New this Month
March 2011
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 http://www.invasive.org/illinois/ to register it. The Web page will help to make many people aware of your program and possibly increase attendance.
The Illinois Birds: Volume I, Raptors
Poster has Arrived!
Order your copy of the new Illinois Birds: Volume I, Raptors poster from the 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.
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!
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.
March 14-27, 2011, Illinois Frogs and Toads, Online
Registration closes at 8:00 a.m. on March 10, 2011.
March 25-26, 2011, The Greater Prairie-chicken, Prairie Ridge State Natural Area, Newton
Registration is closed. Send a message to dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov to be added to the waiting list.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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