SANGAMON CORRIDOR CORPS OF DISCOVERY The dynamic, changing landscape of the Sangamon River Corridor provides a perfect opportunity for interested, committed citizens to participate in the documentation of the biological diversity of this significant stream. Two centuries ago the Midwest served as the start for one of the greatest exploratory endeavors undertaken on the North American continent—the Lewis & Clark Expedition. We used the Lewis & Clark model to create a 21st century Corps of Discovery to aesthetically document this unique, diverse landscape. The Sangamon Corridor Corps of Discovery consists of individuals trained in the skills of nature photography, descriptive writing, and sketching/drawing, who can then create a total picture of the river corridor, both today and into the future.
Members of the Sangamon Corridor Corps of Discovery were trained in a series of four all day Saturday workshops, beginning in January, 2010, at the Illinois Audubon Adams Wildlife Sancturary in Springfield, and Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur.
The Lewis & Clark expedition generated perhaps the most famous nature journals ever compiled during the two-year exploration of the American West. Whereas Lewis and Clark traveled thousands of miles to document the expansive American West, today it is the diverse landscape of the river that will move, evolve, and change, and it is the individuals who will stay put.
The Sangamon Corridor Corps of Discovery is a group of dedicated volunteers from Springfield and Decatur, Illinois, and surrounding areas, who wish to document the changes in the habitats and biodiverstiy along the Sangamon River. It is a joint effort of the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Illinois Audubon Society, and Decatur Audubon.