New this Month!
April 2011
Green Fire: Aldo
Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time Documentary and Discussion
at Volo Bog State Natural Area in Ingleside
Sunday, April 3, 2011, 1:00
p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
"There are some who can live without
wild things, and some who cannot." - Aldo Leopold
The first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary environmentalist Aldo Leopold, Green Fire highlights Leopold’s extraordinary career, tracing how he shaped and influenced the modern environmental movement. Leopold remains relevant today, inspiring projects all over the country that connect people and the land. Volo Bog State Natural Area is hosting one of dozens of local community screenings scheduled around the country. Adults and interested youth age 13 and older are invited to join the discussion. Seating is limited. Registration is requested at 815-344-1294 or dnr.volobog@illinois.gov. Volo Bog State Natural Area is an Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) site at 28478 West Brandenburg Road in Ingleside. For driving directions, go to http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/R2/VOLOBOG.HTM.
Prying into Prions DVD
This supplemental unit for high school students explores prion
diseases, including chronic wasting disease. In six lessons, students learn
about transmissible spongiform encephalopathies by examining the role of
proteins in organisms, the chemistry and properties of proteins, the genetic
processes that create proteins, and how proteins can become pathogenic.
Students also study how chronic wasting disease is affecting Illinois’
white-tailed deer herd and what control measures are being taken. Adapted by
the IDNR Division of Education with permission from the Colorado Division of
Wildlife’s original unit, the lessons are designed to be taught in sequence. A
video is included. All lessons are correlated to the Illinois Learning
Standards. This unit is produced in DVD format. It is only available
to high school teachers in Illinois. Request should be made in writing on
school letterhead and mailed to the IDNR Division of Education, One Natural
Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702.
Wildlife in the Classroom
Has
a student ever brought an animal into your classroom and asked you to keep it?
Have you ever found a feather or a bird’s nest and wanted to use it to
supplement your lessons? Do you know the Illinois and federal laws that apply
to these situations? Teachers often come in contact with wildlife or wildlife
remains, willingly or not. It is important for you to know what to do in these
situations. The IDNR Division of Education has produced a reference document
for your use. Wildlife in the Classroom
is not all-encompassing, but it will provide you with basic information about
possessing wildlife and wildlife remains. You can download the publication at http://dnr.state.il.us/education/CLASSRM/wildlifeintheclassrm041409.pdf.
If you would like to read the entire Wildlife Code for Illinois, you can access
it at http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs2.asp?ChapterID=43.
Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month - Call for Events
May is Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month. If you are planning an event to educate the public about any invasive species in the state, please visit the Web site at www.illinoisinvasives.org to register it. The Web page will help to make many people aware of your program and possibly increase attendance.
ENTICE Workshop Registration
Register soon for ENTICE
(Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) educator
workshops from the IDNR. Visit https://www.enticeworkshops.com and enroll now! You won't want to miss the background
information, supplemental resources, networking with other educators and
opportunity to work with natural resources professionals. Continuing
Professional Development Units are available to all ENTICE participants.
Upcoming workshops are listed below.
April 30, 2011, Prairie School Gardening, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe - Registration for this workshop will close at 8:00 a.m. on April 19.
May 21, 2011, Illinois Butterflies, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago
June 18, 2011, Identifying Trees and Making Leaf Collections, The Morton Arboretum, Chicago
Revised Biodiversity of Illinois CD-ROMs
The Biodiversity of Illinois, Volume I: Aquatic Habitats, Biodiversity of Illinois, Volume II: Woodland Habitats and Biodiversity of Illinois, Volume III: Prairie and Edge Habitats CD-ROMs have been revised! These field guides to more than 1,000 species provide a wealth of information for educators and students to use. Order your copies by written request on school letterhead and mail to IDNR – Education, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702.
We’re on Facebook!
Visit our Facebook page to find the latest updates about the materials and programs of the IDNR Education Section. You’ll also find images from ENTICE workshops!
Fishing in Your
School
Central Illinois
Do you teach in any of the following counties? Adams, Brown, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Hancock, Iroquois, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Mason, McLean, Menard, Morgan, Moultrie, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Vermilion
If so, let the IDNR help you establish a fishing program. We can assist with education and equipment to make fishing a talked-about, popular activity at your school. In-school educational programs can be scheduled in February or March, and fishing poles will be left with the teacher for use during a class field trip to a local lake. These programs work well for high school P.E. field trips or grade school field trips or after school activities where parents/grandparents accompany or meet their students at the fishing location. Young student fishing is easy when family adults come along to help and family participation encourages recurring fishing trips, creating a lifelong interest in this outdoor sport. For more details or to register your students contact Herb Dreier, Coordinator, Central Illinois Urban Fishing Program, at 217-935-6860 extension 238, cell 217-622-4266 or herb.dreier@illinois.gov.
Southwestern
Illinois
Counties: Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, St. Clair, Washington, Williamson
In-school programs are held through May, and the coordinator also has several hundred sets of fishing equipment available for loan to organized groups such as churches, scouts and families. Educators in other southern Illinois counties are also welcome to contact the coordinator as there may be other fishing or environmental opportunities available to them. You can reach Mark Yehling by e-mail at mark.yehling@illinois.gov, by fax at 618-462-2424 or by phone at 618-462-1181 extension 155. There is no charge for these, hands-on fun-filled basic fishing education programs. Presentations easily fill a regular class period and can be modified for most class/school situations.
Illinois Trapper
Education Online Course
The IDNR offers an online
course for those interested in learning to trap. People who are required to
complete a course before purchasing a trapping license now have two choices.
They can take a full-day course in the classroom or complete half of the
requirement online and half in the classroom, where they learn hands-on skills
such as setting traps and preparing pelts for sale.
Courses are free. The IDNR
encourages all trappers, regardless of age, to take a course. First-time
trappers under 18 years of age must complete a course and pass a written exam
before they are allowed to purchase a trapping license. Those under 16 years of
age must also have written permission from a parent or guardian before
purchasing a license.
Illinois Trapper Education
Online (www.trappered.com) covers topics such as trapping equipment, laws and ethics
through online film clips, reading materials, quizzes, photos and
illustrations. Students can exit the course and resume work where they left off
at any time. The course is accessible using a basic dial-up connection,
although high speed connections work best.
At the end of the Internet
course, students must successfully complete the final exam online and download
a printable document of completion. Students must present the document when
attending the four-hour training session with instructors. To locate an
instructor-taught course, visit http://dnr.state.il.us/safety or call 1-800-832-2599. The Ameritech Relay for the deaf
and hearing impaired is 1-800-526-0844.
Wild Illinois History
Leads Students on a Journey to Learn About History and Wildlife Conservation
The IDNR is offering a
"virtual" trip for late-elementary schoolteachers, students and their
parents. With a few mouse clicks, students can journey back to the earliest
days of the Illinois Territory when voyageurs and Native Americans hunted the
prairies, forests and rivers. Wild Illinois History helps students in
grades three through five focus on early French exploration, along with river
and settlement geography. Students can learn how wildlife helped Native
Americans and early settlers survive. They also can see how wildlife is a part
of our lives today. A fictional French trapper in the 18th century Illinois
Territory leads students on the trip. Brief story-telling slideshows are mixed
with fun, interactive activities. For teachers, Wild Illinois History
offers lesson plans, activities, photos, posters and correlations to Illinois
Learning Standards. Try it out at http://www.wildillinois.org/. For more information, contact Bob Bluett, IDNR Wildlife
Diversity Coordinator at 217-782-7580 or bob.bluett@illinois.gov.
Urban Fishing Program
Coordinators for the IDNR
statewide Urban Fishing Program will come to your school and conduct programs
aimed at getting kids interested in fishing and the outdoors, while promoting
environmental stewardship. One part of the program involves actually taking
kids fishing during May and September, if a nearby lake is accessible. Teachers
may continue the program on their own after the initial session, with the
assistance of IDNR personnel. Contact the Urban Fishing Program Coordinator in
your area. The urban fishing program is appropriate for any grade level.
Chicago: Brenda McKinney
847-294-4137
Chicago Suburbs: IDNR Staff
847-294-4137
Northwest Illinois: IDNR Staff
815-625-2968
Central Illinois: Herb Dreier
217-782-6424
Southern
Illinois: Mark Yehling 618-462-1181