Pere Marquette bald eagle programs: Families and
wildlife-watching enthusiasts will enjoy attending one of the
upcoming bald eagle programs at Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey
County. Eagles may be spotted near the park along the Illinois River
throughout the winter. Join site staff at Pere Marquette for
programs that will begin at the park's visitor center at 8:30 a.m.
with a short video presentation, followed by an observational drive
to view the wintering bald eagles. Dates for the free bald eagle
programs at Pere Marquette State Park are Feb. 9, 10, 16, 19, 20,
23, 24 and 26, and March 1. Reservations are required -- call
618-786-3323.Diversity celebration: The Illinois State
Museum will host its third annual Celebrate Cultural Diversity event
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will learn about the
heritage and traditions of world cultures that are found here in
Illinois. The event includes hands-on crafts for children,
international displays, live musical and dance performances, and
much more. The event is free and open to the public. Phone
217-782-5507 for more information. The Illinois State Museum is
located at 502 South Spring St., Springfield.
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Winter Tree Identification Workshop: Giant City State Park,
Makanda, will host its annual Winter Tree Identification Workshop on
Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Participants will learn techniques for
identifying trees by the bark, buds, shape and seeds. The program is
free, but registration is required. Call 618-457-4836 to register.
(Rain date is Feb. 16).
Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet: Tickets are available for the
Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in
Springfield on Saturday evening. The event opens with a social hour
at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 and are
available by calling the Illinois Conservation Foundation at
217-785-2003. The Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees for 2008
are Don Dubin, the late George B. Fell and John R. "Duke" O'Malley.
Youth turkey hunting: Young hunters are reminded that the
deadline to apply for 2008 Illinois Resident Spring Youth Wild
Turkey permits is Monday. The season is open only to Illinois
residents who have not reached their 16th birthday by the start of
the season. All participating youth must have completed an IDNR-approved
hunter safety education course. Spring Youth Wild Turkey permits are
$10 each and will be issued through a computerized lottery.
Application forms are available at http://dnr.state.il.us. Spring
Youth Wild Turkey season dates are March 29-30 in the south zone and
April 5-6 in the north zone.
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Shark teeth in Illinois: "Up From Florida: Shark Teeth and
Marine Shells from Illinois Sites" is the subject for the monthly
archaeology lecture at the Illinois State Museum Research and
Collections Center in Springfield at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Marine
shells are regularly found at archaeological sites. Much less common
are shark teeth. Findings in Illinois show that sets of shark teeth
were transported from the Gulf while still embedded in shark jaws.
For more information on the free lecture, phone 217-782-0061. The
Illinois State Museum Research and Collections Center is located at
1011 E. Ash in Springfield.
Hunter survey deadline: Hunters who received free permits to
access specific IDNR public land sites during the past year are
reminded to return harvest surveys by Feb. 15. Hunters who may have
misplaced or lost their survey should contact the site office that
issued it. Even if hunters received a free permit and did not hunt,
return of the survey is important to biologists and site staffs
managing these sites. If a hunter's survey is not returned, that
hunter may be ineligible to obtain a permit for the next year.
Arbor Day contest deadline Feb. 20: The entry deadline for
the annual National Arbor Day Poster Contest for fifth-grade
students in Illinois is Feb. 20. The theme for the 2008 competition
is "Trees are Terrific ... Inside and Out." For more information,
call 217-785-8771.
Commercial fishing drawing: The drawing for six Rock-Pecatonica
River commercial fishing contracts will be Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. at the
IDNR Regional Office, 2317 E. Lincolnway, Sterling. Licensed
commercial fishermen with a minimum of 15 hoop nets or three
100-yard trammel nets with a bar mesh size of 2 3/4 inch or larger
are eligible if the fishermen have not been found guilty of a Fish
and Aquatic Life Code or IDNR fishing administrative rule violation
within the past 12 months and can post a $300 bond. Fishermen must
be in attendance when contracts are awarded on a first-draw,
first-choice basis. The Rock-Pecatonica River contracts are for the
period April 1, 2008-March 31, 2009. Contractor or crew members may
use hoop nets, or trammel nets having a bar mesh size of 2 3/4
inches or larger. All gear must be licensed by the contractor.
Species that may be harvested on these contracts are carp, buffalo,
freshwater drum, suckers, carpsuckers, gar, bowfin, grass carp,
Asian carp and gizzard shad. All other fish species, including
catfish and bullheads, must be released immediately.
Commercial
fishing for these species of fish has been occurring on the Rock
River since prior to the 1950s. The IDNR issues contracts annually
for the removal of these fishes to help enhance sport fish
populations on the Rock River. Rough fishes such as carp and buffalo
compete directly with sport fish fishes for food resources and
spawning habitat. The program has been successful. During the last
10 years, more than 2 million pounds of rough fish with an estimated
wholesale value of $380,645 has been harvested from the Rock River.
For further information, contact Rob Maher at 618-466-3451.
ESPB meeting: The Illinois Endangered Species Protection
Board will meet Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. at the Midewin National Tallgrass
Prairie welcome center, 30239 S. State Route 53, Wilmington. For
more information, call 217-785-8687.
Collector's Day: The Illinois State Museum's 10th annual
Collector's Day will be Feb. 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. Youngsters ages
8-15 will display their own collections of fossils, foreign coins,
shoes, sports cards, dolls and much more. No sales or appraisals
will be allowed. Kids who are collectors can use this event as a fun
opportunity to create a display, share their collection with others
and meet other collectors their ages. Display spaces are available
by application at no charge. To become an Illinois State Museum
Junior Collector or for more information, call 217-782-0061.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2008/Feb/09/images/ads/current/fak-fpb-011708.png) |
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2008/Jan/02/images/ads/current/tourism-abe's-birthday-122607.png) Register by Feb. 29 for Earth Day in the Parks: The IDNR is
now accepting applications for the 2008 "Earth Day in the Parks," a
program to promote stewardship of Illinois' natural resources by
schoolchildren. On April 17, students and their teachers from
throughout Illinois will visit participating Illinois state parks to
take part in natural resources stewardship activities such as
planting native trees, grasses and wildflowers; building and
installing boxes for nesting and roosting; removing invasive exotic
plant species; and constructing woodland ponds for amphibians. The
IDNR is accepting applications from teachers who would like the
opportunity for their class to participate in the program. For more
information, including the list of participating state parks, and to
download an application form, visit
http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/. The application
must be received by Feb. 29. For more information, call 217-524-4126
or e-mail dnr.teachkids@Illinois.gov.
Trail grants: Applications are being accepted through March 1
for the Illinois Bicycle Path Program, Off-Highway Vehicle Program
and federal Recreational Trails Program grants. For more
information, check
http://dnr.state.il.us/grants/ or contact the IDNR Division of
Grant Administration, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL
62702-1271; phone 217-782-7481.
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WPF applications: Applications are now being accepted for the
Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund's two grant programs
administered through the IDNR Office of Resource Conservation
Division of Natural Heritage. The programs are funded through a
voluntary checkoff designation to the Wildlife Preservation Fund on
the state income tax form.
-
The Illinois
Wildlife Preservation Fund Small Project Program proposals are
open to anyone and may address many types of projects, including
management, site inventories, education or special equipment
purchases. Examples of past projects include wildlife habitat
improvement, species enhancement, education and research
projects throughout the state, focusing on species ranging from
birds to turtles and habitat ranging from forests to prairies.
Individual proposals are eligible for up to $2,000 from the
Wildlife Preservation Fund.
-
Proposals are also
being accepted for the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund
Maintenance of Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities That Take Care
of Threatened or Endangered Species Program. This program is
designed to keep wildlife rehabilitation facilities that take
care of threatened or endangered species in a state of good
repair necessary to provide safe and sanitary conditions for
threatened or endangered wildlife species being cared for in the
facility and for facility staff. Only individuals who possess a
current wildlife rehabilitation license or permit issued by the
IDNR and who have provided care for threatened or endangered
wildlife species during the three-year period preceding the date
of their application qualify for grant funds. Individual
proposals are eligible for up to $2,000 from the Wildlife
Preservation Fund.
Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund Grant Program packets for
fiscal 2009 are available. They include a program explanation,
instructions for completing the application form and an application
form. The application packet is available through
http://dnr.state.il.us/grants/. The packet is also
available by calling 217-782-2602 or by e-mail at
dnr.specialfunds@illinois.gov.
The deadline for accepting applications is 5 p.m. on April 1.
Fishing information booklet: The 2008 Illinois Fishing
Information guide is now available at many IDNR offices, license and
permit locations, and online at
http://dnr.state.il.us/fish/digest/.
Regulations in the guide are effective April 1, 2008-March 31, 2009.
Illinois Free Fishing Days for 2008 are June 6-9.
Buy 2008 licenses: Illinois fishing, hunting and sportsmen
combination licenses for 2008 are available from DNR Direct license
and permit vendors, online through
http://dnr.state.il.us/, and by calling 1-888-6PERMIT
(1-888-673-7648). DNR Direct makes buying licenses, habitat stamps
and waterfowl stamps convenient and easy. By going online, license
buyers can use American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa or
E-Check and print the license or receipt -- and the system is
available 24 hours a day. The new IDNR license year begins April 1.
The 2008 licenses will be valid through March 31, 2009.
Commercial licenses on DNR Direct: Select IDNR commercial
licenses for 2008 are available through DNR Direct -- the IDNR
automated license, permit and registration system. The commercial
licenses are available from DNR Direct license and permit vendors,
online through
http://dnr.state.il.us/, or by phone toll-free at 1-888-6PERMIT
(1-888-673-7648).
OutdoorIllinois: For the latest news about Illinois' natural
resources, pick up the February 2008 issue of OutdoorIllinois, the
Department of Natural Resources' monthly magazine. Featured on the
cover is a male goldfinch perched in a stand of thistle at Banner
Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area. The image was taken by Matt
Buedel of Peoria and selected as "Best of Show" in the 2007
OutdoorIllinois photo contest.
The February issue is the fourth annual full photographic issue,
featuring 16 pages filled with stunning, winning entries in the 2007
OutdoorIllinois photo contest. Photo contest guidelines require that
submitted images meet one of five categories: wildlife (including
underwater images of aquatic organisms), backyard and urban
wildlife, scenic and flora, natural resource recreational
activities, and young shutterbugs (same categories but taken by
persons 12 years of age or younger). Additional information on the
2008 photography contest will be published in the May issue of
OutdoorIllinois and posted at www.dnr.state.il.us/OI by May 1.
OutdoorIllinois is a great tool for learning about Illinois'
natural, cultural and recreational resources and a bargain at $15
for a one-year subscription. Visit
www.dnr.state.il.us/OI/
or call 1-800-720-3249 to subscribe. Single issues may be purchased
for $3. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. For information on
advertising, call 217-785-8610 or e-mail
michelle.silver@illinois.gov.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Natural Resources news release received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information] |