Blast From the Past: Witness Trees of Illinois
St. James Farm Forest Preserve
July 24, 2026
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Discover the special place oak trees have in the history of Illinois and local ecosystems. Used by surveyors in the early 1800s, witness, or bearing trees, were sought out as landmarks for creating the earliest state land surveys and plat maps. Some of these trees are still standing today and can be used as a lens to bridge the gap between science and social studies. Through a variety of activities, learn the role these trees played in the urbanization of Illinois, why they are still important today, and how oak trees are critical to local ecosystems. Then complete a STEM-based learning project to catalog potential witness trees and conduct a tree survey. Take ideas back to the classroom to get your students engaged in similar data collection projects at school. Supplemental classroom resources and materials will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available. Sponsored by the IDNR, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.
The total registration fee for this workshop is $11.00 (workshop fee of $10.00 plus a $1.00 convenience fee). Please enter the requested information. Once your transaction has been processed, we will add your name to the workshop roster. Workshop registration fees are non-refundable. Registration is on a first come, first served basis. Should the IDNR cancel a workshop, registrants will be asked if they want to transfer their registration to another ENTICE workshop or receive a refund. Some restrictions apply.
Available For Teachers, home-schooling educators, nonformal educators and youth-group leaders in Illinois only.
ENTICE workshops provide natural resources information, instructional methods and supplemental educational materials. When incorporated into lessons with students, the materials provided encourage and promote stewardship of our state’s natural resources.
ENTICE also offers participants the opportunity to network with other educators in a friendly, cooperative, learning environment.
Illinois ENTICE provides the following items for participants.
- free workshop/resource materials
- meals during the workshop
- opportunities to connect with natural resources and education professionals
- lesson plans and activities correlated to the Illinois Learning Standards for teachers, Professional Development Hours.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Workshops are open to all educators and are designed for targeted grade levels.
Once you submit your registration to become a registered participant for a workshop, you will receive a confirmation reply email to your supplied email address. Please ensure that you have supplied an accessible email address, in order to receive your confirmation reply. If you do not receive a confirmation reply email, please contact the IDNR Division of Education at 217-524-4126or by email dnr.entice@illinois.gov. Do NOT try to register again. Check with us to see if we received a registration for you.
For questions about workshop registration, please contact the IDNR Division of Education at 217-524-4126or dnr.entice@illinois.gov