Now in Three Languages!
Ahora en très idiomas!
Teraz w trzech językach!

A group children gather together around two children holding and examining two turtles.

Photo by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

If you are fluent in English, Spanish and Polish, please forgive the title duplication! We can’t help but be excited about the internationalization of OutdoorIllinois Journal and having articles available for a multitude of readers.

A screenshot of the homepage in English of the Outdoor Illinois Journal.
OutdoorIllinois Journal in English. Note the “Now in three languages!” in the upper left corner.

Accessing the language options is simple: visit OutdoorIllinois Journal and note the “Now in three languages!” option on the upper left side of the screen. The dropdown menu provides you with the three available options. If you select Spanish or Polish, the translated articles will appear at the top of each quarterly edition. Additional translations will be added each quarter, and, as time allows, we will be adding additional translations to the older editions.

“Translating the OutdoorsIllinois Journal into Spanish and Polish is a crucial step towards Illinois Department of Natural Resource’s (IDNR) mission of making nature accessible to all,” said Jose Burgos, Chief External Affairs Officer with the IDNR. “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.

Another multi-language product offered by IDNR is the annual Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations.

A collage of two screenshots of the Outdoor Illinois Journal homepage. To the left is the homepage in Spanish. To the right is the homepage in Polish.
To the left is the homepage in Spanish and to the right is the homepage in Polish.

“The complexity of hunting and trapping regulations is a known constraint throughout the entire hunting community,” noted Phil Borsdorf, IDNR Hunter Heritage Program. “A collaborative effort, funded through Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant W-209-R, enables us to more effectively convey pertinent hunting and trapping information to Spanish and Polish speaking user groups by translating the annual Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations in both languages.”

One of the guiding principles of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is the Democracy of Hunting.

“Hunting opportunity is for everyone,” Wefer said. “I believe it is our moral obligation to invite and welcome everyone.”

Burgos reiterated Wefer’s remark, nothing the ongoing work by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to reach diverse audiences by saying “This effort reflects IDNR’s commitment to inclusion and underscores the message that ‘Everyone Belongs in Nature.'”



Kathy Andrews Wright retired from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources where she was editor of OutdoorIllinois magazine. She is currently the editor of OutdoorIllinois Journal.

Share this Article

Submit a question for the author

Please complete the verification below to submit your question:



Explore Our Family of Websites

Similar Reads


Three white-tailed deer are in a harvest agricultural field. Two of the deer are grazing. The deer in the foreground is walking towards the right with its head up. The deer in the foreground and one in the background have large antlers. A woodland is in the distance.

One Small Protein Worth a Whole Herd of Trouble: prion disease advantage in Illinois white-tailed deer


Beautiful yellow daisy-like prairie flowers surround a field of solar panels. A bright blue sky is overhead.

Solar Installation Can Provide Meaningful Habitat


A adult male white-tailed deer with large antlers illuminated by a spotlight in a field at night.

A reddish young adult male white tailed deer with small antlers stands on the edge of a grassland.

CWD Management Program Changing


A gray and white Virginia opossum pauses while walking through a grassy area.

A large tree stands in a grassland in early spring. A bright partly cloudy sky is overhead. In the distance are bluffs covered in woodlands.

Beneath the Boughs of a Witness Tree


A male and female summer tanager sit on a bird feeder.

A raccoon peaks over a bag of trash in a rusted dumpster.

The Perks of Not Feeding Wildlife


A hunter holds a crossbow up in preparation for aiming while sitting in a tree-stand. In the background is a grassy field. Trees with autumn foliage border the field in the distance.

A black and white skunk walks along the edge of a gravel road next to a grassy roadside. The skunk has pointed its tail up and is looking to the left.

The Science Behind Skunk Numbers: What four decades of data reveal