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
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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 mccd@maconccd.org or call 217-423-7708.
Social Media
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Project Updates: Learn What’s Going on at the Macon County Conservation District
By Ashton Dukeman As we reach the halfway point of the Macon County Conservation District's 60th anniversary year, we wanted to share updates on a couple of projects previously reported in the Winter 2024 edition of the Prairie Islander. With the Indoor-Outdoor Classroom now completed, our focus turns to other large ongoing projects: Fort Daniel Conservation Area, Woodbine Farm, and the Scovill Bike Trail Connection. The Scovill Bike Trail Connection aims to enhance trail connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians by bridging the gap between the Rock Springs-Fairview Park BikeTrail and the Decatur Park District's upgraded trail system at Scovill...
60 Years of Conservation, Community, and Connection
All good stories start with an idea, and the story of the Macon County Conservation District is no different. The story of MCCD is one of commitment, drive, and belief. So, where did the idea come from? To find that answer, we must go all the way back to 1935 – 31 years before the District was formed.
Creature Feature – Northern Bobwhite
The Northern Bobwhite Taylor Buley As of July 2024, there are a total of 459 species of birds living in Illinois. One of these species is the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), also known as the Virginia quail or bobwhite quail. They share the order Galliformes with three other bird species in Illinois: wild turkey, greater prairie-chicken, and the ring-checked pheasant. Galliformes is the order containing grouse, quail, and turkey families. The Northern Bobwhite is unique because they are the only quail species native to the Eastern United States. They are in the family Odontophoridae or New World Quail, in comparison...
Explore the Universe with the Macon County Conservation District’s New StarLab Planetarium Experience
We here at the Macon County Conservation District are thrilled to announce the new presentation structure for our brand-new StarLab Planetarium – a fully digital, portable dome that brings the wonders of space and astronomy up close directly to your school or organization. It’s thanks to the generous support from the Heart of Illinois Community Foundation and additional funding from the Macon County Conservation Foundation that we are able to deliver immersive, unforgettable learning experiences to our community and beyond. A Portable Planetarium That Brings The Wonders of Space to YOU The StarLab Planetarium accommodates 30-40 participants and can...
Weathering the Cold, Part One: Brumation
Illinois is home to over 54,000 different species of wildlife, and the majority are species of insects. Often, the time of year dictates when we can see some of our more familiar species. As fall and winter begin to make their way into Illinois, the animals we see moving around begin to change.
Living on the Edge: Part 3
Part 3—Learn about the importance of the boundary zones where two distinct habitats meet in this three part article series.
This week's Sunday Storytime is cancelled, but there is still plenty of other fun things to do at Rock Springs on Sunday! Explore the Nature Center, tour Homestead Prairie Farm, or stop by to watch the Summer Concert Series: Back Porch Trio concert!
With Jimothy's rise to fame, it's a good reminder to let our wild things stay wild 💚🦝
You can find a short article written by our staff for the 2023 fall Prairie Islander about this subject in the comments below!We wrote and deleted a whole think-piece about Jimothy - can fame and wildness ever coexist? Are parasocial relationships and anthropomorphizing two sides of the same coin?? - but we’ll spare you that and just say, please give wild things the space to be wild. Even when they’re cute, or different, or famous.
That can mean driving with care on park roads (and all roads). It can mean keeping food closed safely in a bear can when you backpack. It can mean seeing an animal and knowing that it means something special to you, and that it has the best shot in life if you don’t try to get close. It’s a good way to love them.
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Even on a hot day, there's always something fun to do at the Rock Springs Nature Center.
#midwest #Illinois #hikeillinois #outdoordecatur #DecaturIL #decaturhiking #DecaturEvents #maconconservation #thingstodo #decaturillinois
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🐺There is still time to register for the free Crazy About Canids indoor program happening this Saturday, July 18 at 2pm. Learn about the local critters from the family Canidae, including coyotes and foxes. Registration is open until noon Friday, July 17. You can find the link to the event registration in the comments below! 🐾
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