Exciting summer job opportunity! Illinois’ Urban Fishing Program is seeking 2026 Summer Fishing Clinic Instructors statewide. Apply here: bit.ly/IDNRjobs Look for “fishing clinic instructor.”
Congratulations to CPO Amanda McKune for winning the NWTF Wildlife Officer of the Year Award! Learn about it here: www.nwtf.org/content-hub/...
First lottery for 2026 deer firearm & muzzleloader season is open through April 30. For IL residents only limit of 1 application per hunter. Landowner deer firearm permit recipients not eligible for a firearm permit but may apply for muzzleloader permit. huntillinois.org
Becoming an Illinois Conservation Police Officer is far more than choosing a job; it’s choosing a life built around public service, outdoor stewardship, and protecting the places where the pavement ends. Learn what it takes in Outdoor Illinois Journal: outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org/articles/wha...
IDNR is hosting a field day on Sat, March 21 at 7:30 a.m. in Sangamon County at the IDNR building. If you're under 18 & completed the online hunter safety course, a field day is required to get your hunter safety certification. More info: 217‑785‑4217 or shelli.jones@illinois.gov.
A squirrel enjoying a snack.
Illinois is gearing up for the nation’s 250th birthday with the first-ever Passport to Illinois. A free travel journal highlighting 56 historic sites, museums & monuments that shaped our nation. Download the digital passport, and start your journey: www.il250.org/passport
Join us for the James Orlandini Foundation Wingshooting Clinic, Saturday, April 4! This hands-on clinic is designed for beginner & novice youth shotgun shooters and their parents or guardians. No prior experience is required.
Learn more and register here: givebutter.com/springfield-...
Celebrate the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site in Lerna.
Author Stacy Lynn will discuss and sign her book, “Loving Lincoln: A Personal History of the Women Who Shaped Lincoln’s Life and Legacy.”
IDNR is hiring a design and construction section manager for the Office of Water Resources in Sangamon County. Deadline to apply is Feb. 13. To read the job description and apply, visit illinois.jobs2web.com/job/Springfi...
IDNR is seeking a vendor for a 3-year golf course management contract. A mandatory attendance pre-bid meeting for the Eagle Creek Golf Course on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. to be held at the Eagle Creek State Park Office located at 2341 Eagle Creek Rd, Findlay, IL.
Are you interested in winter tree identification? Join IDNR staff on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Argyle Lake visitor center in McDonough County for a discussion about trees in winter and how to identify them. Then set off on a hike to test out your identification skills.
Don’t miss Lincoln’s birthday celebration at the Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site in Fayette County on Saturday, Feb. 7. The event will take place between 2 and 4 p.m. in the House of Representatives chamber where Abraham Lincoln served.
It’s Groundhog Day! Did you know that groundhogs are also called woodchucks?
These celebrated creatures can be found statewide in Illinois in brushy or weedy areas, forest edges, fence rows, railroad embankments and earthen dams.
dnr.illinois.gov/education/wi...
Apply now! The Illinois Conservation Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2026 Conservation Achievement Scholarship. The deadline to apply is March 1. For more information, visit ilconservation.org/What-We-Do/S....
Applications for the Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant are due Jan. 31!
Grants are only available to teachers of grades prekindergarten through 12 in Illinois schools and home-schooling teachers in Illinois.
Learn more: dnr.illinois.gov/education/gr...
Are you a teacher wanting to get your students to participate in a stewardship project for Earth Day? Several IDNR sites have projects in April and May for schools. Help plant native plants or remove invasive species. Applications are open at: dnr.illinois.gov/education/ed....
Join us at Lincoln Trail State Park in Clark County on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. for a fun stargazing program. The University of Illinois Astronomy Department will present a program on constellations while allowing participants to use telescopes for night viewing of the stars.
The Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site in Fayette County will celebrate President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and America’s 250th anniversary with a free public event from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7 in the House of Representatives chamber where Lincoln once served.
The Dana-Thomas House has exciting programing though February. Learn more and register for the events here: www.eventbrite.com/o/illinois-d...
Governor JB Pritzker and IDNR announced $36 million in OSLAD grant funding was awarded to 67 local park projects throughout Illinois to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities.
Learn more here: www.illinois.gov/content/dam/...
IDNR invites families, wildlife watchers and nature lovers to experience eagle-watching events across the state this winter.
Learn more about the various eagle watch opportunities here: www.illinois.gov/content/dam/...
In January, the Dana-Thomas House will host popular game nights, date nights and evening tour programs on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The Old State Capitol will be open late on Saturday evenings for Civil War Saturday presentations.
Learn more: www.illinois.gov/content/dam/...
Celebrate the reopening of the Henry N. Barkhausen Cache River Wetland Center at Cache River State Natural Area in southern Illinois from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10!
Join us on Sunday, Jan. 11 at Volo Bog State Natural Area in Lake County for WinterFest. Enjoy live music, bog tours, photography and a snow sculpture contest. Learn more on the Volo Bog website here: friendsofvolobog.org
Don’t miss IDNR’s January newsletter! This issue covers deer harvest totals, eagle watching opportunities, snowmobile safety, and more.
Read the newsletter here:
dnr.illinois.gov/director/ins...
The Giant City State Park Gnome Roam is on. Seven trails, seven whimsical winter gnomes waiting to be found. Snap pics, track your finds, and collect a patch when you’ve spotted them all. Gnomes can be found through the end of February!
Celebrate the winter solstice on Sunday, Dec. 21 at Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site. It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, as the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky. To learn more, visit cahokiamounds.org/events/2025-...
Snowy photos from Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area in Henry County.
Exciting news! The Illinois State Museum has been reaccredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, governments, funders, outside agencies and the public
