IDNR Awards 108 Biodiversity Field Trip Grants, $101K, 7,000 Students

Release Date: 04/27/2026

IDNR awards 108 biodiversity field trip grants to Illinois state parks, historic sites and museums

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, April 27, 2026
Media contact: dnr.pio@illinois.gov

SPRINGFIELD – Nearly 7,000 students will visit Illinois state parks, natural areas, museums and other natural resources sites thanks to grants from the Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF).
This competitive grant program allows Illinois teachers to apply for funds to take students on a field trip to study Illinois’ natural resources. Learning activities must directly relate to the school’s curriculum, and funding covers such expenses as transportation and substitute teachers.
IDNR awarded more than $101,000 for 108 field trip grants. This year’s grant recipients represent 34 Illinois counties.
“These field trip grants offer students the opportunity to get outdoors and experience what they’ve been learning about in the classroom,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “The next generation of conservation leaders deserve a chance to experience Illinois’ natural resources in person. IDNR is pleased to support learning outside the classroom.” Funding is made possible by private donations from the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation of Skokie and the D.F. and M.T. Grohne Family Foundation of Wilmington. The donations and funding are coordinated by ICF.
Since its inception in 2001, the Biodiversity Field Trip Grant program has distributed more than $1.7 million, and more than 146,000 students have been provided the opportunity to take part in a field trip. Grant recipients are located throughout Illinois and represent students from pre-kindergarten through high school.
Teachers can apply online by Jan. 31 for the next round of field trip funding. For more information about program, contact the IDNR Division of Education by emailing dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov or calling 217-524-4126.
The Illinois Conservation Foundation gladly accepts donations for the Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant Program. Visit ICF online for additional information. View the complete list of grant recipients below and online.
Champaign County
- Faith and Reason Learning Community, Urbana, $1,315: grades 4-12, The Nature Institute in Godfrey
Clark County
- Monroe Elementary School, Casey, $685.85: grades 5-6, Fox Ridge State Park
Cook County
- ACE Amandla Charter School, Chicago, $500: grades 9-12, Starved Rock State Park
- Bell Elementary School, Chicago, $910: grades 3-6, LaBagh Woods and Wild Mile, Chicago
- Bret Harte Elementary School, Chicago, $1,000: grades 3 and 5, Steelworkers Park, Chicago
- Bret Harte Elementary School, Chicago, $1,000: grade 4, Steelworkers Park, Chicago
- Chicago Academy Elementary, Chicago, $367.13: kindergarten, North Park Village Nature Center, Chicago
- Congress Park School, Brookfield, $1,000: grade 2, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Willow Springs
- Forest Road School, La Grange Park, $2,000: Grade 4, Lincoln Marsh, Wheaton
- Harry E. Fry School, Burbank, $650: Grade 5, Matthiessen State Park
- Lane Technical College Prep High School, Chicago, $1,000: grades 9-12, Humboldt Park, Chicago
- Locke Elementary School, Chicago, $825: grade 5, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
- Lorca Elementary School, Chicago, $1,000: grade 6, Chicago River, Chicago
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette, $1,500 (two grants): grades 10-11, Skokie Lagoons, Glencoe
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette, $600: grades 10-11, Dixon Prairie and Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette, $1,000 (four grants): grade 11, Munz Campus Prairie, Glenview
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette, $600 (four grants): grade 12, Munz Campus Prairie, Glenview
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette, $1,000 (two grants): grade 12, Illinois Beach State Park
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette, $600 (two grants): grade 12, West Fork Chicago River at Munz Campus, Glenview
- Maine West High School, Des Plaines, $500: grades 10-12, Linne Woods, Morton Grove
- McGaw YMCA Children’s Center, Evanston, $1,390: pre-K, Emily Oaks Nature Center, Skokie
- North River Elementary, Chicago, $520: grades 3-4, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
- Our Lady of Tepeyac High School, Chicago, $700: grades 9-10, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago
- Palmer Elementary School, Chicago, $1,000: grade 3, North Park Village Nature Center, Chicago
- St. Thomas the Apostle School, Chicago, $720: grades 3-5, Steelworkers Park, Chicago
- University of Chicago Charter School (NKO Campus), Chicago, $1,000: grade 3, Steelworkers Park, Chicago
- West Ridge Elementary School, Chicago, $550: kindergarten, North Park Village Nature Center, Chicago
- William H. Ryder Math and Science Specialty School, Chicago, $1,000: grade 5, Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area, Riverwoods
DeWitt County
- Ruth M. Schneider Elementary School, Farmer City, $499.55: grade 2, Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, Mahomet
Douglas County
- Villa Grove CUSD 302, Villa Grove, $631.22: grades 7-8, Fox Ridge State Park
- Villa Grove High School, Villa Grove, $1,000: grades 9-12, Vermilion River rafting trip, Oglesby
DuPage County
- Evergreen Elementary School, West Chicago, $1,900: grade 2, Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, St. Charles
- Evergreen Elementary School, West Chicago, $2,000: grade 4, Morton Arboretum, Lisle
- Franzen Intermediate School, Itasca, $1,500: grade 5, Stronghold Center, Oregon
- Fullerton Elementary School, Addison, $1,010: grade 3, Morton Arboretum, Lisle
- Georgetown Elementary School, Aurora, $1,000: grade 2, Red Oak Nature Center, North Aurora
- Lincoln Elementary School, Addison, $812: grade 3, Morton Arboretum, Lisle
- St. James the Apostle School, Glen Ellyn, $825: grades 2-3, Morton Arboretum, Lisle
- West Chicago Community High School, West Chicago, $655.95: grades 11-12, Urban Stream Research Center, Warrenville
Franklin County
- Christopher High School, Christopher, $500: grades 11-12, Cache River Wetlands Center, Cypress
Hardin County
- Hardin County Elementary School, Elizabethtown, $1,000: grades kindergarten through 5, University of Illinois Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, Simpson
Henderson County
- West Central Elementary School, Biggsville, $963: grade 2, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City
Jackson County
- Carruthers Elementary School, Murphysboro, $658.75: grade 4, Lake Murphysboro State Park
- Carruthers Elementary School, Murphysboro, $658.74: grade 4, Lake Murphysboro State Park
- DeSoto Grade School, De Soto, $2,065: grades 6-8, Camp Manitowa, Benton
- Murphysboro Middle School, Murphysboro, $806.96: grades 6-8, Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center, Makanda
Jersey County
- Valley Economic Development Corp. Head Start Program, Jerseyville, $1,178: pre-K, The Nature Institute, Godfrey
Johnson County
- New Simpson Hill School, Tunnel Hill, $500: grade 8, Cache River State Natural Area, Ullin
Kane County
- Kenyon Woods Middle School, South Elgin, $1,000: grade 7, Starved Rock State Park
- Long Beach Elementary School, Montgomery, $1,361: grade 5, Harris Forest Preserve, Yorkville
- Vanguard Gifted Academy, Batavia, $715: grades kindergarten through 5, Morton Arboretum, Lisle
Lake County
- Frassati Catholic Academy, Wauconda, $276-$334 (eight grants): grades 2-8 and kindergarten through first, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake Forest
- Little Scouts Preschool, Lake Forest, $570: pre-K, Danny Cunniff Park, Highland Park
Lee County
- Madison Elementary School, Dixon, $1,000: grade 4, Byron Forest Preserve, Byron
Livingston County
- Prairie Central Elementary School, Fairbury, $1,024.96: grade 2, Fugate Woods, Fairbury
Macon County
- Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School, Decatur, $634: grade 3, 4-H Memorial Camp, Monticello
- Franklin Grove Elementary School, Decatur, $1,334: grade 4, 4-H Memorial Camp, Monticello
- Maroa-Forsyth Middle School, Maroa, $1,000: grade 8, Starved Rock State Park
- Meridian Elementary School, Blue Mound, $280: grade 3, Griswold Conservation Area, Blue Mound
- South Shores Elementary School, Decatur, $1,000: grade 3, Illinois Raptor Center, Decatur
- South Shores Elementary School, Decatur, $990: grade 3, Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur
Macoupin County
- Carlinville Primary School, Carlinville, Grade two; Beaver Dam State Park, Plainview; $554.38.
- Wolf Ridge Education Center, Edwardsville, Grade four; The Nature Institute, Godfrey; $729.50.
Madison County
- Calvary Christian School, Alton, $307.50: grades 4-7, The Nature Institute, Godfrey
- Roxana High School, Roxana, $940: grades 11-12, Willoughby Heritage Farms, Collinsville
Marion County
- Salem Community High School, Salem, $750: grades 9-12, Illinois Caverns State Natural Area, Waterloo
McDonough County
- Edison Elementary School, Macomb, $1,015: grade 4, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City
McLean County
- Carlock Elementary School, Carlock, $1,914.48: grades kindergarten through 5, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City
Monroe County
- Valmeyer Elementary School, Valmeyer, $178.48: grade 5, Waterloo Sportsman’s Club, Waterloo
Peoria County
- Annie Jo Gordon Community Learning Center, Peoria, $1,000: grades 6-8, Starved Rock State Park
- Light House Academy, Peoria, $200: grades 1-6, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City
- Mossville Junior High and Elementary School, Chillicothe, $884: grade 2, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City
- Wilder-Waite Grade School, Peoria, $374: grade 3, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City
Piatt County
- DeLand-Weldon CUSD 57, DeLand, $550: grades 6-8, 4-H Memorial Camp, Monticello
- White Heath Elementary School, White Heath, $1,960: grades 4-5, 4-H Memorial Camp, Monticello
Pike County
- Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Pleasant Hill, $847.50: grades 3-4, The Nature Institute, Godfrey
- Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Pleasant Hill, $957.50: grades 3-4, The Nature Institute, Godfrey
Richland County
- St. Joseph School, Olney, $500: grade 8, Camp Ondessonk, Ozark
Saline County
- East Side Intermediate School, Harrisburg, $3,500: grade 4, Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center, Makanda
Shelby County
- Gregory Intermediate School, Moweaqua, $900: grade 5, Camp Maranatha, Ramsey
Union County
- Lick Creek CCSD 16, Buncombe, $250: grade 2, Ferne Clyffe State Park, Goreville
Washington County
- Trinity Lutheran School, Hoyleton, $500: grades 5-6, The Nature Institute, Godfrey
Will County
- Brooks Middle School, Bolingbrook, $1,600: grade 7, Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Channahon
Williamson County
- Carterville Intermediate School, Carterville, $4,080: grade 5, Cache River State Natural Area, Ullin
- Carterville Junior High School, Carterville, $2,500 (two grants): grade 8, outdoor education sites, Makanda

• IDNR awards 108 biodiversity field trip grants to Illinois state parks, historic sites and museums
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