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.
A Spring Awakening
By Alysia Callison 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. So, what should you do if you find a baby animal? Leave it alone! Unless the animal is clearly injured or showing signs of distress, don’t touch it. Oftentimes, the parents know where the baby is and will return to check on it. Relocating the...
Shake Off Winter with a Dose of Nature
By Ashton Dukeman 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. What better way to shake off the winter blues than by getting outdoors in less than four layers of thermal gear. During the winter months, when many of us are confined to our homes, screens become a go-to source of entertainment to pass the time. This habit can be hard to break once the weather starts to warm, often leading to less...
District Project Updates
By Jerry Culp 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. Indoor-Outdoor Classroom A new Indoor-Outdoor Classroom is being constructed in the lower level of the Rock Springs Nature Center thanks to funding from the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act, or PARC Grant, through the State of Illinois. It will feature: Adaptive Classroom Space: With a glass wall that will open to the outside and cohesive flooring that translates from the...
Takeaways from the 2024 ANCA Annual Summit
By Taylor Buley 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. One organization that we connect with here at Macon County Conservation District is the Association of Nature Center Administrators, or ANCA. ANCA is a non-profit professional organization that is dedicated to leaders in the nature and environmental learning profession. Their mission is to promote and support the best leadership and management practices, and ANCA serves more than 700 members across North America. They are...
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...
Decatur Area Audubon Society Bus Grants for 2024-25 School Year
Decatur Area Audubon Society is once again providing funding towards bus transportation for the 2024-25 school year to Rock Springs Nature Center or any of the five Macon County Conservation Areas, or towards in-classroom programs with Conservation District staff. This grant applies to any school in Macon County, or those serving students living in Macon County, as well as other area schools. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and can be used toward: • Bus transportation to Rock Springs Nature Center or any of the five Macon County Conservation Areas, • In-classroom programs presented by a District...
🚨 The countdown is ON! Just 3 days until we lace up and hit the trails for the Rock Springs Ramble!
Whether you're going for gold, jogging for joy, or walking with friends, there’s still time to register!
👉 Online registration closes this Friday at 1pm – don’t miss it!
Can’t join us in person? No problem! Sign up for the virtual option and Ramble on your own route.
www.maconcountyconservationfoundation.org/events/rock-springs-ramble/
🌱 Let’s get moving!
#RockSpringsRamble #RambleReady #CountdownToRaceDay
🎶 Get ready for another summer of great music in the great outdoors! 🌳☀️
We’re turning up the volume on your summer weekends with the 2025 Summer Concert Series at Rock Springs Conservation Area! Grab your lawn chairs, pack a picnic, and join us under the sky for an evening of live tunes, nature vibes, and community fun.
🎤 Find all the details at our website: www.maconccd.org/annual-events-mccd/summer-concert-series-rock-springs/
All concerts are FREE and family-friendly—because good music should be shared!
Tag your concert crew and mark your calendars! 🎸🌻
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🐾 Important Reminder: Please Don’t Abandon Pets in Conservation Areas
These aren’t the kinds of public service announcements we like to make—but they’re important.
This young domestic rat was recently found at Rock Springs with an injured paw. Thankfully, she scurried right up to some of our staff—sweet, trusting, and clearly not equipped to survive on her own in the wild. We hate to imagine what might’ve happened if someone else—or something else—had found her first.
Abandoning pets in nature is not only illegal—it’s incredibly cruel and dangerous for the animal. Domestic rats, like all pets, depend on humans for food, shelter, and safety. Releasing them into the wild isn’t giving them a second chance—it’s taking it away.
Thankfully, this little one is now safe at the animal shelter, where she’ll hopefully find a home with someone who understands her needs and will never leave her behind again.
If you find yourself unable to care for a pet, please reach out to a shelter, rescue, or animal control. There are always better options than abandonment. Rock Springs is not a wildlife rehabilitation or animal rescue facility, nor are any of our other Areas. And dealing with pet abandonment occurrences causes staff to have to take time away from their jobs to try and find a solution. Feel free to share this post to raise awareness about this issue!
Let’s do better—for every creature who trusts us to keep them safe. 💚
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🍷Sip, Savor, & Support the Macon County Conservation Foundation.
Join us on June 28 for an unforgettable evening at Wine in the Wild, featuring delicious drinks, food, games, an exciting auction, and a sneak peek at the future plans for Woodbine Farm and Fort Daniel Conservation Area. Whether you’re clinking glasses with us in person or cheering from afar, your support makes a real difference.
Even if you can’t attend, you can still help us preserve and restore these incredible natural and historical spaces for generations to come. You can donate on our auction and donation GiveButter page to get on the leader-board and help us reach our goal! If you can't make it to the event the night of, you'll still be able to follow along with our fundraising progress throughout the evening with the Live Display option!
givebutter.com/c/WineInTheWild
Sponsor. Donate. Be part of something wild.
🎟️For tickets and event sponsorship information, head to our event page here: www.maconcountyconservationfoundation.org/events/wine-in-the-wild/
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🌾 We're Hiring an Operations Supervisor!
Love the outdoors and leading a team? We’re looking for a natural resources pro to help manage and restore the wild and wonderful spaces of Macon County.
You’ll lead efforts to protect habitats, improve air and water quality, and preserve the natural and cultural gems that make our area so special—for today and tomorrow.
📍 Join our management team and make a lasting impact.
🔗 www.maconccd.org/get-involved/job-opportunities/
#ConservationCareers #MaconConservation #HiringNow
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