MCLEAN COUNTY (25News Now) – The Ecology Action Center in Normal is expanding its efforts to go green in the Twin Cities, with plans to plant 10,000 more trees across McLean County in 2025.

Over the past three years, the EAC’s Tree Corps initiative has already planted more than 30,000 trees, benefiting both the environment and local communities.

Trees help improve air quality, reduce pollution, and provide shade in urban areas, cooling down neighborhoods in the summer. They also restore habitats for wildlife and pollinators like bees and butterflies.

In 2025, tree planting projects are planned for areas such as the Market Street and Veterans Parkway interchanges, Comlara Park, and Lake Bloomington.

“We need to get them in the ground before the rain stops for the year, before we get into hot summer temperatures and less rain,” said Michael Brown, the executive director at the Ecology Action Center.

“If we’ve hit June, then we might be running into trouble, and so it’s really best to get this done in April and May at the latest,” he said.

The organization is now looking for volunteers to help with planting efforts, as well as financial contributions to keep the program going. Whether it’s an individual donation or a group effort, every contribution helps toward the goal of planting 10,000 trees this year.

For those interested in getting involved, sign-up and donation options are available online at Tree-Corps.org.

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