American Fisheries Society

The U of I Chapter of the American Fisheries Society is open to all students and faculty who are interested in the conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems. It is the goal of our chapter to provide people who are interested in fisheries an opportunity to meet one another and learn about fisheries management and conservation. At our biweekly meetings, students are able to socialize, learn about fisheries related jobs and careers, and listen to speakers talk about local and global fisheries issues. Outside our regular meetings, our club sponsors a number of social activities and outreach events that provide students with hands-on fisheries experience. See the Organization's bulletin board in the first floor West hallway of Turner Hall.

Illini Foresters

The Illini Foresters is open to all students interested in the conservation and management of natural resources. The club is involved with and actively participates in many university, college, departmental, and community activities, including volunteer maintenance and cleanup in local parks, controlled burning of tall grass prairies, planting trees, guiding trail walks, assisting local landowners with forest land management plans, providing a forest land stewardship display and giving away tree seedlings during the College of ACES ExplorACES, and annually awarding a book scholarship to an undergraduate student. A major club activity is participation with ten other universities in the annual Midwestern Foresters Conclave, a competition in traditional forester's skills such as log rolling, speed chopping, buck-sawing, and tree identification. Social events and activities include camping, canoeing and skiing trips, bonfires, and an annual awards banquet. The Illini Foresters funds all of its yearly activities by selling Christmas trees in early December. See the Club's bulletin board in the first floor West hallway of Turner Hall.

Red Bison

Red Bison is the University of Illinois’ student organization for ecological restoration. Moreover, we’re one of the ONLY restoration-focused student groups in the whole Midwest! Ecological restoration is the hands-on practice of taking land that has been biologically degraded (typically from human use) and increasing its ecological value. For example, we’ll work to increase plant diversity by removing invasive species, growing native plants in greenhouses, and then transplanting those plants to our restoration sites. Increasing plant diversity in turn creates wildlife habitats, particularly for butterflies and bees, and makes beautiful wildflower displays for the public when they walk through the area. So by increasing the biological value of our sites we also make pleasant areas for people to enjoy as they move through their days—going to work, walking their dogs, or relaxing. It’s a win-win! We have several big projects going on right now. We’ve got a big prairie restoration at the corner of Florida and Orchard, a woodland restoration in the University Arboretum at the corner of Windsor and Lincoln, and then we have several smaller restorations right on campus (outside of LAR and the Natural Resources building, for example). We would love for you to join us on our Restoration Days. Just email Scott Nelson at redbison.rso@gmail.com to get on the email list and hear about our events!

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Soil and Water Conservation Society

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student chapter of the National Soil and Water Conservation Society works to educate students on the conservation and sustainable management of soil and water resources. Also known as the Illini Soil Judgers, the organization provides students with hands-on experience in soil and water conservation and opportunities to meet with professionals in the field. Some of our fun activities include soil crayon making, soil T-shirt tye dying, and mock soil judging competitions. E-mail illinisoiljudging@gmail.com for more information about joining the club.

Students for Environmental Concerns

Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) is a registered student organization of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as a student program of the University YMCA. SECS promotes environmental action on campus by either spearheading campaigns ourselves or collaborating with other organizations on projects that lead to a greener Earth. Specifically, SECS goals are to work to maintain the stability, integrity, and beauty of the natural world, promote and participate in the sustainable food revolution, and pursue clean energy on and off campus. SECS is the oldest and largest RSO on campus, and consists of five main project groups: the Beyond Coal Campaign, Education, Earth Week, Sustainable Landscapes and Food, and Weatherization. Students for Environmental Concerns is always looking for new members! Come join us every Wednesday at 6:30 PM at the University YMCA located on Wright Street in Champaign.

The Green Observer

The Green Observer is the only environmental publication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is a magazine that is completely student-run and is open to all students interested in environmental issues, journalism, illustration, graphic design, and web design. We publish four issues per year that include articles about local environmental concerns, environmental classes and RSOs, tips for environmentally-conscious lifestyles, recycled crafts, and much more. The Green Observer meets every Monday at 5:30pm at the University YMCA.

The Wildlife Society

The Wildlife Society's University of Illinois Student Chapter is comprised of students interested in promoting wildlife conservation and is open to all students here at the University of Illinois. Goals of the organization include providing opportunities to gain experience and knowledge about wildlife biology, conservation, and management, and fostering campus and community awareness of wildlife issues. See the Organization's bulletin board in the first floor West hallway of Turner Hall.

U.S. Green Building Council Student Chapter

USGBC Students-UIUC is a registered student organization, whose goal is to advance US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) mission to move towards a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.  We are officially affiliated with the USGBC, the governing committee for the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program. USGBC is helping advance spaces that are better for the environment and healthier for us to live, work and play in and remains a key driving force in the green building sector.  USGBC Students-UIUC has monthly meetings that focus on current topics on green building concepts from a variety of disciplines. Please email us at usgbcstudents.uiuc@gmail.com to receive more information on our current upcoming events.