Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Camping in Illinois

By Jeffrey J. Lorenz


Today's young folks of Illinois people are enjoying less and less time outdoors. As parents we know we can have a profound impact on the lives of your offspring. It is your responsibility to introducing your kids to the outdoors for the first time. They may have environmental knowledge about Illinois outdoors which you may enhance or you may just make it a play date. These outside experiences might even awaken a passion for the outdoors that will stay with them forever. The first step is to take a little time for planning, it goes a long way towards a successful and safe outdoor trip. An outdoor field trip is a great educational experience for all involved. So enjoy your time with your kids.

The state parks, natural areas, conservation areas, recreation areas, and fish and wildlife areas of Illinois has information on camping, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, state park lodges and resorts, interpretive programs and many great ideas for places to visit and things to do in Illinois. I visited www.dnr.state.il.us

Did you know that Illinois has adopted may natural elements here a few: Illinois State Tree - white oak Illinois State Bird - cardinal Illinois State Fish - bluegill Illinois State Animal - white-tailed deer Illinois State Insect - monarch butterfly

In Illinois here are just a few spots to think about going someday:

1) Truitt Hoff Nature Preserve DuPage County To reach it from Roosevelt Road (Route 38), turn north on Kress Road, then east on Downs Drive, then north on Industruial Drive. Truitt-Hoff Nature Preserve is located in the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Illinois Morainal Natural Division. 120.3 acres in size, the preserve encompasses high-quality mesic prairie, wet-mesic prairie, freshwater marsh, mesic silt loam savanna, and wet prairie natural communities.

2) Dixie Fromm Briggs Prairie Nature Preserve Kane County Access to the southwest corner of the proposed Nature Preserve is from Wynnfield Drive, which intersects with Sleepy Hollow Road approximately 1/2 mile to the west. Dixie Fromm Briggs Prairie, located in the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division, is a mosaic of natural plant communities arrayed upon a rolling topography with diverse soil types, different exposures, and varying moisture regimes. The dry prairie is extremely rare in Illinois. The preserve also has sedge meadow and graminoid fen wetlands.

3)Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve Cook County Hwys. 12/20 and 45 west of Hickory Hills, take Hwy. 45 south 5.5 mi. to McCarthy Road, turn and go west on McCarthy Road 1.5 mi. Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve, at 1520 acres, is the largest nature preserve in northeastern Illinois. Dominant geological features include the rolling topography typical of the Valparaiso Moraine of the Morainal Division of northeastern Illinois and an Esker. The Visitation Esker is one of the best defined examples of this glacial feature in the state. Most of the site is composed of young upland forests, and disturbed prairie and oak savanna communities. Much of the former prairie and oak savanna communities are now threatened by brushy native and non-native species that have advanced because fire has been suppressed. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County and The Nature Conservancy have embarked upon an ambitious project to restore much of this site to its presettlement condition.

One last pointer you know you kids should get outside but you are just not an outdoor sort of person. No problem their are many out door programs, classes and Illinois Summer Camps available in and around your home.

Thinking of a Summer Camps try SummerCampAdvice.com




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