The Illinois Forestry Association is hosting a two-day conference, “A Taste of the forest”, on September 26-27 at SCHEELS in Springfield.
The Friday afternoon session will feature presentations by Ivan Dozier, Illinois State Conservationist - Natural Resources Conservation Service, Marc Miller, Director - Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Gwen Kolb, State Coordinator, Partners for Fish and Wildlife - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The evening dinner is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. followed by the Keynote Speaker, James Veselenak - University of Illinois Springfield, retired, discussing “Fungi in the Forest”. The annual business meeting will follow Dr. Veselenak’s presentation. The traditional silent auction (Don’t forget to bring money or a checkbook) will be split over two separate days with different items available on the two days.
On Saturday groups will visit the Ralph Winch Sawmill where they will watch the operation of a WoodMizer LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill and Hynes Farm where they will participate in small breakout woods sessions about Tree ID, Tree planting, chainsaw sharpening and maintenance, shiitake log plugging, and forest wildlife habitat, etc. A lunch will be provided at the farm.
SCHEELS is a large sports, sportswear and recreational equipment store located in the Legacy Pointe Town Center at 3801 S. MacArthur Boulevard, one exit west of the junction of Interstates 72 and 55 on the southern edge of Springfield, Illinois. Special attractions at SCHEELS include Wildlife Mountain, Buck Hunt shooting gallery, Archery land, golf simulator & putting green, a Home Decor and Gift Lodge, an on-site cafeteria, a salt water aquarium and a 65-foot ferris wheel.
The Route 66 Mother Road Festival is held in downtown Springfield the same weekend, so you may want to make your room reservations early. A “courtesy” block of 20 guest rooms has been reserved at Holiday Inn Express, 3050 S. Dirksen Pkwy, for Friday 26 Sep 2014 at a price of $89.00 plus tax per night for 1-2 guests per room. The block will be listed as Illinois Forestry Association, so that when our guests call in (Phone: 217-529-7771 or 800-465-4329), all they need to do is mention IFA. The block will be released on August 26, 2014. There are 18 motels within 15 minutes of Scheels. There are 6 campgrounds in the area. A map with their locations can be found on the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau website:
visit-springfieldillinois.com.
IFA Annual Meeting Registration Fees
Friday & Saturday:
- IFA member - $50
- IFA member & guest - $90
- non-member - $60
Friday or Saturday:
- IFA member - $30
- IFA member & guest - $55
- non-member - $35
Mail a check made out to the “Illinois Forestry Association” to: Carol Bryant, 7841 S. Panther Creek Road, Mount Olive, Illinois 62069 or click on the REGISTER button on the left. Check must arrive before Friday, September 19, 2014. Registrations received after September 19th may be charged an additional $5 or $10 at the door.
Contact persons:
For more information about this event, or to indicate special dietary limitations, or to handle registrations of groups larger than two individuals, please contact one of the following:
Jake Hendee (913-547-2541),
Jim Hynes (217-502-4528),
Dan Schmoker (217-416-1587),
Ed Eppy (309-256-3430) and
Carol Bryant (618-444-3864).
