If you are fluent in English, Spanish and Polish, please forgive the title duplication but we can’t help but be excited about the internationalization of OutdoorIllinois Journal and having articles available for a multitude of readers. With approximately 1.7 million Spanish speakers and 185,000 Polish speakers in Illinois, this initiative ensures that a significant portion of our population can fully engage with and appreciate our natural resources.

It is State Fair season (August 8-18, 2024) and one of the popular exhibits at Conservation World, located on the northwest corner of the Illinois State Fairgrounds, is the Fisheries tent. Back by popular demand will be a variety of fish exhibits and hands-on fishing opportunities. New this year will be two days with early opening hours to allow sensory-minded interactions, a display on the sea lamprey and a series of banners highlighting record catches of sportfish in Illinois.

You may have heard about chronic wasting disease, or CWD, and wondered what causes it, who is affected, and what is happening to the white-tailed deer in Illinois. This article will decode CWD and discuss common and confusing myths about prion diseases, particularly CWD.

What can you explore in the Ozark Natural Division of Illinois? A sinkhole plain, cool caves, mature forests, towering bluffs and hill prairies. Read on as we explore this biological and geological wonderland.

When we think about mosquitoes, it is often of the species that are common around our homes during mid- to late summer and which annoy us, and possibly transmit disease agents to humans or other animals. Yet there are nearly 70 species of mosquitos are present in Illinois and some species produce a single generation each year.

State-endangered species, state-threatened species and Illinois protected species are three classifications of wildlife commonly mentioned in OutdoorIllinois Journal articles. What do they mean? Read on to learn about these classifications that often have complex and intertwined regulations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, conservationists and wildlife managers discovered that humans were not the only species affected by this virus. Across the country, detections occurred in animals, such as lions, tigers, gorillas and hyenas. This prompted the questions: how are these animals being exposed to the virus and do wildlife play a significant role in these transmission routes? Across all the zoos and aquariums that took part in the surveillance project in Illinois, no detections of an active infection or antibodies indicating a prior exposure.

Formed nearly 25 years ago, the Chicago Fishing Advisory Committee was established by former Mayor Richard M. Daley in advance of the Chicago-based 2000 Bass Masters Classic. In this monthly forum, a diverse group of northern Illinois fishing professionals and enthusiasts come together to discuss agency fishery management and education activities, and fishing access issues within the City of Chicago.

Circling, soaring, and gliding high over the landscape, turkey vultures are using their sight and a keen sense of smell to locate carrion. Be warned about the personal defenses of vultures, especially close to their nests or under roosts. Their regurgitated, partially digested carrion is not pleasant if you are targeted, because they are known to feast on dead skunks.

At the mention of ‘pasture’ your mind’s eye likely visualizes a tranquil grassland complete with cattle grazing on lush grasses. But focusing on the vegetation you might be surprised to learn that much more is taking place. On Illinois Department of Natural Resources sites throughout the state, conservation agriculture practices are utilized to benefit wildlife populations and their habitats.

We’ve come a long way from the days when Illinois was one-third forest and two-thirds prairie. Land in corn and soybeans provide waste grain as a food source for wildlife if fall tillage is limited. However, fall tilled row crop fields are the major source of soil erosion and nutrient and pesticide runoff. Planting cover crops can help.

Volunteers truly are the lifeblood of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Safety Education Program. Check out this article to learn about some of the volunteers recently recognized for their commitment to providing quality hunting, trapping, boating and snowmobiling education programs to the youth of Illinois.

One Lake County homeowner was partly inspired to convert her 1.2-acre yard into one brimming with native plants by visiting natural areas. She has gradually come to feel that she is a steward of the land and is proud that she can contribute to the ecological health of the land and of the flora and the fauna living there. Take a virtual tour of this landscape and learn how anyone, no matter the size of their yard is, can create a colorful and beneficial landscape.

Within the Ozark Natural Division in Illinois lies a karst region, a terrain formed by the action of water, with an acidic property, in the dissolution of limestone or other carbonate bedrock layers. Within the post-oak barrens, restored prairies, sinkholes and caves of the region, unique wild creatures go about their lives partaking partly of each, the surface and subsurface.

Native bees have evolved alongside the local flora and fauna, creating mutually beneficial relationships with native plants and maintaining biodiversity. As they pollinate plants, they help propagate a wide range of species, from trees and shrubs to wildflowers and grasses. This, in turn, supports birds, butterflies and mammals which depend on these plants for food and habitat. Researchers are now working to understand the diverse assemblage of native bees that rely on Illinois wetland communities.

Having watched countless seasons unfold in her backyard, author Carla Rich Montez realizes that nature’s daily affairs have escaped her notice. Read what she discovers when she takes the time to really see her wild neighbors.

Illinois is home to 13 resident bat species. Many of these species are coping with the loss of habitat and are vulnerable to collisions with wind turbines and/or white-nose syndrome. To protect our bat populations, it is imperative we understand which habitats are vital for our bat populations, so that conservation efforts can be more effectively focused on their protection.

Whenever you head outside to enjoy the beauty of nature you must remember to prepare for the less pleasant aspects you may encounter. Ticks, those tiny yet formidable arachnids, are waiting to hitch a ride on a warm-blooded host and potentially spread diseases, such as Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

Although soras and Virginia rails are considered the most abundant rails in North America, monitoring their population status and distribution has been difficult as they are rarely seen by people. The study is the first to evaluate the timing of spring migration and stopover duration of soras and Virginia rails in Illinois.

A Sand County Almanac is both enlightening and muddling. Sometimes in wonderfully descriptive words, Leopold recounts observations made while at his land, “sand farm,” in Wisconsin. There will be passages in Leopold’s writings which will reveal to us our own lack of knowledge. But, let us remember that ignorance is important, essential to learning!