater Brew Works and Holt Tire, through the blue door. The front door is locked! Ample parking is accessible from the alley and from Monroe Street (between Washington and Marion).
Do also consider other Illinois Sierra groups’ virtual presentations, as well as our own, listed on www.sctrips.org.

SPRING 2026: SHAWNEE GROUP SIERRA CLUB MEMBER PROGRAMS

Wednesday, March 18, 6:00 – 7:30 pm 
(You are welcome to arrive starting at 5:45 pm)

Location: Carbondale’s Civic Center, Room 108
Event Title: Saving Nature One Yard at a Time: Screening & Discussion of Doug Tallamy’s “What’s the Rush?”
Description: During this Shawnee Group Sierra Club event, we will watch the video “What’s the Rush?” by Doug Tallamy, which explores how our yards together can become part of the largest ever national park and a source of hope.

After the film, our panel will facilitate a discussion of questions and comments on the film, including issues we face when committing to bird and insect friendly landscaping. Refreshments will be served! And we will raffle off a copy of Tallamy’s most recent book: How Can I Help? Saving Nature with Your Yard (2025). Please join us.

Panelists:

• Vicki Lang: In addition to being an avid birder, Vicki is President of Southern Illinois Audubon Society and Giant City State Park Volunteer who regularly leads guided bird hikes. She also compiles Christmas and Spring Bird counts and participates in local bird surveys.
• Jean Sellars: Jean is a biologist who specializes in restoration ecology; she has supervised the restoration of over 10,000 acres. In addition, she has designed and installed three gardens with natives.
• Laurel Toussaint: Laurel is a birder and native gardener, who has hosted tours of her bird and insect friendly garden, most recently during the 2025 Bee and Butterfly Garden Tour. 

Thursday, April 9, 2026, 7 pm

Location: Carbondale Township Hall, 217 E. Main (Use Back Entrance!!)
Speaker: Kim Erndt-Pitcher, Director of Ecological Health, Prairie River Network
Presentation Title: Pesticide Drift and Trespass: How to Recognize It and What Seven Years of Monitoring and Data from Prairie River Network Tells Us
Description: This talk will provide background and ecological implications of the issue of pesticide drift and chemical trespass and summarize seven years of monitoring and tissue analysis performed by Prairie Rivers Network. Solutions, ways you can get involved, and looking ahead will also be discussed.

Thursday, May 14, 2026, 7 pm

Location: Carbondale Township Hall, 217 E. Main (Use Back Entrance!!)
Speaker: Gregory M. Mueller, Chief Scientist Emeritus, the Chicago Botanic Garden; Research Associate, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago; Adjunct Professor, School of Biological Sciences, SIU Carbondale; and Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Fungal Conservation Committee
Presentation Title:  Illinois Mushrooms: colorful, diverse, important, and in need of conservation.  
Description: Illinois and surrounding states are home to thousands of species of mushrooms and related fungi. These come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are choice edibles, others are deadly poisonous, but all of them play important ecological roles. Loss and degradation of habitat, changes in weather patterns, and in a few cases over harvesting are threatening fungi locally and globally. Citizen science initiatives are playing vital roles in documenting mushroom diversity, distribution, and conservation needs. 

Greg Mueller undertook his MS degree with Walt Sundberg at SIU and moved back to Carbondale in retirement from the Chicago Botanic Garden.  He remains active in leading national and international fungal conservation programs. He is co-author with Joe McFarland on Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois & Surrounding States. 

Meet Fellow Shawnee Group Members for Dinner! CANCELED ~COVID-19

The Shawnee Group meets at a local restaurant before each monthly meeting for an hour of socializing and relaxation. New faces are most welcome and we would love to have you join us at any time! Call (618) 549-4673 for more information about group dinners.