MCLEANSBORO — East Side Elementary School in McLeansboro is among 100 schools representing 36 counties in the state that have been awarded an Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant to School from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The grant will allow fifth graders at East Side to travel to Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis where they will learn about nature and conservation. The grand awarded to East Side is worth $575.

IDNR says more than $88,000 was donated by private donations for 100 field trips. The donations and funding for the grants are coordinated by the Illinois Conservation Foundation.

For a list of this year’s grant recipients, check the IDNR website here.