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The
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
weekend workshop scheduled for June 11-13 at the
Lorado Taft Field
Campus in Oregon, Ill., has openings available. The registration has
been extended and will stay open until all of the openings are
filled. The weekend is full of adventurous outdoor activities such
as shooting sports, fishing, canoeing, camping, archery, wild
edibles and much more. To register or for more information contact
Mary Allen at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, (217)
782-4080.
* * *
An open house to update the public on
the status of the
Jubilee College State Park
trails plan will
be on Thursday, May 27 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Wildlife Prairie State
Park's Prairie Hall. Informational panels and comment stations will
be available and a brief overview will be made. The Jubilee College
State Park's Trail Committee and Illinois Department of Natural
Resources staff will be on hand to provide additional information.
For more information contact the Region 1 office, (815) 625-2968.
* * *
Golf reservations and hole sponsorships
are still available for the annual Illinois Conservation
Foundation Downstate Golf Benefit, scheduled for Tuesday, June 1
at the Rail Golf Club in Sherman, just north of Springfield. The
golf outing proceeds support youth hunting, fishing and other
educational programs throughout Illinois.
The registration fee of $150 per
golfer, or $500 per foursome, includes greens fees and cart, lunch,
dinner, beverages, prizes and awards. Hole sponsorships are
available for $500 each.
For more information or to register,
call (217) 785-8955. To register online, check the Illinois
Conservation Foundation site at
http://www.ilcf.org.
* * *
The Natural Resources Advisory Board
will meet June 24 at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on Brandywine in
Peoria. The meeting is open to the public, with time allotted for
comment on any topic. An agenda item of interest to waterfowl
hunters is the recommendations for the September Canada goose and
teal hunting seasons. The National Resources Advisory Board is a
13-member board appointed by the governor to advise the Department
of Natural Resources on long-range policies. For more information
call (217) 782-4963.
* * *
Ridge Lake,
a 14-acre lake in Coles County, will be open for fishing
beginning on May 27 and is open Thursdays through Sundays from 2
to 8 p.m. The lake also will be open on Monday, May 31, which is
Memorial Day. For boat reservations or more information call (217)
345-6490. Ridge Lake is a research lake operated by the Department
of Natural Resources' Natural History Survey, and the public can
fish at the lake by appointment. Anglers are provided with a small
rowboat that will seat up to four people. Fishing poles and tackle
packages are available on loan for those interested.
Ridge Lake Station, a fisheries
research lab, was constructed in 1941 to investigate fisheries
management alternatives for small impoundments.
* * *
The Illinois Endangered Species
Protection Board will meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 21, at the
Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road in Brookfield. For more information
contact the board at (217) 785-8687.
* * *
The Illinois Department of Natural
Resources is sponsoring the fifth annual Outdoor Illinois photo
contest. This year's contest has been expanded, and the public
is invited to join in "Celebrating the Seasons of Life in Illinois."
The deadline for entering is Aug. 2 at
5 p.m. Send all entries to: Photo Contest, Outdoor Illinois, One
Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271. For more
information about the photo contest, please visit
www.dnr.state.il.us/photos.
* * *
Guided tours and rides have begun for
the summer at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Midewin
staff, volunteers and guest leaders offer a variety of interpretive
tours and exploration activities. Some tours are escorted in
caravans with viewing stops and radio commentary, some feature
outdoor activities, and some are especially designed by and for
history buffs. Two new tours this year feature prairie restoration
and the history of farming at the former Joliet Arsenal.
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Space for the tours is limited, so
advance registration is recommended to reserve your place. Call the
Midewin office, (815) 423-6370, during regular business hours to
make a reservation. The cost of the tour is $3 per person; children
under age 12 are free. Fees may be paid in cash or by check at the
time of the tour. All tours leave from the Midewin supervisor's
office, located two miles north of Wilmington on State Route 53. For
a complete list of tours visit
www.fs.fed.us/mntp/.
* * *
Looking for the latest news about
Illinois' natural resources? Pick up the May issue of Outdoor
Illinois, the Department of Natural Resources' monthly magazine.
The cover photograph capturing the Virginia bluebell bloom in its
prime accompanies a story on central Illinois' Moraine View State
Recreation Area.
If the warm weather is making you
anxious to get out and explore Illinois, you'll find the stories on
the water trails of northeast Illinois, bicycling the Grand Illinois
Trail, fishing Illinois' waters for smallmouth bass and the Kickapoo
State Park Paddle Festival especially appealing. Other features
include Illinois artist Don Bald's award-winning turkey calls, the
benefits of keeping a nature journal and details on Outdoor
Illinois' annual photography contest.
Outdoor Illinois is an indispensable
guide to Illinois' natural, cultural and recreational resources and
a bargain at $10 for a one-year subscription. Call 1 (800) 720-3249
or visit
www.dnr.state.il.us/OI to subscribe. VISA and MasterCard are
accepted.
* * *
"Illinois Whitetails,"
available this summer, is a must-have book for anyone interested in
deer and deer hunting in Illinois. It provides the most up-to-date
research, stunning photos of trophy whitetails, a complete history
of the Illinois deer herd and information about keeping the hunting
heritage alive and well. "Illinois Whitetails" lists entries in the
Illinois Big Buck Program, including those made through March 1.
The book retails for only $24.95.
Proceeds from the sale of "Illinois Whitetails" will benefit the
Illinois Sportsman Against Hunger Program. To pre-order a copy, send
your name, mailing address and quantity desired to
cconrad@dnrmail.state.il.us or send the information to
Department of Natural Resources, Office of Public Services, One
Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702, Attn. Curt Conrad.
* * *
The Department of Natural Resources
will have an archery deer hunt at Weldon Springs, Piatt
County Unit this fall. The site will be open to archery hunting
during several periods, approximately one week each, between Oct. 2
and Jan. 9, 2005.
Archery hunting periods will be filled
through a mail-in drawing. Applications are available at Weldon
Springs State Park, Mascoutin State Recreation Area at Clinton Lake
and the IDNR Region 3 office, also near Clinton Lake. The
application also is available on the Web.
[To download the Adobe Acrobat
reader for the application form, click here.]
Applications must be received at the
Weldon Springs State Park office by close of business June 30.
Successful applicants only will be notified by mail by Aug. 1. All
hunters will be required to show proof of a current hunting license,
state-issued archery permit and issued site permit.
For more information please contact
Carl Handel, district wildlife biologist, at (217) 423-7708 or Dave
Herzog, site superintendent, at (217) 935-2644.
* * *
It is time to
register for the first Chicagoland Fishing Rodeo for People with
Disabilities, which will be at
William Powers Conservation Area
on Saturday, June 19. The Chicagoland Fishing Rodeo -- sponsored by
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Conservation
Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation and Wheelin' Sportsmen
-- will give people of all ages with physical or mental disabilities
an opportunity to fish for free.
Interested anglers are required to bring
a personal assistant. All necessary fishing equipment will be
provided. There is no charge for the event, which is slated to run
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 19. A free lunch will be provided for
all participants and their assistants at 11:30 a.m. Interested
participants must register in advance by calling William Powers
Conservation Area at (773) 646-3270 or TTY (217) 782-9175.
[Illinois
Department of Natural Resources
news release] |
