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34th Annual Forest Council
Where Past Meets Present:
Understanding the history of our public lands helps us to meet the current crisis.
May 22-25, 2026
Dixon Springs State Park
982 State Highway 146,
Golconda, IL 62938
Friday
Registration opens at 3 PM
Welcome Keynote, and music
Saturday
Morning Circle
Breakout sessions, Panel discussions, and Poster sessions
Keynote
Sunday
Field Trips
Live Auction
Monday
Memorial Circle
Closing
Planned Events
See our detailed schedule here.
Keynote Speakers
Kay Rippelmeyer
Drawing on more than thirty years of meticulous research, Kay Rippelmeyer traces the geological processes that led to the breathtaking scenery of Southern Illinois, and details the human history of the area from the Great Depression and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the Shawnee National Forest. Her hundreds of black-and-white photographs illustrate life in CCC camps and bring the history of the area to life.
Giant City State Park and the Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps in Southern Illinois, 1933-1942
Will C. De Man
Will is a social studies teacher from Michigan who moonlights as an American conservation historian. He graduated from Calvin University with degrees in history, education, and classics, degrees he employs to teach ancient history to 7th graders and research the history of the national parks.
