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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 247 119 SE 044 715 AUTHOR Stone, Sally F. TITLE Illinois Natural Heritage Conservation/Education Kit. Special Theme: "Remember These Precious Few." Illinois' Endangered and Threatened Plants and Animals. INSTITUTION Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield.; Illinois State Dept. of Conservation, Springfield. PUB DATE 84 NOTE - 84p.; For other titles in this series, see SE 044 716-718. AVAILABLE FROMDepartment of Con servation, Forest Resources and National Heritage, 605 Stratton Office Biiilding, Springfield, IL 62706. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use - Guides (For Teachers) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. - DESCRIPTORS *Animals; Biology; Conservation (Environment); __LeGonse_r_vation Education; *Ecology; Elementary Secondary Education; *Endangered Species; *Learning Activities; *Ornithology; Physical Environment; Science Education IDENTIFIERS *Illinois; Plants (Botany) ABSTRACT This educational kit is designed to help teachers familiarize their students with the natural resources of Illinois. Materials in the kit are suitable for a wide range of grade levels and can be used in indoor and outdoor settings. These materials include a booklet and a set of 15 classroom activities. The booklet, written-at an approximate fifth grade level, contains descriptions of 58 threatened and endangered plants and animals in Illinois. Information provided includes how and where the species, lives and for what reasons it is facing the possibility of near or complete extinction in Illinois. The descriptions are arranged in sections according to the, habitats in which the species are found. These habitats include: (1) prairie and open field; (2) forests; (3) wetlands and water; (4) dunes, cliffs, bluffs, and caves. Each section begins with a brief description of the physical characteristics of the habitat and the forces that in many cases are rendering .habitats unsuitable for the species that depend upon them for survival. Instructional strategies and support information are provided for_ the 15 activities (which, may be duplicated for student use). Activity topics include ecology studies, bird appreciation, a transact study, and others. CJN) *********************************************************************** * * Reproductions supplied by ED-RS are the best that can be made * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. .Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official ME Position or policy- LTHE ILLINOIS SPECemBER us! NATURAL THES-ILUNDIS ENDANGERED HERITAGE AND THREATENED I PLANTS AND ANIMALS CONSERVATION/ EDUCATION KIT ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION 111ILLINOIS BOARD OFEDUCATION In "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY ItItte O eAutditi;)%, uI 1301tuEr TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." . Illinois Department of Conservation Forest Resources and Natural Heritage 111inois' Endangered and Threatened Plants and Animals 4. Mit 4 ar These Precious Few Illinois is bles- animals is to have a clean, healthy habitat in which to sed with numer- reside, the species are arranged according to their, ousvarietiesof required habitats.Each,section _begins with a brief plantsandani- description of the physicalcharacteristics of each mals, Causing us habitat, as well as the forces that in manycases. are sometimes to for- rendering habitats unsuitable for the species that depend get the hundreds upon them for survival. The habitats required for of species of survival by' these species include: prairie/open field, floraand fauna forest, wetlands/water, and dune/cliff/bluff/cave. which for numerous reasons nolonger can be found in Ehe Prairie State--some which no longer can Me -found on The centerfold of this issue contains a full-color the face of earth. We sometimes forget, too, those plants poSterdepictingthe58 animals andplantsde- and animals which are struggling to keep a foothold in scribed throughout this publication. A complete listing our statesome just barely holding on. of the Illinois endangered and threatened species is provided on the, reverse side of the centerfold poster. Currently there are well over 400 plants and animals that still exist in Illinois, but whose" populations are `Endanged' species are considered those plants and extremely low in numbers. 'These constitute "These animals .facinthe very real prospect of disappearing Precious Few," those species that either are classifiedas threatened or endangered. from the state\ whereas 'threatened' species are those in, peril of becomihg endangered. We therefore have what Following, you will find accounts of some of the amounts fo a two -stage system which allows us to threatened and endangered plants and animals of become aware .of `the problem as it affects a pdrticular Illinoismany of which also are included on a similar specie'S before it becomes severe. listing on a national basig. Unfortunately, liniitations of spaceprohibittellingeachofthesespecies''life This brief antholgy is presented to reaffirm the stories--the 58 species here representing only a small state's commitment to all threatened and endangered ,sampling of "These Precious Few." plants and animals innate right to survival in Illinois. This issue constitutes a barometer of where we are now, In telling the life story of each thredtened and a scorecard of how our \\threatened and endangered endangeredspecies, the accounts relate where the species 'are doing in IllinoiS. Perhaps somewhere down species lives, how it lives, and' for what reasons it is the road we' can look back at\ where we are now and see facing the possibility of near or complete extinction in^ the progress that has been made in preserving "These Illinois.Since the common need of all plants and Preciou, Few" for all those who, will follow us. Sally F. Stone, the author of "These Pre- and Robert F. Eschenfeldt for the line drawings cious Few,'"' has observed first hand the decline containedin"ThesePreciousFew."Color of plant and animal species. For the past two photographs are courtesy of: Don Wright, John and a half years she has worked in the Endan- Schwegman, Carl Becker, Anthony Les, Robert gered Species and Heritage Wildlife programs for Welch, F. N. Hamerstrom, Roy Lirkes, Leo the' Department of Conservation.Currently - Johnson, Walter J. Breckenridge, Craig Faanes, she serves as the communications coordinator for Jon Cates, Patrick Redig, Lee K. Nelson, John - the Natural Heritage program. MacGregor, R. Town, Nebraska Game & Parks A special thank you goes to Bob Bridges, Commission, GeneralBiological,Inc.,and Eric Decker, Michele George, Ray Zoarietti, Maynard Reece. 2 THESE PRECIOUS FEW y. t ,d, 4' ...1.1 eOasis Below Forest's C OPY Settlers on the Illinois prairie remainingIllinoisforest has and Spanish oak. found even the smallest clump of survived becauseitisstand- The Northern Coniferous For- trees an oasis on the shadeless ing on ground too rocky, steep est(cone-bearing evergreens or landscape. Because .woodlands or wet to, allow clearing. shrubs) is present in a few scatter- were special, generations of the Three-fourtlis of the Illinois ed locations in northern Illinois samefamilywerecarefulto forest is upland, comprised mainly and is characterized by tamarack, preserve tracts of forest on their of oak,hickory,mixed hard- arbor vitae, Canada yew, white property. Woods and scrub hardwoods. The pine and white birches. To the south, west and north- remainderisbottomland hard= 4 A forest is much more than west of the prairie, forest was woods and pin oak flats. Three the Apes that comprise it., A forest abundant,totaling more than United States forest regions cross is composed of several different 14million acresin1800. The into the state. The Eastern Decid- parts, all of which form a complex trees were so plentiful Illinoisans uous Forest (trees that shed their ecosystem capable of providing saw no harm, in clearing as much leaves annually)isthelargest, food and shelter for plants and timber as they could to make covering south central and south- animals that residethere. The roomforfarmland. By 1900, ern Illinois, including the Shawnee tallest' reaches of a forest are the 10 million acres of forest had NationalForest.Treesinthis high branches of mature trees. beencleared.Now,le3sthan forest are principally oak, tulip These branches form a canopy 3.2 million acres of forest remain tree, sugar maple, American beech over the forest, affording protec- inIllinois.Whatislefthas and black gum. tion for plants and animals, from beenpreservedmainly byin- ,The SoUthecstern. Coastal wind and rain as well as shade for dividuallandowners,national Plain Forest ,covers the lowlands the-plants that need it. The middle forests, state _parks; -and forest. ofsouthernIllinoisandis layer. of a forest is the understory preserve districts. Much. of the characterized by cypress, tupelo of smaller, trees. Often dense with THESE PRECIOUS FEW 3 5 foliage, these trees provide excel- features of a forest offer a two on many more blessings, including lent cover and sources of food for dimensional habitat, stretching in -wonderful opportunities for camp- wildlife. The forest ground cover many direction's on the ground ing and hiking,