OutdoorIllinois VOLUME VIII, NUMBER 8 OUTDOOR ILLINOIS is published monthly by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Public Services, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701-1787, phone (217) 782-7454, e-mail editor@dnrmail.state.il.us. (Publication number: ISSN 1072-7175) Periodical Postage Paid at Springfield, IL POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OUTDOOR ILLINOIS, Department of Natural Resources, Dept. NL, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701-1787. George H. Ryan    Governor Brent Manning    Director James D. Garner    Deputy Director Richard Mottershaw    Deputy Director STAFF: James L. Fulgenzi, office director; Gary Thomas, editor; Liz Pensoneau, managing editor; John Allen, staff writer; Adele Hodde, chief photographer; Chas. J. Dees, staff photographer; Charles J. Copley, design & layout; Cheryl Gwinn, production coordinator; Vera Lynn Smith, circulation. Illinois Department of Natural Resources Internet Address: http://dnr.state.il.us Staff-written material appearing in this publication may be reprinted without permission, provided that OUTDOOR ILLINOIS, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is acknowledged as the source. OUTDOOR ILLINOIS assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or illustrations. Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies is available to all individuals regardless of race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion or other non-merit factors. If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the funding source's civil rights office and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, DNR, 524 S. Second, Springfield, IL 62701-1787; 217/785-0067; TTY 217/782-9175. All public meetings conducted by the Department of Natural Resources will be accessible to handicapped individuals in compliance with Executive Order No. 5 and pertinent state and federal laws, upon notification of the anticipated attendance. Handicapped persons planning to attend and needing special accommodations should inform the Department of Natural Resources at least five days prior to the meeting by telephoning or writing the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, Department of Natural Resources, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701-1787, phone (217) 785-0067. Department of Natural Resources information is available to the hearing impaired by calling DNR's Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (217) 782-9175. Printed by the Authority of the State of Illinois PRT3216173-28,395-7/01 Illinois Department of Natural Resources Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with soy-based ink. Illinois Department of Natural Resources

What's Inside 2 A Solid Foundation This institution's goal is to match donors with needy projects. 5 National Scenic Byway Join us for the second part of our series on the Great River Road to learn about one of America's most beautiful drives. 11 Nature's Helicopter Barely larger than a bee, this bird is a sugar addict. 12 'Mountain' Men This rehab program offers people with spinal cord injuries the opportunity to mountain climb, kayak and camp out beneath the stars. 16 A Day at the Office Going to work is just another day of fishing for this southern Illinois angler. 20 NewsFront Learn how to reserve a pheasant hunt online, check out a quail workshop, discover the new Grand Illinois Trail homepage, plan for a golf outing, get a copy of the new state park magazine, learn about a shooting class, plan to attend the artisans village at the state fair, and more in this month's NewsFront. On the cover... William Roston of Forsyth, Mo., took this underwater photograph of a largemouth bass about to strike a crankbait.

August 2000

UpFront

A trip to the Illinois State Fair is always entertaining and educational. Carnival rides, rodeos, stage shows and people watching provide hours of amusement, while Tech Town, 4H displays and exhibits from various state agencies engage and inform us.

Entertainment and education are also the goals of the Department of Natural Resources at Conservation World, our own little comer of the fair. Each of our divisions will have displays set up in Conservation World, and we're bringing in several outside organizations and individuals to make your visit even more enjoyable.

Returning to Conservation World this year after a one-year absence is the popular Scheer's Lumberjack Show. These agile woodsmen will delight audiences with their pole-climbing and log-rolling antics three times each day during the fair, which runs from Aug. 11-20.

Also running three times a day will be a birds of prey show presented by The Raptor Project, casting and lure demonstrations by pro fishermen utilizing the 5,000-gallon "Bass Tub," and a new attraction, the "Bwana Jim" Reptile Show. On Saturdays and Sundays, there will be field dog demonstrations.

Other outside organizations planning exhibits on our 25-acre site include the Tri-County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, the Illinois Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Illinois Nurserymen's Association, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and the Illinois State Police, which will be issuing Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card renewals. The Illinois Beef Association will be manning a food booth, and several Illinois artisans will be demonstrating and selling craft items.

Department staff also will be on hand to inform and entertain visitors. Among the new DNR displays this year will be various types of fishing equipment in the fisheries tent, native animals from Springfield's Henson Robinson Zoo in the wildlife tent and information about the new conservation education program for Illinois schools called ENTICE in the land management tent.

Popular exhibits returning this year include the BB gun range, kids' casting contests, fishing lessons, adult fly-fishing seminars, displays of live native species, activities for kids, information for teachers, and wetland, wildflower and native mussel displays. There will be updates on the prairie chicken reintroduction, the Midewin National Tall-grass Prairie and Savannah Army Depot, and exhibits on native minerals and land reclamation.

Information on the recently approved federal Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) will be in the Director's tent at the entrance to Conservation World. This tent also will host daily drawings for overnight stays at Illinois state park lodges and a grand raffle on the last day of the fair in which more than four thousand dollars worth of outdoor-related prizes will be given to a single lucky person who either renews or becomes a new subscriber to OutdoorIllinois magazine.

Conservation World is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day of the fair. All activities in Conservation World are free, and fair trams stop at both entrances to the exhibit on a regular basis. We hope you'll stop in and enjoy yourself.