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 mccd@maconccd.org or call 217-423-7708.
Social Media
Receive trail condition updates, see the work we’re doing, and share pictures of your visits to the conservation areas by following us on Facebook.
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.
Exploring Nature with Your Senses
Sometimes the best way to connect with nature isn’t through facts and field guides—it’s by slowing down and tuning in. Whether you’re walking a wooded trail, sitting beside a prairie, or pausing near a wetland, nature has a way of speaking to all five senses.
📚Happy World Book Day to all our book loving followers – and maybe soon-to-be-followers 👀 (You should follow us, we’re pretty cool for a bunch of nature nerds).
We’re bringing back the book exchange to the 2026 Festival of Spring at Rock Springs Conservation Area this Saturday, April 25! You can bring in your own books to exchange, or leave a small donation for the books you would like! The Friends of the Decatur Public Library will have a table nearby as well for you to browse.
And the literary fun doesn’t stop there, we are excited to welcome two local authors for book signings. Our two special guests are Carol Alexander, author of 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑖𝑔 𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑎𝑙: 𝐴 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝐻𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑃𝑖𝑔’𝑠 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝐿𝑖𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠; and Carolyn Harmon, author of 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑆𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑣𝑒: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑛’𝑠 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑌𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝐼𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠.
Check out more activities for the big day at www.maconccd.org/annual-events-mccd/festival-of-spring/
🌎HAPPY EARTH DAY!!
🪻We’re excited to have a spin on an old classic for our 2026 Festival of Spring at Rock Springs Conservation Area. We normally offer our Wildflower Wander hike for our participants to go on with one of our naturalists or volunteers, but this year we have a special guest!
Join guest speaker Matt Finzel on a wildflower hike in support of the Central Illinois City Nature Challenge! Matt is the Senior Scientific Specialist in Wetland Plant Ecology for the Illinois Natural History Survey. His work with the INHS integrates applied ecology, field botany, and restoration science, and this hike will encourage participants to learn more about the world around them by using iNaturalist to identify and catalog local plant and animal species.
directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=finzel@illinois.edu&widgetId=42
You can see the full list of activities for the Festival of Spring that's this Saturday, April 25, by heading to: www.maconccd.org/annual-events-mccd/festival-of-spring/
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee to start their day, or in this case, your afternoon. ☕ We’re so excited that this year at the 2026 Festival of Spring at Rock Springs Conservation Area , the popular local coffee truck - RockWell Coffee Company – had availability to come out to be our caffeine provider! Joining him, will be the KLC Creations food truck to be our concession provider with a delicious menu that’s sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!
We also decided to try something new this year and invite our local vendors and artisans to sell their handmade creations! We’ll have @byfaithbakery , Gallery 510 Art & Framing, An Illinois Art Gallery Artists, Just Jenn Creations , and crafts from a couple of our very own Macon County Conservation District staff.
Come out and join us this Saturday, April 25. To see the full list of activities, head to www.maconccd.org/annual-events-mccd/festival-of-spring/
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🦅We’re happy to have our friends at the Illinois Raptor Center back once again to the 2026 Festival of Spring at Rock Springs Conservation Area ! They will be doing live raptor shows at 12:00pm, 1:30pm, and 3:00pm inside the Rock Springs Nature Center. You will never forget the first time you see a live hawk, owl, or falcon right in front of you! Meet these predatory birds of the day and night while you learn how they survive in the wild habitats of central Illinois. Seating is limited, so do not miss this incredible show of beauty and power. Each show lasts about an hour.
This is just one small part of what we have to offer at our spring festival that we’re co-hosting with Decatur Audubon . This will be our 45th year celebrating Earth Day and the start of spring, and we’re excited to celebrate it with you! You can see more of what we have to offer at www.maconccd.org/annual-events-mccd/festival-of-spring/
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you WAND News for coming out to the planting to learn more about the event! 🌳
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
View more comments