PCSWCD – Page 2

Published December 30, 2025 by PCSWCD

2026 LCF Mudpuppy Festival – February 1st

The Land Conservation Foundation has announced details for their eighth annual Mudpuppy Festival!

The 2026 festival will be held on Sunday, February 1st from 1:00 – 4:00pm at the Monarch Events Center (212 S Independence St, Monticello)

Help celebrate the unique and exciting mudpuppy, a rare aquatic salamander known to occur in the Sangamon River – along with other special creatures! If you would like to donate to LCF or sponsor this event, mail your donation to LCF at (508 S Broadway Ave, Urbana, IL 61801) or visit their website: https://www.landconservationfoundation.org/

Foundation Upcoming Events

Published November 13, 2025 by PCSWCD

Piatt County USDA Office is Open!

The USDA office in Monticello has re-opened!

Our office phones and emails are now operational. We are returning messages that we were not able to access during the shutdown as fast as possible, but if you are still waiting on a reply please feel free to stop by the office or give us a call. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

District Services

Published October 9, 2025 by PCSWCD

Tree Sale – Location Change

For folks who have pre-ordered trees from our John Beckhart Memorial Tree Sale: Due to the government shutdown, our USDA office building remains inaccessible and we have changed the location for tree pick up scheduled for this Friday, October 10th from 8:00am – 4:30pm.

The new tree pick up location is 1115 N State Street, Monticello, IL 61856 on the north side of the buildings. The date and time (10/10, 8:00-4:30) will remain the same. Below is a map showing the new pick up location.

If you have any questions, please email us at piattswcd@gmail.com. Thank you!

District Sales District Services Upcoming Events

Published October 2, 2025 by PCSWCD

Government Shutdown – 10/1/2025

Due to the lapse in federal government funding, the USDA office in Monticello will be closed until further notice. Staff will not have access to the building, office phones, or government issued email accounts until Congress restores funding.

To reach Piatt County SWCD employees, please email piattswcd@gmail.com. Thank you!

District Services

Published August 29, 2025 by PCSWCD

John Beckhart Memorial Tree Sale

The Piatt County Soil and Water Conservation District would like to thank John for donating his time to the PCSWCD Board of Directors for 19 years, from 2000 to 2019. He was a highly committed board member who rarely missed a meeting. Throughout his time serving on the Board, John has played many roles and was instrumental in developing programs and financial security for the District. The Board and staff are deeply grateful for his dedication to our mission for nearly two decades. In honor of his passing, the District is memorializing the annual fall tree sale as the John Beckhart Memorial Tree Sale.

District Sales District Services

Published July 18, 2025 by PCSWCD

Last Electronics Recycling Event of 2025 is July 30th!

Our last Electronics Recycling event of the year is Wednesday, July 30th at Forest Preserve Park in Monticello!

Show up early to guarantee disposal! The event will run from 9am – 11:30am or until the truck is full.

Event Rules:
-Must be a Piatt County resident/landowner
-Free! for most items. $25 charge required for large console or projection T.V.s
-No White Goods: refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, etc.
-No Batteries
-Limit 10 items per vehicle
-Limit 3 T.V.s or computer monitors per vehicle

Next Electronics Recycling Event: January 2026

District Services Upcoming Events

Published May 5, 2025 by PCSWCD

Plant for Pollinators Sale May 7-9, 2025

Support local wildlife by planting native perennial plants in your garden and landscaping this spring! PCSWCD’s annual Plant for Pollinators sale is this Wednesday through Friday (5/7 – 5/9) from 8am to 6pm at the Monticello USDA office!

We have 13 species available: big bluestem, butterfly milkweed, bee balm, purple coneflower, blue and white wild indigo, rattlesnake master, shrubby St. John’s wort, common milkweed, cardinal flower, prairie coreopsis, compass plant, and slender mountain mint.