Illinois Children Need Camping

Children in Illinois these days are spending little time outdoors. Parents need to step up and git their kids outdoors. This outdoor experience may have a long lasting impact on your child. For many this may be your child’s first experience to Illinois natural world. By planning ahead you may tie your outdoor trip to their latest class teachings or just go for a fun play date outside. For all you know you might awaken a passion for the outdoors that will stay with your kid throughout their lifetime. An outdoor field trip is a great educational experience for all involved so go outside and have fun.

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 IlIllinois 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)Churchill Prairie Nature Preserve
Du Page County
Churchill is a Wet prairie, mesic prairie, sedge meadow, mesic upland forest, dry mesic upland forest and savanna of the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division.A few wildlife species known to occur here are garter snake, fox snake, and meadow vole.

2) Ferson’s Creek Nature Preserve
Kane County
Location and Access:
From the jct of Rt. 64 and Rt. 31 in the center of downtown St. Charles, head north on Rt. 31 for 0.75 mile. The preserve is on the east side of Rt. 31 on the banks of the Fox River.
Ferson’s Creek Fen is a wetland ecosystem situated along the west bank of the Fox River. The preserve lies on a glacial outwash terrace and alluvial stream bed. Two natural communities featured here are sedge meadows and wet floodplain forests. Occupying the core of the natural area, sedge meadows are the prevalent community and range from undisturbed, very high quality portions to segments of moderate quality. Scattered in small “cameo-like” areas of the sedge meadows are the characteristic calciophilic species such as fringed gentian, grass-of-parnassus, Kalm’s lobelia, turtlehead and marsh wild timothy. Small bedstraw, great St. John’s wort and northern fringed orchid are found in the sedge meadows. Wild rice is located on the edge of the marshy sedge meadow and the floodplain forest. The preserve provides nesting habitat for prothonotary warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, common yellowthroats and swamp sparrows. Excellent bird watching opportunities occur during spring migration. Purple loosestrife, glossy buckthorn and native brushy species are serious problems here. A volunteer stewardship group, active for the past six years, is working closely with the Park District to address the management concerns.

3) Baker’s Lake Nature Preserve
Cook County
Hwy. 14 southeast about 1 mile. The nature preserve is south of Hillside Avenue and southwest of Hwy. 14.
Baker’s Lake Nature Preserve is a 209 acre area containing a 112 acre lake with an island and a stand of mature open-grown oaks. The area provides visitors with an example of a nature preserve which was dedicated primarily to protect a breeding area for rare and endangered birds rather than for its plant communities. The preserve protects a rookery for 4 species of colonial nesting birds; black-crowned night heron, great egret, double crested cormorant and great blue heron. The area also supports common moorhen, yellow-headed blackbird, and black tern. Other species, especially waterfowl, are present during migration.

So your not an outdoorsy person, yet you know your kids should get outside. That’s easy their are many outdoor programs, classes and Summer Camps Illinois available in and around your home.

Thinking of a Summer Camps try SummerCampAdvice.com

Learn more about Swift Nature Camp and ourTeen Summer Camp. Stop by the Swift Nature Camp website where you can find out all about this amazing Summer Kids Camp and the benefits for your kids.