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Gretchen Steele

Gretchen Steele: For outdoor folk, winter mayhem creates opportunity

Featured, Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion /

It’s been a short bit since the great winter storm of 2025 hit southern Illinois, and frankly, we are still digging things out and dealing with its by-products.
As is typical down here in the hills and hollers, we ended up dealing with our usual “winter mix.” Roads, yards, fields, and trees were all covered in a delightful layer cake of ice, sleet, and snow on top, just for good measure.

Gretchen Steele: For outdoor folk, winter mayhem creates opportunity Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary a winter cure for ‘big white bird’ fever

Blogs, Featured, Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion /

While many think only of a warm fire and hot toddy during the dark cold months of winter, I think of big white birds. Trumpeter and tundra swans, pelicans and of course snow geese. Big white birds, and lots of them!
Perhaps one of my favorite places in winter is across the river at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton. Riverlands is just a quick trip across the Lewis and Clark Bridge from historic Alton, Ill.

Gretchen Steele: Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary a winter cure for ‘big white bird’ fever Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Volunteering for conservation benefits everyone, everything involved

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky /

Outdoor adventurers, nature lovers, and wildlife enthusiasts of Illinois, 2025 is calling you to action. The trails we hike, the rivers we paddle, and the forests we explore owe their existence to ongoing conservation efforts.
This year, I challenge every outdoor user in Illinois to commit to at least one volunteer conservation act. Together, we can make a tangible impact on the places we love.

Gretchen Steele: Volunteering for conservation benefits everyone, everything involved Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Southern Illinois public lands in for big changes in ‘25

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, Illinois, National Fishing, National Hunting /

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with announcements concerning some southern Illinois public lands.
The first announcement we received was from DNR outlining a change in management duties at Carlyle Lake. DNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced changes to management responsibilities at the Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. About 2,600 acres at Eckert’s Woods and Speaker Lake sub-impoundments will be returned to the USACE for wildlife management efforts.

Gretchen Steele: Southern Illinois public lands in for big changes in ‘25 Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Don’t be fooled by myths and misinformation from ‘armchair wildlife experts’

Leave a Comment / Discussions, Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, Opinion /

It’s that time of year when Illinois DNR releases a wealth of crucial data and numbers.
From harvest figures to wildlife surveys and grant awards, these numbers hold significant value. The abundance of data being published and shared with the general public is not to be overlooked. This has led to a relatively new phenomenon: the social media/Internet commenter biologist/land manager/wildlife expert. It usually peaks around this time of year, especially regarding deer harvest and waterfowl harvest/survey numbers.

Gretchen Steele: Don’t be fooled by myths and misinformation from ‘armchair wildlife experts’ Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Delta Waterfowl welcomes new regional director for Illinois

Blogs, Featured, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, Opinion /

Delta Waterfowl has recruited a new regional director for the state of Illinois to boost chapter committees as the organization’s volunteer chapter system continues to grow.
According to the Delta Waterfowl website, Matt Ward will lead Delta’s existing chapters in the state, pioneer new chapters, and provide crucial support to volunteers as they hold fundraising events that support Delta’s mission to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America.

Gretchen Steele: Delta Waterfowl welcomes new regional director for Illinois Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Delta Waterfowl Foundation opposes the proposed Great Rivers National Park in Illinois

Blogs, Featured, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion /

AltonWorks, an organization that, according to its website, “is a social impact development company focused on the revitalization of Historic Downtown Alton, Ill., as a healthy, thriving, walkable city and as a regional hub for reinvention and resiliency in Metro North,” continues to promote its proposition for seeking the formation of a new National Park — the Great Rivers National Park.
To meet the criteria for managing a national park, AltonWorks is proposing 135,000 acres in the Great Rivers Confluence Region. This area is managed by 20 federal, state, and local jurisdictions.

Gretchen Steele: Delta Waterfowl Foundation opposes the proposed Great Rivers National Park in Illinois Read More »

Gretchen Steele: A new variety of bug in southern Illinois? It stinks!

Featured, Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky /

I had to laugh when, just a few days ago, I received a press release from the Illinois Department of Agriculture with the headline “Cooler Temperatures Drive Stink Bugs Indoors.” I don’t know about your neighborhood, but here in southern Illinois, we’ve been under siege by the dreaded stink bugs.
While Illinois is home to multiple varieties of stink bugs, which I think we are familiar with from our gardens and ag fields, these particular stink bugs are relatively new invaders.

Gretchen Steele: A new variety of bug in southern Illinois? It stinks! Read More »

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