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 Fall Archery Turkey Harvest: Hunters in
Illinois harvested a preliminary statewide total of 740 wild turkeys
during the 2019-2020 Fall Archery Turkey Season. The total compares
with the statewide turkey harvest of 738 in 2018-2019. For the
2019-20 season, 22,728 permits were sold (excluding landowner
permits) compared to 23,298 for the 2018-2019 season. The season
dates were Oct. 1, 2019 – Jan. 19, 2020 and all 102 counties were
open for hunting. The top counties for fall archery wild turkey
harvest were Jefferson (25), Knox (23), Cass (20), Jackson (18), and
Randolph (18).
2020 Licenses Available Beginning March 1: 2020 Illinois
Hunting, Fishing and Sportsman Combination licenses will go on sale
beginning March 1 at 8:00 a.m. – and those 2020 licenses will be
valid through March 31, 2021. Illinois 2019 licenses are valid
through March 31, 2020. Licenses purchased prior to March 1, 2020
are 2019 licenses that will be valid only through March 31, 2020.
Pere Marquette Bald Eagle Days: Enjoy watching bald eagles on
the Illinois and Mississippi rivers near Pere Marquette State Park
by participating in one of the park’s popular Bald Eagle Days tours.
The informative programs are conducted on select winter dates. The
programs are free, but registration is required by calling
618-786-3323. For more information, visit
https://bit.ly/2tYNYjH.
Music Featured in Illinois State Museum Program: “The Central
Illinois Roots of Lloyd Loar and the Growth and Development of the
Mandolin Orchestra Tradition in America” is the topic of the monthly
Paul Mickey Learning Series program at the Illinois State Museum in
Springfield Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 p.m. Presented by James
Stanlaw, professor of Anthropology at Illinois State University, the
program highlights the mandolin orchestra and its rise and fall —
and rise again — in popularity, along with the roots of musical
virtuoso and acoustic engineer Lloyd Loar. The program is free and
open to the public. For more information, call 217-558-6696.
Lincoln Birthday Event at Mount Pulaski Courthouse: The Mount
Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site will host an early
celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday Saturday, Feb. 8 with an
appearance by Brian “Fox” Ellis portraying John A. “Black Jack”
Logan, the son of Dr. John Logan, for whom Logan County is named.
The event will be held from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., with the
“Black Jack” Logan program at 1:00 p.m. inside the historic
courthouse. The younger Logan became a Civil War general, a U.S.
Senator, and an enthusiastic worker for President Lincoln’s
re-election. During the celebration, visitors will also be greeted
by Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by John Walther of Bloomington, who
will tell Lincoln stories. Other activities will allow visitors to
write with a quill pen, tap out Morse code messages with
oscillators, make a Lincoln birthday card or a Valentine, and put
together a giant puzzle.
Lincoln Celebration at Davis Mansion: The David Davis Mansion
State Historic Site will celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
Saturday, Feb. 8 with a meet and greet with President Lincoln,
portrayed by Randy Duncan. The free event starts at 9:00 a.m. with
the final tour beginning at 3:30 p.m. Children and families will get
to meet Mr. Lincoln, take pictures with him and enjoy birthday cake
at the home of one of Lincoln’s closest friends and political
allies, Judge David Davis. The Davis Mansion is located at 1000
Monroe Drive in Bloomington.
Vandalia Statehouse Lincoln Celebration: The Vandalia
Statehouse State Historic Site will celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s
birthday with a special event Saturday, Feb. 8 from 2:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m. Pam Brown, who will portray Mary Lincoln, will present the
program, “Taking Leave,” starting at 2:00 p.m. Music will be
provided by Mike Anderson – “The Dulcimer Guy.” Anderson also will
provide an informative session following Brown’s presentation.
Refreshments will be available following the presentations. The
Lincoln’s Birthday celebration is provided by the IDNR, Vandalia
Historical Society, and the Old Capitol Foundation. The Vandalia
Statehouse is the oldest surviving capitol building in Illinois. It
is open to the public each Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m. and is located at 315 W. Gallatin Street, Vandalia, IL
62471. For more information, call 618-283-1161.
Snake Program at Giant City: Snake Road, located in the
Shawnee National Forest, is not only a place to find a diverse array
of amphibians, reptiles, and other wildlife. Join biologist John
Palis on a virtual walk of the world-famous Snake Road Saturday,
Feb. 8 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Giant City State Park
Visitors Center. Palis will share his observations of snakes and
other natural wonders. No registration is needed for this free
program; for more information, call 618-457-4836.
Underground Railroad Program at Giant City: The Underground
Railroad was a vast but secret network of travel routes and safe
havens to help African Americans escape slavery. Did you know that
there are several natural landmarks in the Shawnee National Forest
that remain as markers of the Underground Railroad? Head out to the
Giant City State Park Visitors Center Sunday, Feb. 9 at 1:00 p.m. as
Mary McCorvie, Heritage Program Manager for the Shawnee National
Forest, discusses the role that southern Illinois and African
American communities played in the Underground Railroad network. No
registration is needed for this free program; call 618-457-4836 for
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Cahokia Mounds Winter Lecture: The
Angel Mounds of Indiana will be featured as part of the Winter Lecture Series at
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2:00 p.m. The lecture,
“Architectural Alignments and Lunar Landscapes: Tracing the Construction of
Angel Communities in Southwestern Indiana,” will be given by Elizabeth Watts
Malouchos, research scientist at Indiana University’s Glenn Black Laboratory of
Archaeology. The program is free and open to the public and will be held in the
auditorium at the Cahokia Mounds Interpretive Center. Recent remote-sensing
research at Angel and outlying sites suggests aligning residential and mound
architecture to the movements of the moon was important for more than three
centuries. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located in Collinsville just
off Interstates 55/70 (Exit 6) and Interstate 255 (Exit 24) on Collinsville
Road. For more information, call 618-346-5160 or go to
www.cahokia mounds.org.
Music at the Museum: The Nathan
Taylor Band will perform at the monthly Music at the Museum concert at the
Illinois State Museum in Springfield Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:00 p.m. The band
explodes with rich sound and purely blended talent, bathed in a wide range of
vintage American blues and roots music. Tickets can be purchased in advance or
at the door. More information is available online at
https://bit.ly/2GDvNTg.
Camping Reservations: It is time to make 2020 reservations for campsites
and shelters for many Illinois state parks and other IDNR sites. Reservations
can be made online through the Reserve America website at
www.reserve america.com.
Hunter and Boating Safety Education Courses: Register now for Hunter
Safety Education and Boating Safety Education courses from the IDNR. Spring
classes are being scheduled. Check the IDNR website for class dates and
locations: https://bit.ly/2S6FQWb.
Earth Day in the Parks: Applications will be accepted through Feb. 28 for
2020 Earth Day in the Parks events from the IDNR in which students and their
teachers conduct natural resources stewardship activities, such as planting
native wildflowers and grasses, building bird nesting boxes and removing
invasive exotic plants at participating Illinois state parks. Participants are
selected through an application process. The application form is available at
https://bit.ly/31bqx Q6.
Museum Fashion Calendar: Stunning photographs of 12 historic gowns from
the upcoming Fashioning Illinois, 1820-1900 exhibition are featured in a new
calendar produced and sold by the Illinois State Museum. All of the dresses are
from the Illinois State Museum’s collections. Many of them were photographed “in
situ” at historic sites in central Illinois. Copies of the calendar sell for
$10, or $8 for Illinois State Museum Society members. The calendars also can be
purchased online at www.illinoistate
museum.org, by calling the Museum at 217-782-7386, or by visiting the main
Museum building at 502 S. Spring Street, Springfield.
Conservation Achievement Scholarship Program: Applications are now being
accepted by the Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) for the 2020 Conservation
Achievement Scholarship program. The ICF annually awards scholarships to
outstanding high school seniors in Illinois who demonstrate effective,
voluntary, long-term dedication to the preservation, protection or enhancement
of the state’s natural resources. Four scholarships of $2,000 each are available
for the current school year. One of the scholarships is earmarked for a
qualified applicant who is a dependent of a current employee of the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources. Applicants must be an Illinois resident and a
senior in an Illinois high school. Applications must be received by the ICF by
March 1, 2020. Detailed instructions and the 2020 application form can be found
on the ICF website at https://
ilconservation.org/. Contact the ICF at 217-785-2003 or
dnr.icf@illinois.gov for more
information or to make a donation to support the Conservation Achievement
Scholarship program.
Civil War Saturday at Old State Capitol: Visit the Old State Capitol in
Springfield for a fun, family-friendly free program hosted by the Springfield
Soldiers' Aid Society Saturday, March 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Volunteers
in historic attire will help those attending to learn about the women who worked
in the building during the Civil War and experience history by trying crafts
that were popular during the Civil War. The Old State Capitol, a reconstruction
of Illinois’ fifth statehouse, served as the seat of state government and a
center of Illinois political life from 1839 to 1876. It is open daily from 9:00
a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Dana-Thomas House Specialty Tours: Two specialty tours to provide
visitors the opportunity to enjoy extra time inside the historic Dana-Thomas
House State Historic Site in Springfield are planned for Saturday, March 7.
“Attention to Detail,” held 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., will explore details and
stories of the Dana House that enrich our understanding of art and architecture
and the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright. “Of Glass and Wood,” held 1:15 to 3:15
p.m., will focus on details of the amazing art glass collection and the
Wright-designed furniture in the house. Call the site at 217-782-6776 to reserve
your place on these tours.
Illinois Deer Classic: Visit with IDNR biologists, CPOs and
permit/license staff at the 2020 Illinois Deer Classic at the Peoria Civic
Center, March 27-29. For more info:
http://illinoisdeerclassic.com/
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |
