DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) - Graduate students from the University of Illinois Department of Urban & Regional Planning will share their semester-long project, "Exploring Coal's Legacy in Vermilion County."
A public presentation and discussion will be held on Saturday, December 6, at 1 p.m. at the Vermilion County Museum, 116 N. Gilbert Street, Danville.
Students will present their work mapping a coal heritage trail through Vermilion County. The class worked to identify and document key sites that tell the story of coal's influence on the region's social, economic, and environmental landscape.
The project highlights locations that range from local museums preserving miners’ stories, fossil-rich formations in an underground petrified rainforest, and areas affected by coal ash contamination along the Middle Fork River.
Those who come will get to ask students questions and share feedback.
“This project brings together place, history, community engagement, and natural heritage,” said Emily Guske, Research Specialist at the Climate Jobs Institute, who taught the class UP 510 Plan Making throughout the semester. “By exploring how coal shaped Vermilion County — and how its legacy continues to affect people and the environment today — the students are helping to imagine new possibilities for heritage, learning, and community revitalization."
The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided.
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