New this Month - December 2024

Fall is a great season for young children to explore nature! There is so much to see and learn. Join us to discover what nature can tell us in fall. We'll take a hike to put our knowledge to work and will feature the Field Trip Pack from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). We'll be incorporating several topics. Although targeted to grades prekindergarten through three, 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 fall nature. Professional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the IDNR.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. – Biodiversity Field Trips
Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 3;30 p.m. Biodiversity Field Trips.

All of the training will be online via Webex. Sign up at https://forms.office.com/g/6B9VTZVYVW

If you have questions about how to apply, please be sure to email us at dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov. We are happy to answer questions.

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 March 2025. Visit https://www.enticeworkshops.com for details, the complete list of workshops and to register. Experience ENTICE!

Learn all about the winter birds that live in Illinois, from songbirds to birds of prey. Participants will learn what adaptations birds have, to make them so successful to withstand the harsh Illinois winters. Appropriate for educators in grades K-4, but educators for all grade levels welcome but may need to adapt the activities and resources to be appropriate for older students. Please make sure to dress for the weather, as we will be going on the trails to look for signs of birds in the winter. Supplemental resources will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

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 Illinois high school and middle school students. Professional Development Hours are available. Sponsored by the IDNR, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.

Wild Illinois History is a self-contained teaching unit for educators of grades four through eight. The online interactive student activity and lessons are designed to supplement Illinois history instruction by focusing on information regarding early exploration and settlement, riparian and geography in what was to become Illinois and the uses of wildlife by Indigenous peoples and the trappers who came from Europe. The activity also highlights 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. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Have some wintry fun this season at The Morton Arboretum! Learn how to utilize the winter season to teach students about how to find and track animals, and their adaptations for the seasons. Educators will be introduced to strategies on how to utilize the seasons to bring their science curriculum to life. Although targeted to teachers of pre-K through third grade, all educators are welcome to register for the workshop, but the information may need to be adapted, as appropriate. Supplemental resources will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

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 Illinois high school and middle school students. Professional Development Hours are available. Sponsored by the IDNR, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.

This workshop for educators of grades prekindergarten through 12 will provide an introduction to and educational resources about the wild reptiles and amphibians in our state. We will focus on the life history of these species, and we will go on a hike to look for reptiles and amphibians, and their signs. We will show you how to use the topic of "Illinois wild reptiles and amphibians" 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. Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.

Flutter in and join other educators of grades prekindergarten through four as we are introduced to the butterflies of Illinois! The emphasis of this workshop will be on butterfly conservation and the related work of staff members of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in the field and lab. Information on developing butterfly habitat on the school grounds and how to incorporate learning activities related to it will also be included. 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. Teachers of other grade levels are welcome to register for this workshop but may need to adapt the materials for their students, as appropriate. Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.

How much do you really know about squirrels? Come to this workshop and learn about the life history of Illinois' tree squirrels. We will go for a hike to observe squirrels and evidence of their presence. We will look at how you can use squirrel observations to help you meet some of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards in science and Next Generation Science Standards and will introduce you to Project Squirrel, a citizen science program that can be incorporated into your teaching. Although targeted to teachers of grades prekindergarten through four, all educators are welcome to register for this workshop but may need to adapt the materials for their students, as appropriate. Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.

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. Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.

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. Supplemental resources will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Learn about springtime habitat in the Illinois woods and spring ephemerals that arrive this time of year. Learn about native woodland plants, animals, and trees, their special adaptations and threats they face, and how we humans have benefitted from them through the ages! Supplemental resources will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Teachers across the state are encouraged to contact their regional Urban and Community Fishing Program Coordinator to learn more about how they can schedule free angler and aquatic education programs. Transportation funds are available.

For scheduling for the next school year, please contact your coordinators for programs for your classroom this school year.

Chicago: Jonathan Schlesinger at DNR.urbanfishing.Chicago@Illinois.gov. Interested in Programs in Chicago, please fill out this form.

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

Ever wonder where the big bass, plentiful panfish or massive muskie in your local lake come from? Come to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery in Topeka, Illinois, and find out! Now is a great time to visit Illinois' largest fish hatchery to see where many of your favorite sportfish begin their life. Jake Wolf Fish Hatchery accepts requests for scheduled tours, by appointment only, Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tour groups are limited to 15 people. All ages are welcome. 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 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.

Spring Field Trip Registration begins on Wednesday, December 4. This unique site in far northeastern Illinois offers 19 different nature & environment programs for school age students including Animal Adaptations, Aqua Safari, Birds, and of course the always-favorite Bog Life. Programs cover a variety of topics including natural science, social studies, history, and more. Winter openings are also available. Scheduling is by phone only – call Naturalist Stacy Iwanicki at 815-344-1294.

In addition, Volo Bog SNA partners with Openlands to bring their Birds in My Neighborhood® program to classrooms in Lake & McHenry Counties. This FREE program led by trained volunteers is in three parts – two in-school classroom visits, followed by a Field Trip to a local natural area (with bus sponsorship available). To learn more contact Stacy at dnr.volobog@illinois.gov or phone her at 815-344-1294.

Fall is a great time to visit Little Grassy Fish Hatchery! If you want to be a part of feeding the thousands of young Channel Catfish before they get stocked into lakes in the state, call us to reserve a tour. In addition to scheduled tours, our walk-in visitor’s center is open Friday through Tuesday from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm and Wednesday and Thursdays 8:30 am - 2:00 pm with several informational displays and views of the production areas of the hatchery. Our new site interpreter Mark Denzer also does local outreach to local and regional schools referred to as Fish Journeys! All ages are welcome! For more information on public tours or the Fish Journeys Program, please call the hatchery at 618-529-4100 or visit Little Grassy Fish Hatchery.

The following items are provided for your information only. They are not programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Should you have questions about them, please use the contact information provided with the items.

Explore summer fun and learning opportunities. We are charging towards the end of the school year and undoubtedly need a break, but the summer offers great opportunities to renew our passion for learning and spark new interests and strategies. The summer months may be a good chance for students and educators to enhance their knowledge, cultivate interests in STEAM domains, and obtain new skills and knowledge at summer events. This newsletter shares various opportunities for summer camps as well as professional development. Check out the STEAM Newsletter here.