As the cold winter weather eases, sugar maple trees begin the process of turning stored starch into sugar. Sap is made as this sugar combines with water in the ground. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of pure maple syrup.
Tapping maple trees to make syrup is an age-old tradition in North America. You can experience it for yourself at the Garden’s annual Maple Syrup Time demonstrations set for weekends in mid-February and March (March 4-5 and March 11-12).
Demonstrations include seeing first-hand the “evaporation” process of boiling sap over a wood fire to produce syrup and of course, tasting the delicious syrup. The program is free and open to the public. Bring the kids, check the weather and dress accordingly.
Then make plans to attend Garden’s annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. Make reservations for this popular breakfast and silent auction fundraiser by calling the Nature Center at 529-1111. The breakfast is set for 8 a.m. to noon on the weekends of March 18-19 and March 25-26.
Many local businesses support this event. Pure maple “sirup” from family-owned Funks Grove in nearby Shirley and plates and napkins from MJ Kellner. Our major event sponsor is Bank of Springfield.
Our Prairie and sun-loving plant sale is now live. We are taking orders through our website until Wednesday, May 12 at 5:00pm, so be sure to get yours in. Pick up will be held on Saturday, May 15 at the Ostermeier Prairie Center. Once your order is placed we will contact you to schedule your designated pick up time, this will help us keep the number of people here at a any one time to a minimum. Your purchase helps support the Garden.
The Nature Center remains closed in 2020 for the health and safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff.
Garden Trails are open every day from sunrise to sunset. Please follow State of Illinois and CDC COVID-19 safety and social distancing guidelines for outdoor activities.
In accordance with Governor Pritzker’s Modified Stay at Home Order, the Nature Center remains closed. Events/programs scheduled through May have been cancelled. Nature trails remain open sunrise to sunset. Follow the State of Illinois and CDC guidelines for permitted outdoor activities and social distancing.
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation’s priority is health and safety for our visitors and staff. We are actively monitoring the State of Illinois COVID-19 response.
Thank you for your continued support of the Garden during this challenging time. Follow the Lincoln Memorial Garden Facebook page for the latest updates and for fun and creative at-home environmental education and activities for kids and adults.
8K Trail Race
The Lincoln Memorial Garden 8K Trail Race, set for Saturday, June 6, 2020, has been cancelled for the health and safety of race participants, volunteers and staff.
Online Plant Sale
The Prairie Wildflower Plant Sale has moved online. Order by 5 p.m. CST Thursday, May 14 and you will be contacted by a Garden representative for a specific time to pick up your order at the Ostermeier Prairie Center parking lot during the weekend of May 16-17. We will be following State of Illinois and CDC safety guidelines for social distancing for safe pickup. Prairie and sun-loving native plants are the focus including 11 species of milkweeds, which attract birds and butterflies and provide natural food for native wildlife. A few nonnative, noninvasive species will be available, such as the ever-popular assortment of herbs, tomatoes and peppers.
Do not visit if you are sick or have symptoms of COVID-19.
Practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others.
Wear a mask if you are unable to maintain a 6-foot distance from others.
Be courteous to other visitors. Consider stepping to the side of the trail, altering them that you are nearing from behind or pausing at a bench while they pass.
Use everyday preventive actions.
Avoid gathering in groups.
Photo Contest
The “Images of Lincoln Memorial Garden” Photography Contest encourages Springfield-area residents to document the beauty and use of Lincoln Memorial Garden. The contest entry deadline is Friday, August 28 at 5 p.m. CST. Get all the details. https://lincolnmemorialgarden.org/photo-contest/
Categories include:
Living Creatures (birds, mammals, frogs, toads, snakes, turtles, insects and other invertebrates)
Wildflowers
Landscapes
Celebrating Life at Lincoln Memorial Garden – People Using the Garden (e.g., hiking the trails, posing on the boulder, attending events)
Love the Garden? Consider a Gift to the Garden
Due to COVID-19, our spring season fundraising events have been cancelled. Did you know? Lincoln Memorial Garden receives no direct taxpayer support and charges no fees for access to its 100 acres of natural woodlands, trails, prairie and meadow. The Garden is managed by the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that relies on financial donations from those who love the Garden and its mission. Please consider a donation at any level to preserve and protect Springfield’s local getaway and best-kept secret. www.LincolnMemorialGarden.org/donate
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The mission of Lincoln Memorial Garden is to honor the memory of Abraham Lincoln through re-creation of the native landscape he would have known, and to serve as a place to find inspiration in the changing seasons, learn stewardship of the environment and explore the relationship among plants, wildlife, water and sunlight in an atmosphere of peace and beauty. Designed by internationally known landscape architect Jens Jensen, this 100-acre site features six miles of trails, footbridges, a pond, eight stone council rings, a prairie and dozens of wooden benches inscribed with Lincoln quotes.
2301 East Lake Shore Drive – Springfield, Illinois 62712-8908
Make reservations for this popular breakfast and silent auction fundraiser by calling the Nature Center at 529-1111.
The breakfast is set for 8 a.m. to noon on the weekends of March 21–22 and March 28–29.
Pancakes with gluten free option, real maple syrup and sausage cooked over a fire.
$8 for adults, $5 for kids.
Thank you to event sponsor Bank of Springfield.
Many local businesses support this event through in-kind donations. There’s butter from Maldaner’s Restaurant, pure maple “sirup” from family-owned Funks Grove in nearby Shirley and plates and napkins from MJ Kellner.
We’d like to thank all the individuals, businesses and organizations who will be making donations to this year’s campaign. We truly appreciate your support in helping us reach our goal.
Help maintain our local treasure
It’s the annual fund drive for Lincoln Memorial Garden. Just a mention of the Garden evokes happy memories in many and exited anticipation in many more. We are know for our exceptional environmental education programs that offer young and old a place to experience and learn about the natural world.
Our Holiday Market, Pancake Breakfast, Lunch in Bloom, Trail Race and Indian Summer Festival have become annual events for generations of families in Springfield and surrounding communities.
It’s here for walkers, joggers, bird watchers, nature lovers and wanderers of all ages who seek out its beauty and solitude every season.
For more than six decades the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation as overseen this living tribute to President Lincoln. The Garden is the result of a fruitful collaboration between local conservationist and civic leader Harriet Knudson and world renown architect Jens Jensen.
The annual fund drive asks for your support in financial assistance to care for the Garden and facilities, remain a leader in nature education and a steward of our prairie and woodlands. Annual fund dollars go directly to operating budget to fund daily needs such as educational supplies, tools and equipment and utilities.
Please consider a donation to the annual fund in support of this local treasure.
A conversation with Neil Brumleve, Massie Massie & Associates, project landscape designer
LMG: Tell us about the design of the trail. Massie Massie & Associates (MMA) has been involved with the Garden for many years. How did you approach the design of this accessible addition?
Neil: Tom Wilkin and Joel Horwedel came to MMA with a vision to create an accessible trail in order for everyone to enjoy the beauty of the Garden. The design elements we are hoping to have visitors experience include native tree groves, open prairie meadows, framed views along the trails and Jens Jensen’s signature stone council rings.
The trail loop selected follows an existing wood chip trail that includes all these design elements, and the proximity to the Nature Center made decisions such as the location and layout of this trail fairly simple.
LMG: What will those who experience the new trail learn about the Garden?
Neil: I think those using the short trail loop will experience many of the key design elements that are incorporated throughout the Garden. Shady areas and filtered sun openings along the trail provide a unique experience, and the curved walkway will keep people wondering what is around the next turn.
Council Ring #3 is tucked at the edge of a wooded area about midway along the length of the trail. From this location visitors have views of an open prairie meadow with Lake Springfield in the background. I am very excited about providing an accessible walkway to one of the Garden’s council rings as they are the signature design element to many of Jensen’s designs.
LMG: Who do you hope this trail will open the Garden up to, now that there is an accessible extension?
Neil: This trail will be enjoyed by everyone from toddlers just beginning to take those first steps to the elderly who might not feel comfortable walking on anything other than a smooth, uniform surface. People using wheelchairs, walkers or canes will also be able to experience the Garden on a comfortable, easy to navigate surface.
LMG: Tell us about the new entrance to the Nature Center as part of the project.
Neil: Replacing the entry sidewalk to the Nature Center provides an opportunity to create an outdoor gathering space. This plaza will be used by school groups, clubs, and other organizations that use the Garden for various activities and events. It will also be a nice area for individuals to sit and enjoy the natural environment.
A new stone seat wall (half council ring) and permeable unit pavers will define the plaza area just outside the Nature Center entrance. Stone similar to the existing council rings will be used, and the permeable unit pavers will help alleviate the drainage problem that has persisted in front of the Nature Center for years.
LMG: When will visitors begin to see the construction?
Neil: Weather permitting, construction could begin as early as November and last for a couple of months. If weather becomes an issue, construction could be delayed until spring of 2020, as pouring exposed aggregate sidewalks in cold weather is not recommended.
LMG: Will construction affect visiting the Garden?
Neil: The Garden will still be open during construction, although use of the area where the new trail will be constructed will be restricted. A temporary entrance walkway will allow access to the Nature Center from the parking area along East Lake Shore Drive for the duration of the project.
Construction timeline: Early November to late December (weather permitting). If the weather does not cooperate, work could be postponed until early spring 2020.
Length of the trail: 95 feet of replacement sidewalk and 370 feet of new sidewalk for a total of 465 feet of new accessible trail surface.
Width of the trail: 6 feet wide
Landscape Design: Massie Massie & Associates
Cost estimate: $110,000
Massie Massie & Associates (MMA) is a land planning and landscape architecture firm located in Springfield. In business since 1975, the firm offers the services of experienced planning and licensed landscape architects to individuals, corporations, foundations and public agencies. MMA has been involved in several projects at the Garden throughout the years, including the master plan for the Garden in 2001, development of the Ostermeier Prairie Center, design of the map shelter, the paver parking area along East Lake Shore Drive, front entry improvements and various other small projects.
Neil Brumleve is a licensed landscape architect at Massie Massie & Associates. He began working at MMA in 2006 shortly after receiving his bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois. He works on a wide variety of projects, incorporating sustainable design approaches whenever possible. Neil rejoined the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation Board in April 2019 after previously serving on the board from 2009 to 2012.
“The Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation is committed to all who wish to enjoy many elements of the Garden. This project reflects the passion that was started so many years ago by the founders of the Garden led by Harriet Knudson, with more than 50 individuals and groups donating to make the trail happen.”
– Tom Wilken, Past President of Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation
