We’re pleased to announce that the August 2024 edition of the online magazine OutdoorIllinois Journal is now live. Take a few moments to peruse this edition for the many timely, natural resource-based stories we have to offer. Now in three languages! Ahora en très idiomas! Teraz w trzech językach! If you are fluent in English, Spanish and Polish, please forgive the title duplication. We can’t help but be excited about the broadening of OutdoorIllinois Journal. Offering articles in multiple languages underscores IDNR’s commitment to inclusion and highlights the message that ‘Everyone Belongs in Nature.’
In this issue you'll find articles about the new 2024-2025 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, an update about EHD, a study of whether zoo animals were exposed to the COVID-19 virus and a new smartphone app that is helping fisheries biologists collect information from anglers that can be used in managing fish populations. Other fisheries articles in this issue include the Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery rainbow trout program, the role of the Chicago Fishing Advisory Committee and some exciting additions State Fair visitors can experience in the Division of Fisheries tent at Conservation World. Take a tour of the Ozark Natural Division, read about coyotes in the classroom, and learn about one farmer's adventure building a duck hole. Read on to see how agricultural conservation practices benefit wildlife and to learn about a myriad of species including mosquitoes, turkey vultures, ticks, bats, native bees, soras and Virginia rails. This and much more await at: https://outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org/ Outdoor Illinois Journal is a collaborative effort led by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Divisions of Wildlife Resources, Natural Heritage and Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. Funding for Outdoor Illinois Journal was made available through Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Project W-147-T, the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund and the Fish Management Fund.
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Aug 1, 2024 |
Now in three languages!
Ahora en très idiomas!
Teraz w trzech językach!
Kathy Andrews Wright
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.
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Aug 1, 2024 | hunting, mammals, research, wildlifehealth
Legend or Reality: Breaking the code of CWD myths
Nelda A. Rivera
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.
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Aug 1, 2024 | fish, fishing, placestovisit
Focus Your Illinois State Fair Visit on New Fish Exhibits
Kevin Irons
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.
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Aug 1, 2024 | birds, wetland
Understanding the Spring Migration Ecology of Soras and Virginia Rails
Auriel M. V. Fournier
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.
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Aug 1, 2024 | fishing, wildlifehealth
Angler Data Informs Fish Population Status
David Glover
Information from anglers side can provide a unique perspective compared to data collected from annual population surveys. Illinois Department of Natural Resources and other agencies are testing whether a smartphone app could be used to collect angler information in an organized, coordinated approach to make the information more readily available, reliable and useful.
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Aug 1, 2024 | habitatmanagementenhancement, wildlifehealth
Filling in the Blanks – A Discussion of “A Sand County Almanac”
Patty Gillespie
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!
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