Mission & Purpose

Mission – To promote appreciation, stewardship and naturalizing of our local urban stream corridors.

Purpose – To engage the community in awareness and responsibility of naturalizing and sustaining our waterways through organized litter clean up, education and removal of invasive species to restore natural habitat and showcase the amenity value of a healthy ecosystem.

Event Information

2024 Boneyard Creek Community Day will mark our 17th year!

2023 TALLIES
VOLUNTEERS: 502
LITTER REMOVAL AREA: 1662.43 acres
TRASH COLLECTED: 35 cubic yards
SHORELINE CLEAN-UP: 4.47 miles
INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL: 1.5 Acres
COOL ITEMS FOUND: entire birthday cake, recycling bin, spider decoration, cash, fast food banner

Looking for a class volunteer project or a new way to bring the family together? Join us in making a difference at one of Champaign-Urbana’s natural treasures. Help restore the beauty of the Boneyard Creek in Champaign, Urbana, and Campus-town by participating in this organized clean-up.
Free lunch will follow at Scott Park!  

Volunteer registration opens March 1st, 2024.


For information regarding weather updates or event cancelation, please check our Facebook event page. 


Location sites include:
Scott Park
Kaufman Lake/Heritage Park
Boulware Trail
Anita Purves
Boneyard Creek Crossing
Savoy Rt 45
UI Campus
​North Prospect
Bristol
Perkins Road
​Oak Ash 
Kickapoo Rail Trail 

Contact: [email protected]

Thank you to the sponsors, volunteers, and organizers who helped make past Boneyard Creek Community Day events successful!

The Boneyard Creek Community Day event is possible because of our many community volunteers. Volunteers clean up litter and non-native plants from areas all over Champaign Urbana. Work sites vary from those suitable for younger children to more challenging sites.
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EVENT SCHEDULE:

Cleanup activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. 

Lunch, music, and educational displays at Scott Park will be provided following the clean-up.

Scott Park
207 E. Springfield Ave.
​Champaign

What should I wear?

Dress to work outside. No open-toed shoes. Some projects may involve getting into the creek. Those participants should wear boots. Please bring your own refillable water bottle and please wear your orange Boneyard shirt from a previous year if you have one.

If you don't want to keep your orange shirt, please return it to us at the
end of the event in the bins at Scott Park.

Why are we doing this?

Boneyard Creek Community Day is a way to celebrate and protect our lakes and streams by engaging volunteers to pitch in and clean. Litter looks bad and leads to more litter. It clogs storm drains causing local flooding and ends up in receiving streams harming aquatic life. This event helps remind us all to be responsible citizens and put trash in its place.

Register


Online Volunteer Registration in Closed.  You can still register onsite at Scott Park on April 20th!
Deadline to register online is April 13th.
Onsite registration at Scott Park will be available.

Sponsors 

The Boneyard Creek Community Day is possible because of generous sponsorship from community businesses and organizations. If you would like to become a Sponsor, please see contact [email protected] for additional information.
Picture

Organizers

Education

Boneyard Creek Community Day is proud to have many student participants. Please join us after the clean-up for lunch, music, and educational displays suitable for all ages at Scott Park.

Accomplishments

2023 Totals:
  • Volunteers: 502
  • Litter Removal Area: 1662.43 acres
  • Shoreline Clean-up: 4.47 miles
  • Litter Collected: 35 cubic yards
  • Invasive Species Removal: 1.5 Acres
  • Interesting things found: entire birthday cake, recycling bin, spider decoration, cash, fast food banner.

2022 Totals:
  • Volunteers: 413
  • Litter Removal Area: 1688.44 acres
  • Shoreline Clean-up: 5.77 miles
  • Litter Collected: 47.6 cubic yards
  • Invasive Species Removal: 1.5 acres
  • Interesting things found: 2 TVs 2 Shopping carts, suitcase, and skateboard.

2019 Totals:
  • Volunteers: 392
  • Litter Removal Area: 468.25 acres
  • Shoreline Clean-up: 6.25 miles
  • Litter Collected: 30 cubic yards
  • Invasive Species Removal: 8 acres

Photos

These photos have been provided by an amazing group of volunteer photographers:
  • Sarthak Prasad
  • Hope Bickers
  • Heartland Coca-Cola
  • Colleen Ruhter
  • Brandon Haist
  • Alex Nagy
  • Travis Tate
  • Betsy Liggett

2022 Photos

Arts

In 2013, local artists painted 9 murals as a gentle reminder to put trash in its place. Sponsors included: Public Art League, Champaign County Design & Conservation Foundation, Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District, City of Champaign, Urbana Park District, and University of Illinois. 

The Map below shows the mural locations.

Contact Information 

Please direct questions to:
[email protected]

Website managed by the Champaign Park District