Chief’s Letter
Mike Wefer, Chief, Division of Wildlife Resources
One of the authors in this edition of OutdoorIllinois Journal quotes the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That sentiment is expressed in the involvement of the community who worked to successfully rear and release three federally endangered piping plovers at Montrose Beach in Chicago. Reading other stories in this edition I’m reminded how often a community of like-minded individuals band together for the betterment of Illinois’ natural resources. There’s the team of scientists working with sportsmen and women, and landowners, to monitor the highly pathogenic avian influenza. And the research team deploying detection dogs and camera traps to determine if nutria are in Illinois, and, if so, what strategies landowners should employ to protect their wetland habitats. There also are researchers working on understanding COVID-19 and wildlife, while others work to determine the best strategies to eradicate bush honeysuckle. Another story emphasizes the importance of citizens contributing to our understanding of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease by reporting sick and dead deer. And in the sand prairies of Illinois, landowners and natural resource partners are working to enhance habitat for the state-threatened Illinois chorus frog, with the boots-on-the-ground effort coincidentally benefiting northern bobwhite quail. These ‘villages’ contribute significantly to the understanding of our natural resources.
August marks the start of the 2023-2024 Illinois hunting season and we’ve got you covered. Check out the article highlighting regulation changes noted in the 2023-2024 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations. We’ve also included a forecast for the season on white-tailed deer and waterfowl hunting opportunities along the Upper Illinois River Valley.
Inquiring minds want to know: Do opossums really eat the enormous number of ticks one popular meme claims? One researcher shares her story of how that myth was debunked by analyzing the contents of opossum stomachs.
Cool weather also signals another popular outdoor activity—fall trout season. Check out the article that details locations where catchable trout will be released and make plans for a fun family outing.
You’ll also be happy to see that the series of articles exploring the Natural Divisions of Illinois continues with a feature on flatwoods, a unique forest community type found in the Southern Till Plain Natural Division. Celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission also continues, with articles that focus on the role of Commissioners and Illinois’ participation in the national movement of natural area defense.
We’ve prepared even more for you in this edition of OutdoorIllinois Journal. Look for articles on mergansers and wood ducks, muskies and bass, and bees and orchids and leadplant. That’s just the beginning of the storylines you can discover in this edition of OutdoorIllinois Journal.
OutdoorIllinois Journal is a collaborative effort led by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Divisions of Wildlife Resources and 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 OutdoorIllinois 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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Uno de los autores de esta edición de la Revista OutdoorIllinois cita el proverbio africano: “Se necesita un pueblo para criar a un niño”. Ese sentimiento se expresa en muchas de las historias de esta edición que destacan a las comunidades dedicadas a mejorar nuestra comprensión de los recursos naturales de Illinois. Hay un equipo que trabaja con el chorlitejo silbador, una especie en peligro de extinción a nivel federal, así como aquellos que monitorean la altamente patógena influenza aviar y otros que exploran humedales del sur de Illinois para determinar si hay nutrias en Illinois. Otros artículos presentan el trabajo de investigadores para aumentar nuestro conocimiento sobre el COVID-19 y la vida silvestre, un equipo que monitorea los bordes rocosos en el Lago Michigan diseñados para frenar la erosión de la costa, y los propietarios de tierras y socios de recursos naturales que trabajan para mejorar el hábitat de la amenazada rana de coro de Illinois. Estos son solo algunos de los muchos ‘pueblos’ de los que aprenderás en la Revista OutdoorIllinois.
Explora esta edición para descubrir otras historias interesantes que querrás leer. Realiza un recorrido virtual por los bosques llanos de la División Natural de Southern Till Plain; aprende sobre el Camino de la Serpiente (Snake Road), conocida por las migraciones estacionales de reptiles y anfibios; y explora oportunidades de caza de aves acuáticas en el Valle Superior del Río Illinois. Busca artículos sobre serretas y patos de madera y zarigüeyas; lucios y lubinas y truchas; y abejas y orquídeas y plumbago. Eso es solo el comienzo de las historias que puedes descubrir en esta edición de la Revista OutdoorIllinois.
La Revista OutdoorIllinois es un esfuerzo colaborativo liderado por las Divisiones de Recursos de Vida Silvestre, Patrimonio Natural y Pesca del Departamento de Recursos Naturales de Illinois; el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos y el Centro Nacional de Investigación y Educación de Grandes Ríos. El financiamiento para La Revista OutdoorIllinois se hizo posible a través del Proyecto de Restauración de Vida Silvestre W-147-T, el Fondo de Preservación de Vida Silvestre de Illinois y el Fondo de Gestión de Pesca. Síguenos en Facebook (/livingwithwildlifeIllinois) e Instagram (@livingwithwildlifeIllinois).