News & Media
There’s always something happening at the Macon County Conservation District! Staff and volunteers work all year round to provide you with educational programs, restore natural areas, and preserve historic sites. To know what’s going on:
Prairie Islander
Subscribe to the Prairie Islander, our free, quarterly newsletter. You may also read the current issue online or subscribe to our mailing list to have the Prairie Islander emailed to you each quarter. Scroll to the bottom of any page on our website to sign up!
Media Inquiries
For media inquiries about stories or photo requests, call 217-423-7708. If you wish to receive our news releases and photo opportunities via email, send a message to [email protected] or call 217-423-7708.
Social Media
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We're all set up and ready for another great year at the Illinois Association of Park Districts Parks Day at the Capitol! This is one of the events we always look forward to, it's great to see so many organizations that are passionate about the community and the outdoors in one place!
Good news parents and guardians, our Mini and X-Treme camps still have some openings if you are looking for summer camp experiences for your little or big kiddos!
🐞If you have one little guy or several under the age of 6, this is a great opportunity to bring everyone to ONE CAMP. In this hour long camp, children will learn to analyze their surroundings and begin their love of exploration of the outside world through crafts, activities, songs, stories and hikes. These camps are a great stepping stone for little ones to spend time with other children and have the comfort of a loved one nearby.
🪲Older children enjoy a full day of outdoor activities during X-treme Camp. This summer, we’re adventuring in and out of the county as we enjoy activities like cave exploration, orienteering, and more.
You can check out all the details by heading to our summer camps page here 👉🏼 www.maconcountyconservation.org/nature-camps-for-kids/
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🌼Tomorrow is the big day! Come out and celebrate Earth Day with us at the Festival of Spring! With a day packed full of fun for the whole family, there is sure to be something for everyone! The cost for everything is free other than the Canoe Rodeo, which is only a small fee of $3/person, and there will be concessions for purchase from our Macon County Conservation Foundation.
Check out the complete list of details by heading to the link below 👇🏼
www.maconcountyconservation.org/festival-of-spring/
We can't wait to see you there!🪻
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A Spring Awakening
As the days get longer and the air warms, the natural world begins to buzz with signs of spring. One seasonal staple is the appearance of baby animals – new to the world, they often cause concern for well-meaning folks who find them in their yards, along roadsides, or in green spaces.
Shake Off Winter with a Dose of Nature
Celebrate the end of cabin fever because spring is here! Color and sunshine will finally be coming back into our lives as plants start to bud and bloom and the sun banishes those winter-gray skies.
District Project Updates
With the busy summer and fall seasons behind us, we’re turning our focus to several exciting new projects that will benefit both our community and local ecosystems. Here’s a look into three of our biggest projects.
Takeaways from the 2024 ANCA Annual Summit
Working at a Nature Center and for a Conservation District allows for myriad opportunities. There are many conferences and summits out there for staff to explore and to help expand their professional network.
Built by Nature, Crafted by Us. Here’s the Story Behind the New Timber Frame Pavilion at Friends Creek Conservation Area
For the past several months, there has been a project that we have kept quiet about while our staff worked hard to complete it. We sat down with Friends Creek Site Superintendent, Andy Murphy, to learn all the details about this newest structure at the Friends Creek Conservation Area group camp site. What is this structure we are standing by called? This is a King Post Pavilion. The top of the main bents are shaped to look like the king chess piece. You mentioned the term “bents”, care to talk a little bit more about those? Yeah, those are [...]
Lichen and Fungi… Oh My!
The kingdom Fungi have been very misunderstood for many years, only being classified as a kingdom since 1969. They had been considered plants prior to this year, meaning scientists have only had a small portion of time to truly study and understand them as their own kingdom.
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