Watershed Stewards Training
This registration will open on 01/12/2026. Please come back at that time.
Join us for the Watershed Stewards Program, an interactive training series designed to equip community members with the knowledge and skills to protect and enhance local water resources. This science-based program provides a comprehensive look at watershed systems—including hydrology, water quality and quantity, flooding, and the ecological benefits of healthy waterways.
To ensure participants gain the full benefit of this program, attendance at all training sessions is highly encouraged. This is a cohesive, sequential training, not an à la carte series.
Training Schedule
Tuesdays, March 3–April 21, 2026
9–11:30 a.m.
Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital, Education Center (Entrance C), Mattoon
Session Topics
- Week 1: Fundamentals of Watershed Hydrology & Impacts of Land Use on Water Quality and Quantity
- Week 2: Water Quality & Benthic Macroinvertebrates
- Week 3: Flooding and Stormwater & Weather and Climate Vulnerability
- Week 4: Wildlife in the Watershed & Invasive Species
- Week 5: Soil and Geology & Stream and River Recreation
- Week 6: Agricultural Best Practices
- Week 7: Green Infrastructure & Urban Forestry
- Week 8: Field Trip – Water Treatment Facility (tentative)
This free program is made possible through a generous grant from the Lumpkin Family Foundation. A light breakfast will be provided.
Special Opportunity:
Participants who attend all training sessions will be eligible to receive a free Soft Landings Kit, which includes 75 native plants designed to cover 100 square feet, along with design templates, installation instructions, and mulch—everything needed to create habitat under native trees and help reduce stormwater runoff.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Jenny Lee at jalee73@illinois.edu. Early requests are highly encouraged.