As a community college of the 21st Century, Spoon River College strives to do its part to be a conservator and guardian of the environment.  In recent years, the college has undertaken a variety of initiatives and educational programs to promote a healthier environment.

In 2007, the Spoon River College Board of Trustees authorized administrators to conduct an extensive infrastructure and energy audit of college facilities.  The audit will look at the physical condition of the college's existing facilities including the energy and power systems.  Results from the audit will assist the college in selecting energy-efficient systems to replace older systems as they need replacement.

The audit will also provide the college with recommendations on energy conservation technologies including geothermal heating and air conditioning, as well as energy-efficient lighting systems to use in the construction of new facilities such as the new Macomb campus and the new Rushville Center.

PEEPS (People for Earth's Ecological Preservation) is a student organization works to improve the environment through projects, educational field trips and other activities through the exploration of all areas of science.

Macomb Campus Chapter
Current Projects:

• Starting a campus recycling program.  We want to place several bins all over campus to collect paper and plastic
• Selling our mugs as a fundraiser.  We are selling on campus and at Macomb Farmers Market

Our Future Projects:

• An educational field trip to Chicago to view the environmental display at the Museum of Science and Industry
• Planning more ways to green our campus and raise environmental awareness among students and staff
• SRC PEEPS members serving as mentors to the Macomb High ecology club
• Showing an environmental movie in the auditorium – open to everyone
• Participating in the WIU environmental summit

Past Projects:

• Conducted campus electronics recycling drive
• Field trip to green festival in Chicago
• Toured organic farm
• Toured prairie restoration
• Field trip to renewable energy fair in Oregon Illinois

PEEPS meet every Monday at noon in M208 on the Macomb campus.  For information, contact Kristy Boggs, Biology instructor, Macomb campus at kboggs@src.edu. 

Canton Campus Chapter
Current Projects:

• Recruit student membership
• Sponsoring of Science Café on September 27, 2007
• Selling PEEPS mugs as fundraiser
• Co-op with Macomb PEEPS chapter to develop campus-wide recycling program

The PEEPS Canton Campus chapter plans to meet weekly.  For information, contact Stacy Swanson, Chemistry instructor, Canton campus at sswanson@src.edu.

In fall 2007, students in the agriculture business management and natural resources and conservation programs at Spoon River College planted a three-acre native prairie on the south end of the Canton Campus.  The students hand-seeded five Illinois native grass varieties, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Side Oats Gramma, Switch Grass and Indian Grass.

The goal of the project is to establish a native prairie that will be an attractive natural setting that will benefit wildlife and will reduce time- and energy-consuming mowing.  Eventually, walking trails will be established throughout the prairie and plant-identification plots will be established to help visitors identify native plants.

“With this project the students will learn the steps in establishing a native prairie and will be in charge of the maintenance,” said Jeff Bash, agriculture instructor at Spoon River College.  The agriculture program already has established eight acres of prairie on the south side of the campus.  Bash says students will use those plots to collect seeds and use for identification purposes during the Native Illinois Prairie Plants course in the spring semester.

Bash stated that creating a prairie is not only environmentally and animal friendly, but it is low maintenance, and fosters discussions of the history of the North American prairie and its contribution to agriculture.

Spoon River College offers an agriculture transfer degree, as well as agriculture business management and natural resources and conservation associate of applied science degrees and certificates.  For more information about the programs contact the agriculture department at (309) 647-4645.