FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information
January 14, 2026 Eric Mollahan, Executive Director
217-303-3340
ericmollahan@landconservationfoundation.org

Land Conservation Foundation’s 8th Annual Mudpuppy Festival
February 1 is Monticello’s Official Mudpuppy Day!

The Land Conservation Foundation invites all ages to celebrate the Sangamon River’s coolest creature – the mudpuppy – at our eighth annual Mudpuppy Festival. This Festival will be held at the Monarch Events Center in Monticello on Sunday, February 1 from 1-4 pm. All past Festivals have been a huge success with up to 300 people attending. LCF is a non-profit organization and donations are greatly appreciated.

This year’s children’s section is hosted by the Illinois Extension, and kids will have an opportunity to complete mudpuppy crafts and a scavenger hunt, have their wildlife “passports” stamped to “fish” for prizes, and have their faces painted. There will also be exhibits for everyone to learn about the Sangamon River and its wildlife, including mussels, birds, pollinators, and the state threatened mudpuppy, a footlong aquatic salamander, unique for its purple external gills!

Monticello Mayor Larry Stoner has approved a proclamation naming February 1 as Mudpuppy Day in Monticello! Regional businesses and individuals sponsor the festival.

The Land Conservation Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to preserving local natural areas for wildlife…for people…forever. LCF currently owns properties in Champaign, Piatt, DeWitt, and Vermilion counties, including the Bruce Hannon Levee Trail in Monticello.

For more information, go to LCFs website: landconservationfoundation.org or call Executive Director Eric Mollahan, 217-303-3340.