* First and foremost, the Boy Scouts are right - Be Prepared!

  * Lately it seems unpredictable weather is the norm. Check the weather forecast for the area.

  * Plan your hike. Know about the area and how to get there. Get detailed maps.

  * Take enough food, clothing, and equipment to keep you comfortable for at least another day and night longer than planned in case of emergency.

  * Notify others of where you will be and when you plan to be home in case someone needs to find you or you need to be found!

  * If you are a beginner, contact local outfitters or camping and hiking locations for a general check list of needed equipment. It’s a very good idea to have a comprehensive Red Cross approved First Aid kit.

  * Take a cell phone with a fully charged battery. Make certain there is service in the area you will be then turn it off until you need to place a call. Download a GPS app so friends and family can track your progress and always know exactly where you are. In areas with no service, inexpensive walkie-talkies are a reasonable alternative.

  * Always bring waterproof matches or a couple of Bic lighters.

  * A loud whistle is another good idea. It can be used to attract attention and may be a good way to convince an unwelcome animal to leave the area.

  * If hiking in an area bears are known to habituate, make some noise while hiking. Sing, clap your hands, talk, whatever. Bears don’t like to be surprised and if they know you’re approaching, they’ll go the other way.

  * Don’t forget, you’re a guest, be courteous and appreciative. If you carry it in, please carry it out!

  * Take only pictures; leave only footprints and leave those only on designated trails and areas. Remember when you’re enjoying any federal area, guidelines forbid the taking of even a pebble from national parks. Some state forests and parks also.

  * Never, ever cut a live tree for firewood or any other reason.

  * Be respectful of your state and national forests. Keep the trees and shrubs alive and growing.

  * If hiking with Fido, always keep your dog on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

  Disease That Has Killed Millions of Bats in North America Confirmed For First Time in Union, Saline, Johnson and Jackson Counties

  SPRINGFIELD, IL – White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats in North America, has been found in four new Illinois counties. Tests conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin found five bats submitted from Union, Saline, Johnson, and Jackson Counties were positive for the disease. These are the first confirmed records in these counties. The disease was first discovered in Illinois in 2013 in Hardin, LaSalle, Monroe and Pope Counties.

  White-nose syndrome (WNS) is not known to affect people, pets, or livestock, but is harmful or lethal to hibernating bats, killing 90 percent or more of some species of bats in caves where the fungus has persisted for a year or longer, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

  WNS is known to be transmitted primarily from bat to bat, but spores of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the non-native fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, may be unintentionally carried between caves and abandoned mines by people on their clothing, footwear, and caving gear. The name of the disease refers to the white fungal growth often found on the noses of infected bats. To protect hibernating bats, including threatened and endangered species, all Illinois Department of Natural Resources owned or managed caves have been closed to the public since 2010. In addition, all caves within the Shawnee National Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, have been formally closed since 2009.

  White-nose syndrome was first detected in New York State in 2006 and has killed more than 5.7 million cave-dwelling bats in the eastern half of North America. Bats with WNS have been confirmed in 25 states and five Canadian provinces. White-nose syndrome monitoring in Illinois is done in collaboration by the University of Illinois–Prairie Research Institute, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Forest Service, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

  Bats play an important role in the environment, with individual bats preying on thousands of night-flying insects daily. Bats provide valuable insect pest control.

  For more information, visit: www.whitenosesyndrome.org.

  For more info on the outdoor experience in Illinois visit http://www.dnr.illinois.gov.

  Here is another Kenny’s Corner from the past. This one first ran in the April 2002 issue. Enjoy.

  The Arrival of Spring

  Springtime is in the air! Finally after a long winter, April has arrived. I don’t know about you, but I love the spring. Spring is a time of renewal, a rebirth of the land. Trees and shrubs are coming to life once again showing us the brilliant colors that have lain dormant in brown stalks all winter. Birds and animals are having and raising young ones, reminding us of the mystery and wonder of nature. Fish are warming up in the waters that just a month ago were icy and cold, and the cold north winds are giving way to warm southern breezes.

  Springtime also brings about a rebirth of the human spirit. The long, sad and depressed frowns of February’s frozen days turn into smiles on warm sunny April days. I like to think that the same primitive stirrings that cause us the hunt are also responsible for the energetic and happy feelings of spring. I think after a long, hard winter, our ancestors were grateful when the warm days of spring arrived.

  Spring is a time to re-connect with your friends and family. Take your children fishing, walk in the woods with your wife or just get outside and have a family barbecue. Celebrate the wonders of spring. Let the sights, sounds, and smells of a spring day fill your very soul. I guarantee it will put a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart.

  I’m Kenny; I hope I have all of you in my corner.