New this Month - August 2025

This workshop for educators of grades prekindergarten through 12 will provide an introduction to and educational resources about the wild mammals in our state. We will focus on the life history of these species, and we will go on a hike to look for mammals and their signs. We will show you how to use the topic of Illinois wild mammals to support the teaching of several of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for science and Next Generation Science Standards with your students. Professional Development Hours are available. 

What is weather and climate, and how does it relate to climate change? How are Illinois species being affected? Learn more about the science behind climate, weather, and climate change. Explore which species will be the losers and the winners with what is happening. Explore ways to help students understand this challenging and complicated topic that is in the headlines. Learn some ways you can incorporate some citizen science in your classroom to help students explore what is going on in their backyard. Targeted for grades PreK-12. Professional Development Hours are available.

ENTICE workshops provide background information, networking opportunities, hands-on lessons, supplemental resources on the topic and the opportunity to work with resources professionals. Professional Development Hours are available. Correlations to relevant Next Generation Science Standards and/or Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards are provided. Shown below is a list of upcoming workshops through September 2025. Visit https://www.enticeworkshops.com for details, the complete list of workshops and to register. Experience ENTICE!

Educators of grades prekindergarten through eight are invited to register for this workshop to learn about the hawks, owls, vultures, falcons and eagles of Illinois at the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur. Life history and identification information will be provided. Staff from the Illinois Raptor Center will have live raptors to observe, too. You'll participate in educational activities related to raptors and will receive many resources to help you incorporate the topic into your curriculum. Teachers of other grade levels are welcome to register and attend the workshop but may need to adapt the information as appropriate. Supplemental resources will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available. 

What are those bumps on oak leaves? How did those swirly designs get into the wood? What made the D-shaped hole on this tree trunk? This workshop answers these questions and more. Take a closer look at the role insects play in trees and investigate the differences between commensalism, interdependence, and invasiveness while gaining knowledge and resources for your classroom. Although targeted to teachers of fifth through 12th grade, all educators are welcome to register for the workshop, but the information may need to be adapted, as appropriate.

Wetlands are habitats for a wealth of animals. At this workshop, we will visit wetland habitats around the Nature Museum as we learn about adaptations and interactions of organisms in a wetland. We will also explore how humans can help maintain biodiversity in wetlands. Developed for teachers of grades four through middle school, other educators are welcome to register but may need to adapt the information and activities, as appropriate. Correlations between the information presented and Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards and Next Generation Science Standards will be addressed. Supplemental educational resources will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available.

Bobcats in Illinois? How do scientist study this elusive native feline and its growing population. Learn about bobcat ecology and behavior. Once low in number, bobcat is now flourishing Participants will learn about how and why scientists are studying bobcats in Illinois including learning about telemetry and how the information is gathered. The workshop is for teachers of students in grade 6th-12th but can be adapted for other grades. Professional Development Hours are available.

What is weather and climate, and how does it relate to climate change? How are Illinois species being affected? Learn more about the science behind climate, weather, and climate change. Explore which species will be the losers and the winners with what is happening. Explore ways to help students understand this challenging and complicated topic that is in the headlines. Learn some ways you can incorporate some citizen science in your classroom to help students explore what is going on in their backyard. Targeted for grades PreK-12. Professional Development Hours are available.

This workshop for educators of grades prekindergarten through 12 will provide an introduction to and educational resources about the wild mammals in our state. We will focus on the life history of these species, and we will go on a hike to look for mammals and their signs. We will show you how to use the topic of Illinois wild mammals to support the teaching of several of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for science and Next Generation Science Standards with your students. Professional Development Hours are available. 

Nature is all around us, even in the most urban of settings. Kindergarten through 12th grade educators will learn how to utilize the nature and natural phenomena right outside our classrooms to look for patterns, investigate plant and animal needs and preferences, and explore the amazing adaptations of the organisms in our schoolyards and neighborhoods. Receive plants to help enhance the habitat around your learning space. Professional Development Hours are available. 

In urban, suburban and rural locations in Illinois, oaks carry special significance as reminders of our history and drivers of biodiversity. Teachers of grades PK-8 can join us to explore the various species of oaks, and the characteristics of the ecosystems in which they are found, including forests, woodlands, savannas, and barrens. Why are oak ecosystems special, and what is being done in Illinois to conserve them? Professional Development Hours are available. 

Mosquitos and ticks are often looked at as the scourge of summer. These fascinating creatures fill an important niche. Explore how they live, the various types and diseases they carry, and where they are found. Participants will be seeing how scientist sample and study them. Hands-on activities will be conducted, and you'll receive supplemental educational resources. Educators of all grade levels are welcome to register and attend the workshop but may need to adapt the materials as appropriate. Professional Development Hours are available.

Explore Coyote Track interactive visualization tool. This online site centers around coyote ecology and behavior related to data collected from radio-collared coyotes in urban and rural areas of Illinois. Using real data, this workshop will guide participants through the visualization data tool and standard-based lessons that support the unit. Participants will learn about how and why scientists are studying coyotes in Illinois including learning about telemetry and how the information is gathered. The workshop is for teachers of students in 6th-12th grade but can be adapted to other grades. Professional Development Hours are available. 

Winter is a wonderful season for young children to explore nature! There is so much to see and learn, you just have to Look for the signs. Join us to discover what nature can tell us in winter. We will take a hike to put our knowledge to work and will feature the Field Trip Pack from the IDNR. We will show you how to support the teaching of several of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for Science and Next Generation Science Standards with your students. Although targeted to grades prekindergarten through two, all educators are welcome to register for the workshop, but the information may need to be adapted, as appropriate. You'll take away numerous resources to use with young children when learning about nature. Professional Development Hours are available.

What is weather and climate, and how does it relate to climate change? How are Illinois species being affected? Learn more about the science behind climate, weather, and climate change. Explore which species will be the losers and the winners with what is happening. Explore ways to help students understand this challenging and complicated topic that is in the headlines. Learn some ways you can incorporate some citizen science in your classroom to help students explore what is going on in their backyard. Targeted for grades PreK-12. Professional Development Hours are available.

Where do animals go in winter? What do they do and how to they survive? Explore the amazing ways that animals survive in winter, what adaptations they have, and where they are hiding. Discover which animals stay and which ones go! This workshop is for grades PreK-12. Professional Development Hours will be provided.

The largest herbivore we have in Illinois is the White-tailed deer. Explore the life history and the challenges we have in the State around this ungulate. We will look at their life history and adaptations. We will look at Chronic Wasting Disease curriculum Prying into Prions: Investigating Chronic Wasting Disease. This educational unit for high school students can assists in studying prion diseases, including chronic wasting disease. Explore and 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. Study how chronic wasting disease affects Illinois? white-tailed deer herd and what control measures are being taken. Professional Development Hours are available.

What is biodiversity? Does Illinois have much biodiversity? How are plants and animals adapted for survival in the four major habitat types in the state? We'll explore our Biodiversity exhibit and dive into our collections to answer these questions and more about aquatic, woodland, wetland and urban habitats and their inhabitants in this introduction to the natural resources of our state. Numerous supplemental educational items will be provided. Although targeted to educators of grades fourth through eight, educators of other grade levels are welcome to register but may need to adapt the materials as appropriate. Professional Development Hours are available.

What makes a bird a bird? Designed for educators working with students from prekindergarten through 5th grade, this workshop offers an engaging introduction to the wild birds of Illinois and provides educational resources to support classroom instruction. Participants will learn about Illinois birds, take a guided hike to observe birds and signs of their presence, and learn a variety of hands-on activities to bring back to their classrooms. The workshop will also demonstrate how the topic of Illinois wild birds can be used to support both the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for science and the Next Generation Science Standards. Professional Development Hours will be provided.

Explore early French Fur Trapping History in Illinois. This interdisciplinary teaching unit for educators of grades four through eight focuses on early exploration and settlement, riparian and geography of early Illinois and compares trapping from the past to the present. Both Illinois science and social studies standards are covered. The activities and lessons are designed to supplement Illinois history and science instruction and includes the uses of wildlife by Indigenous peoples and the trappers who came from Europe. Also highlighted is the conservation movement and how it affects views and uses of wildlife today. Educators of other grade levels are welcome to register and attend the workshop but may need to adapt the materials as appropriate. Supplemental resources will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available.

What is weather and climate, and how does it relate to climate change? How are Illinois species being affected? Learn more about the science behind climate, weather, and climate change. Explore which species will be the losers and the winners with what is happening. Explore ways to help students understand this challenging and complicated topic that is in the headlines. Learn some ways you can incorporate some citizen science in your classroom to help students explore what is going on in their backyard. Targeted for grades PreK-12. Professional Development Hours are available.

Hop on over to The Morton Arboretum and join us for this workshop about Illinois frogs and toads. Designed for educators of grades prekindergarten through four, you'll learn about these amazing creatures and receive many Illinois-specific resources. Anuran life history, identification, relationships to other organisms and adaptations will be among the topics covered. Although targeted to teachers of grades PreK through fourth, all educators are welcome to register for the workshop, but the information may need to be adapted, as appropriate. You'll take away several resources to use in your classroom. Professional Development Hours are available.

Learn about the ecology of Illinois woodland habitats. We will learn how plants, animals, and trees interact and depend on each other to create a healthy forest woodland ecosystem through classroom discussions and a 1-mile hike. Although targeted to educators of grades 3 through 8, educators of other grade levels are welcome to register for the workshop, but the information may need to be adapted as appropriate. Professional Development Hours are available. 

What makes a reptile a reptile? Explore the wild reptiles of Illinois learning their life history and taxomony. Discover through a hike how to look for reptiles and their signs. This workshop for educators of grades prekindergarten through 12 will provide an introduction to and educational resources about the wild reptiles in our state. We will show you how to use the topic of Illinois wild reptiles to support the teaching of several of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards for science and Next Generation Science Standards with your students. Professional Development Hours are available. 

The 2025 - 2026 IDNR Historic Sites Field Trip Grant application is open! The application deadline is September 30, 2025.

The 2026 Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant and the Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant applications are both open, too.

Chicago: Interested in Programs in Chicago, Jonathan Schlesinger at DNR.urbanfishing.Chicago@Illinois.gov. 

Northern Illinois: north of I-80, includes cities surrounding Chicago, Rockford, Moline, and Rock Island, Frank Sladek at Frank.Sladek@Illinois.gov.

Central Illinois: south of I-80 and north of I-70 (not including Alton/Grafton), includes cities of Quincy, Macomb, Peoria, Springfield, Champaign, Decatur, Danville, and Bloomington, Van Grissom at Van.Grissom@Illinois.gov.

Southern Illinois: South of I-70, including Alton, Edwardsville, Mt. Vernon, Carbondale, East Cape Girardeau, and Cairo please contact Scott Isringhausen at Scott.Isringhausen@Illinois.gov

If you’ve ever caught a northern pike or a muskellunge in Illinois, it very likely started its life at a hatchery in Mason County! Every year, IDNR stocks these prized fish all over Illinois, and right now, the newest ones are receiving specialized care at one of the largest fish hatcheries in the country! Visiting in early spring means you will get to check out the tiny pike and muskie, and you might still have time to check out the salmon and trout before we send them to Lake Michigan in May. If you want to learn about fish life cycles and how we raise these popular sportfish at the hatchery, call us to reserve a tour. In addition to scheduled tours, our walk-in visitor’s center is open every day from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, with several informational displays and windows overlooking the production areas of the hatchery. All ages are welcome, and tours are completely free! For more information on public tours, please call the hatchery at 309-968-7531.

For more information on the hatchery, visit https://ifishillinois.org/programs/hatchery.html or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JakeWolfHatchery/.

Choose Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks as a field trip destination for your students, scouts and classmates! What better location to engage students in their natural surroundings than the trails, canyons, and sandstone overlooks of these two state parks. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) offers FREE guided hikes/programs by request through the Natural Resources Coordinator. Check out what the park has to offer  for teachers at https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/interpret/park.starvedrock.html.  Call or email to set up your field trip today Lisa.sons@illinois.gov, 815-667-5356.

Programs cover a variety of topics including natural science, social studies, history, and more. Check out offering at https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/interpret/park.volobog.html. Fall openings are also available. Scheduling is by phone only – call Naturalist Stacy Iwanicki at 815-344-1294.

This grant program is to assist schools and education-related non-profit organization by funding field trips to the Mississippi or Illinois Rivers. Grants of up to $1000 are made to support the cost of a field trip, including substitute teachers and transportation. Application period is open until July 14, 2025.  Trip must be taken before June 1, 2026.

https://umrcc.org/focus-areas/outreach-recreation-education/

For additional information, contact Neal Jackson, UMRCC Grant Coordinator at neal_jackson@fws.gov.

The Education Committee of the Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) invites conservation educators to attend our online Conservation Education Forum on August 5-6, 2025. The Conservation Education Forum will connect educators seeking to share and gain pedagogical support for fostering outstanding conservation education practices, and provide space for new connections. Each day will feature a combination of 5-min speed presentations followed by 1-hour workshops, as shown in the agenda on our registration page. Check out the event at https://scbnorthamerica.org/index.php/conservation-education-forum/

You can find the DoIT STEAM Newsletter online now.  You can find the July DoIT STEAM Newsletter Volume 55 online now. You can view this volume as well as previous volumes directly on the DoIT STEAM Newsletter webpage. Additional resources can be found on the DoIT STEAM website.  

We hope that you find this newsletter to be informative and we welcome any feedback or suggestions that would make it more useful to you. Please feel free to send a separate email to DoIT STEAM (DoIT.Steam@Illinois.gov) with ideas. If you wish to stop receiving this monthly newsletter notice, please reply directly to this email to request that we remove your name from our mailing list.

Check out their three FREE and virtual trainings at https://www.ianetwork.org/distance-learning-sessions-2/. They have resources and other information available at https://www.ianetwork.org/. For more information, please contact Gwyndolyn Moss at gmoss@ianetwork.org.