New this Month!
January 2010
Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant Applications Due by January 31, 2010
Visit http://dnr.state.il.us/education/CLASSRM/grants.htm
to access the application form and instructions for the Illinois
Biodiversity Field Trip Grant. Funds from this competitive grant program
allow teachers in
Register Now for Earth Day in the Parks
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 must be received between January 1, 2010, and February 28, 2010. For more information, contact the IDNR Division of Education at dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov or 217-524-4126.
Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest Application Deadline is Fast Approaching
The 2010 entry form and guidelines for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp
Design Contest are available at http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/ArtContest.htm.
Students of grades kindergarten through 12 can learn about waterfowl and
wetland conservation in this program as they design artwork depicting North
American waterfowl species. The
ENTICE Workshop Registration
Register soon for winter and
spring 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.
January 11-24, Online Mammals from Illinois’ Past, online
January 16, Prying into Prions:
Investigating Chronic Wasting Disease,
February 8-21, Online Schoolyard Wildlife Habitat Development, online
March 8-21, Online Illinois Frogs and Toads, online
March 27, The Effects of Climate Change on
Glencoe
April 10, Prying
into Prions: Investigating Chronic Wasting Disease, Fermi National
Accelerator Laboratory,
April 24,
April 27, The
Massasauga:
May 1, 2010, Pioneers and the Prairie,
Boone County Conservation District,
June 15, The
Ohio River: History, Ecology, Commerce,
Metropolis
Teachers, Get Free OutdoorIllinois Magazines While Supplies Last!
The surplus inventory of 2009 OutdoorIllinois
issues has been cleared out, and we're making bundles of this award-winning
magazine available to
If you enjoy the outdoors of
Illinois, are interested in learning more about the Prairie State's great
natural and cultural resources, the location of some of Illinois' most scenic
state parks and recreational areas, or if you are looking for compelling
stories, news and photographs of our cultural and natural resources treasures
you will enjoy OutdoorIllinois. If your school
library does not receive the magazine, educational institutions may receive a
one-year (12 issues) subscription for $10 (regularly $15). For the discounted
rate, submit the subscription information on school letterhead, along with a
check made payable to OutdoorIllinois and mail
it to Illinois Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 19225, Dept. NL,
Springfield, IL 62794-9225.
Future Fisherman Foundation Offers Physh Ed Fishing and Boating Grants
The Future Fisherman Foundation is accepting applications from schools for the Physh Ed National Fishing and Boating Grants. The application deadline is February 9, 2010. Schools can apply for up to $2,500.00. This initiative enables public, private and charter schools to design and deliver fishing-related programming as part of their daily curriculum. For more information and the application form, see http://www.futurefisherman.org.
IDNR Programs Calendar included on Youth Programs Web Page
Visit http://dnr.state.il.us/youthprograms/ to see the latest schedule of events for youth- and family-related programs from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. You’ll find many options to select from. Youth leaders and educators will be interested in the information as well. Sign up for the email list and receive weekly updates. Let’s all work together to get our youth involved in outdoor activities!
“Trees are Terrific. . .and Energy Wise!” is the 2010 National Arbor Day Poster Contest Theme
Go to http://www.arborday.org/kids/postercontest/
to download the 2010 Arbor Day National Poster Contest Guidebook! Your free
copy includes all the contest rules as well as activities to help your students
understand how trees conserve energy. This contest is open to fifth-grade
students and is sponsored in
IDNR-UIUC Partnership Offering Online Graduate-Level Courses
The IDNR Division of Education and the
IDNR-UIS also Offering Online Graduate-Level Courses
The IDNR Division of Education and the
IDNR Division of Education Joins Facebook
Join us on Facebook for more information and resources. We have discussion topics for you to participate in as well. Go to http://www.facebook.com and search for "Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Education."
For
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
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.
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
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
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.