New this Month
February 2011
The Illinois Birds: Volume I, Raptors
Poster has Arrived!
Order your copy of the new Illinois Birds: Volume I, Raptors poster from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Audubon Society! This 24” x 36” poster depicts 24 species of hawks and owls, showing most of them in both perched and silhouette views. The back of the poster contains information about the species and their adaptations. Visit http://dnr.state.il.us/teachkids and place your order today! This poster was made possible in part by a donation from the Illinois Audubon Society.
NEW! Illinois Rain Garden Initiative Grant
Applications Being Accepted Now!
Applications are now being
accepted for the Illinois Rain Garden
Initiative grant program. Schools and community organizations may
apply for up to $1,000 to develop a rain garden on public property. The
application deadline is February 28, 2011. Rain gardens have many educational
and ecological benefits. Do you have a storm water runoff problem that a rain
garden could help alleviate? If so, complete and submit your application today.
Visit http://test.dnr.state.il.us/education/CLASSRM/grants.htm for more information and the application materials. This program is sponsored by the Illinois
Conservation Foundation in cooperation with the IDNR. Funds are provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
Earth Day in the
Parks Registration is Open
Get your students involved with
natural resources stewardship through the Earth Day in the Parks
program from the IDNR! Participating state parks will offer students the
opportunity to get their hands dirty and experience nature as they perform
duties such as removing invasive exotic plants, planting native trees and
wildflowers and building and installing bird nesting boxes. The list of
participating parks and their associated projects is posted at http://dnr.state.il.us/education/CLASSRM/EDITPinstruct.htm . Instructions and the application form are also available
at that Web address. Applications will be accepted from January 1 through
February 28, 2011. For more information, contact the IDNR Division of Education
at dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov or 217-524-4126.
Illinois Birds and One Bird – Two Habitats Lessons
The Illinois Birds and One Bird –
Two Habitats lessons from the IDNR have just been revised. You can access
them at http://dnr.state.il.us/education/CLASSRM/birds/index.htm. Targeted to grades four through eight, these lessons can
help students understand and gain interest in birds. Add the new Illinois Birds: Volume I, Raptors poster, borrow an Illinois Birds trunk and you’ll be set
for some hands-on lessons and activities!
Enjoy the Wonders of Winter at Volo Bog State Natural Area and Moraine Hills State Park
Reservations are requested for most programs (and required for
some). See the descriptions below. To make a reservation, phone 815-344-1294 or email dnr.volobog@illinois.gov.
Limited drop-ins are welcome, but the program may
be cancelled if the minimum registration number is not met 24 hours prior to
the event. Volo Bog State Natural Area
is an IDNR site located in Ingleside on Brandenburg Road west off
U.S. Highway 12 between State Highways 120 and 134. Moraine Hills State Park and McHenry Dam are an IDNR
complex located South of McHenry on River Road between State Highways 120 and
176.
Guided Tours of
Volo Bog
Most Saturdays and Sundays,
11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Volo Bog
becomes a fairyland of winter wonder! Tamaracks stand stark against
the cold sky, rustling their naked knobby branches among the calls of
winter birds. Rare visitors such as pine siskins or
crossbills sometimes come south to feed on seeds of the tamaracks and
other pines. Pitcher plant colonies become easy to spot among
the mosses, and footprints of mammals reveal the night wanderings
of Volo Bog's more secret residents. Guided tours of Volo
Bog can reveal more subtle discoveries and often conclude with a cup
of hot cocoa. No reservations are required but, groups of 10 or more, should
phone 815-344-1294 for special arrangements. All ages welcome (minimum
age 5 recommended). Tours last up to one hour.
Natural Area Habitat Restoration Work Days at
Volo Bog State Natural Area, Moraine Hills State Park and McHenry Dam
Join a team of volunteers dedicated to healing the land through seed gathering, invasive species removal and other projects. For further information and to register, contact 815-344-1294 or dnr.volobog@illinois.gov.
Bird Walks at McHenry Dam
February 5, March 5 and 26,
8:00 a.m.
Meet at south
end of McHenry Dam Parking Lot
Enjoy winter
residents including juncos, tree sparrows and possibly bald eagles through the
winter. Then watch for the return of migrating ducks as the ice begins to
thaw in March. Dress for the weather. Bring binoculars and field guides or
borrow ours. Walk length and time varies from one to more than three hours!
Walks are co-sponsored by the McHenry County Audubon Society and led by its members.
These walks are targeted to adults and attentive children seven years old and
older. Reservations
are requested. Contact park staff at 815-344-1294 or dnr.volobog@illinios.gov
to make your reservation.
Bird Walks at Volo Bog State Natural Area
February 13, March 13 and
19
Meet in the
Parking Lot
Enjoy watching migrating
birds in a variety of habitats. Dress for the weather. Bring binoculars and
field guides or borrow ours. Walk length and time vary from one to more than
three hours! Walks are co-sponsored by the McHenry County Audubon Society and
led by its members. These walks are targeted to adults and attentive children
seven years old and older. Reservations
are requested at
815-344-1294 or dnr.volobog@illinios.gov .
Animal Tracking at Volo Bog
State Natural Area
February 6, 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Who went
there? Was it a rabbit or a squirrel? A vole or a mouse? A
coyote or a fox? The Volo Bog Naturalist will lead this program that
begins indoors with a look at how animals walk. Their gate determines
their track pattern, an important component to identification. The program
then heads outdoors to search for tracks, prints and some of the makers themselves. Dress
for the weather with good winter foot gear! This program is targeted to
adults and children ages 5 and up. Reservations are requested at 815-344-1294 or dnr.volobog@illinios.gov .
Bluebird Workshop at Volo Bog State Natural Area
March 19, 12:30
p.m. - 2:15/2:45 p.m.
Casual bird
lovers, potential new monitors and veterans alike are invited to this
workshop. As cavity-nesters, bluebirds are dependent on old
woodpecker holes and other natural tree cavities. Bluebird
populations declined by the mid-1900s, but they have made a
remarkable comeback thanks to the efforts of bluebird monitors across
North America. Monitors build bird houses and place them on
trails. The first part of this workshop explores the history of this
beautiful little gem of blue. The last part discusses how to
build a bluebird box and establish a trail. Monitoring and
reporting is an integral part of being a bluebird monitor as is learning how
to discourage non-native competitors. Workshop registration is open
to veteran and potential new monitors as well as those just interested in
learning more about bluebirds (no monitoring required). Reservations are required. Call 815-344-1294
or email dnr.volobog@illinois.gov
to make your reservation.
New Lending Location in
Chicago for IDNR Resources Trunks
The popular resources trunks from the IDNR have a new lending location added to the list of sites in Chicago. We welcome Shedd Aquarium to our lending sites! Please contact the staff at Shedd Aquarium and make a reservation to pick up a trunk soon. We are sorry to be losing the Harris Loan Program at The Field Museum as a lending site, but for those of you who borrowed trunks through them, please give Shedd Aquarium a try! Go to http://dnr.state.il.us/education/CLASSRM/teach.htm to link to each of the 10 trunk topics and their associated lending sites. Make a reservation today!
IDNR
Cache River Wetlands Center Programs
Houses! That's for the Birds!
February 12, 2011, 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cache River Wetlands Center, Cypress, Illinois
Please call 618-657-2064 for more information.
Discover the differences in nest
construction for and by bird species. Be able to identify the birds in the
neighborhood by the nests you see. Construct your own nest and build a
nest/bird box for a warbler or eastern bluebird. The program is free of
charge but please call 618-657-2064 to register.
Flying WILD!
Saturday, February 12, 2011, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Touch of Nature Environmental Center, Makanda
Registration required. Cost: $15 by February 5; $20 after February 5. To register, contact Kimberly King-Wrenn (Kimberly_king-wrenn@fws.gov; 618-998-5933).
Attention Cub Scout, Brownie and Junior Scout leaders and first- through fifth-grade educators. Flying WILD! is an education program that provides interactive activities to engage children in real-world learning that helps them understand the importance of migratory birds and their conservation. Activities are correlated to Scout badges and the Illinois Learning Standards. Continuing Professional Development Units are offered for educators.
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.
February 14-27, 2011, Schoolyard Wildlife Habitat Development, Online
March 14-27, 2011, Illinois Frogs and Toads, Online
March 25-26, 2011, The Greater Prairie-chicken, Prairie Ridge State Natural Area, Newton
April 30, 2011, Prairie School Gardening, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
May 21, 2011, Illinois Butterflies, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago
June 18, 2011, Identifying Trees and Making Leaf Collections, The Morton Arboretum, Chicago
Important
Information for Teachers Regarding the Arbor
Day Poster Contest
The National Arbor Day Foundation has discontinued the Arbor Day Poster Contest. The IDNR will
no longer offer this contest.
Change in Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest
in Illinois
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now the exclusive sponsor of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest in Illinois. For more information about the program, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Barrington office (847-381-2253). To access the application form, visit http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/ArtContest.htm.
Wildlife Prairie
State Park Events
The Wildlife Prairie State Park in Hanna City (near Peoria) is hosting the following event in February. See details below.
Boy Scout Badge
Day- Oceanography
This program provides a structured curriculum for Boy
Scouts to earn merit badges. Each month a different topic is scheduled. Some
badges have pre- or post-requirements before
the badge counselor will sign the blue card. Space is limited.
*First Saturday of the month
*10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
*Bring a lunch.
*Cost: $25 for non-members/members $20 (unless
noted)
*PRE-REGISTRATION and PRE-PAYMENT ARE REQUIRED.
Call 309-676-0998 extension 6758 or email saramackey@wildlifeprairiestatepark.org to register.
*Parents and family members staying in the park
during the session must pay admission.
Order Illinois’ Natural Resources Trading Cards
Set #5 Now
Illinois’ Natural Resources Trading Cards Set #5 and poster are available (one set per teacher) by written request on school letterhead. The 63 cards in the set illustrate and provide information about species found in our state, representing mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, plants and fungi. When combined with the first four volumes in this series, teachers have 315 resources cards to access and use. The poster illustrates all of the cards in the set and provides suggestions for helping you to meet the Illinois Learning Standards and Illinois Early Learning Standards. Do you have all five sets of resources cards? If not, request your missing set(s) by number when you send your request. Mail requests to IDNR – Education, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702
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 just 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
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.
Several school fishing programs
are available. One is a physical education-based fishing program for middle
school and high school students. Students are taught the basics of fishing at
school (45-60 minutes) and then are taken fishing during their physical
education classes during the last two to three weeks of the school year. Other
fishing programs are mainly for younger students and include school-time field
fishing trips and after-school fishing trips. For both of these programs, it is
beneficial to invite parents/grandparents to accompany students to help them
with fishing.
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.
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