IDNR Safety Education Recognizes Volunteers

Photos courtesy of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

In the May 2024 edition of OutdoorIllinois Journal, the article “Volunteers are the Heartbeat of Safety Education Programs” mentioned that volunteers are the lifeblood of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Safety Education Program. Here are a few of the volunteers recognized this year for their commitment to providing quality hunting, trapping, boating and snowmobiling education programs to the youth of Illinois.

Region 1

Written by Brett Taylor. Region 1 is the northwest region of the State. It includes counties from Jo Daviess to Boone and McDonough to Tazewell and those in between. The Region 1 Safety Education office is located at Johnson Sauk Trail State Park.

Region 1 held an Instructor Training session in Milan on May 6, 2024. Six instructors were present for state updates on volunteer instructor policies and procedures. Between January and June, 27 traditional Hunt Safety Education classes and two Field Days were conducted within the region, with a combined 774 students certifying in hunt safety.

Volunteer Instructor recognition awards were presented to the Local Laborers for 30-plus years of providing a venue for the Marseilles Hunter’s Safety class. Two instructors, Al Classen and James Driessens, were issued 40-year Volunteer Service awards. Many thanks to Classen and Driessens for their tireless dedication to Safety Education for more than 40 years.

Region 2

Written by Hunter Nikolai. Region 2 is the northeastern Region of the state. It includes Cook, Dupage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The Region 2 Safety Education office is located at James Pate Phillip State Park.

Herbert Martin, of Bridgeview, was recognized on June 4, 2024for 40 years of service as a volunteer hunter safety instructor. Martin became a volunteer hunter safety instructor after attending a hunter safety class with his son in 1982. From there, he taught hunter safety with different instructors in locations across the Chicagoland area, while also teaching classes in Bridgeview. In his first year, he taught five classes, and he continued to teach multiple classes every year for more than 40 years to provide hunter safety education to his community. Martin taught 158 hunter safety education classes between 1983 and 2023, certifying 5,268 students in the principles of hunter safety, ethics and responsibility. He became a master instructor in 2018 and continues to share his expertise with fellow volunteer instructors at their annual hunter safety class at Muehe Recreation Center in Bridgeview.

“Herbert Martin is one of a kind,” said Hunter Nikolai. “It’s hard to put into words the contributions he has made to the Illinois hunter safety community. The number of students he’s taught over the years speaks for itself.”

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources thanks Herbert Martin for his dedicated and continued service educating the next generation of Illinois hunters.

Region 3

Written by Gavin Keefauver. Region 3 is made up of the east-central counties of the State. Region 3 includes counties from Vermillion and Iriquois in the northeast to Clark and Crawford in the southeast, Livingston and McLean in the northwest down to Shelby and Effingham in the southwest. The Region 3 Safety Education office is located at the IDNR headquarters inside of the Joel Brunsvold Building in Springfield.

The safety education team recognized Region 3 Volunteer Instructor, Kevin Carlen who been a certified volunteer hunter safety instructor in Shelby County for more than 16 years. He has taken on the additional responsibilities of a Master Instructor for 11-plus years. During Carlen’s time instructing, he has educated more than 600 students in hunter safety. The safety education team would like to thank Kevin for his countless hours of dedication to his community and the safety education program.

Region 4

Written by Cody Gray. Region 4 is made up of the west-central counties of the state. Region 4 includes counties from Logan in the northeast to Fayette in the southeast, Hancock in the northwest down to Madison in the southwest. The Region 4 Safety Education office is located at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources headquarters inside of the Joel Brunsvold Building in Springfield.

The Safety Education team recognized Region 4 Volunteer Instructor Larry Coultas as the 2024 International Hunter Education Association-USA Illinois instructor of the year. Coultas has been a certified volunteer hunter safety instructor in Christian County for more than 40. During his time instructing in the Taylorville area, he has educated more than 3,275 students in hunter safety while participating in more than 115 classes.

Region 5

Written by Region 5 VSC Joni Patterson. Region 5 encompasses the 28 southern most counties in the state. It includes counties from Lawrence in the east to St. Clair in the west. The Region 5 Safety Education office is located at Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area.

A policy and procedure training was held Feb. 10, 2024 in O’Fallon at the O’Fallon Sportsman’s Club with were four instructor candidates in attendance.

Instructor David Morris was presented with an award for 30 years of service as a Safety Education Volunteer Instructor.

Instructor Robert Bob Heflin was presented with an award for 25 years of service as a Safety Education Volunteer Instructor.

An appreciation dinner was conducted for master/lead safety education instructors with instructor awards were given to:

• Phil Mendenhall 10 years for hunt/trap
• Jerry Roesener – 10 years hunt
• Norman Schuh – 15 years hunt
• Alan Rooney – 15 years hunt
• Robert Lamp, Jr. – 20 years hunt
• James Richerson – 25 years hunt
• Larry Pauketat – 35 years hunt
• Kerry Jones – 40 years hunt
• Bryan Bingel – 40 years hunt
• Sam Settle – 40 years hunt

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Cody Gray is the education administrator for boater, hunter, snowmobiler and trapper safety education courses within the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Safety Education Section.