Champaign Park District has announced an upcoming grant-funded tree planting at Heritage Park. The planting will take place on Thursday, April 30, at 9am. Champaign Park District staff, local master naturalists, and volunteers will work together to plant 74 trees in the park near the Greenbelt Bikeway Trail.
The Heritage Park planting is made possible by a grant through the Lumpkin Family Foundation’s Nature-based Climate Action Program. The District received $12,000 from the Foundation for tree plantings in 2026. Approximately half of the funds will be used at Heritage Park, and the remaining funds will be used for tree planting later this fall. Details on the second planting will be announced at a later date.
“Champaign Park District is committed to protecting and expanding urban forestry initiatives,” said Bret Johnson, Champaign Park District Director of Operations and Planning. “The ongoing support from the Lumpkin Family Foundation has been instrumental in facilitating this development.”
This is the fourth consecutive year that the Lumpkin Family Foundation has awarded the District grant funding for tree plantings. The District has received $36,200 in cumulative funding from the Foundation to plant over 400 trees in local parks.
More information about the Nature-Based Climate Action Program can be found at https://www.lumpkinfoundation.org/for-grant-seekers/Nature-Based-Climate-Action-Program
To learn more about the Heritage Park planting, visit https://champaignparks.org/event/heritage-park-tree-planting/
Champaign Park District will also hold a smaller tree planting at Hazel Park on Monday, May 4, at 9am. 4 trees will be planted by District staff and park neighbors. More information about the planting can be found at https://champaignparks.org/event/hazel-park-tree-planting/
About Lumpkin Family Foundation
The Lumpkin Family Foundation was established in 1953 by Besse A. Lumpkin, widow of Dr. William C. Lumpkin. The foundation honors the Lumpkin family’s heritage in Central Illinois, stemming from the family’s early involvement in the Mattoon Telephone Company, which expanded into the national company Consolidated Communications. Over the years, the foundation has received support from multiple generations of the Lumpkin family and has developed professional governance, hiring its first executive director in 1994. Today, with a team of four full-time employees and ongoing volunteer involvement from family members, the foundation focuses on meaningful grant-making in Central Illinois and other communities tied to the family, while also contributing to the broader philanthropic community through various initiatives and training programs.
Learn more about Lumpkin Family Foundation at https://www.lumpkinfoundation.org/
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chelsea Norton
Director of Marketing & Development
Champaign Park District
217-819-3934
Chelsea.norton@champaignparks.org
