Carbondale Reporter

The sizzling rainbow grilled cheese sandwiches and exhibits featuring taxidermied animals at Conservation World at the Illinois State Fair will be available until Sunday.

“I had the honor of seeing my good friend Gentry Heiple back in action,” Rep. Dave Severin, who attended the grand Conservation World’s opening on Friday. “Gentry has all the qualities of a future leader and in my mind is the State of lllinois' No. 1 snake enthusiast. He brought me the idea to name the Eastern Milksnake as the State of Illinois' official state snake.”

At Conservation World, attendees can learn about native plants, hunting, boating and native pollinators, to name a few activities.

“Gentry learned a lot about the legislative process by teaming up with Rep. Severin to get this done. We are thankful to Severin and to the members of the State Government Committee for their indulgence and assistance in seeing this project through. Gentry is looking forward to the bill passing the House and Senate and being signed by the governor," said Gentry's mother, Lindsay Stockhecke.

The attraction is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.

At the exhibit at the state fair, youths could try to catch a fish, spend time at a BB gun range or the archery range, or explore a variety of trails to introduce the state's natural resources. 

In March, Severin teamed up with Heiple, to designate a state snake via legislation, according to SE Illinois News.

“I was proud to team up with Gentry to present legislation that designates the Eastern Milksnake as the State of Illinois’ official state snake,” Severin said in a post on his website. “I truly enjoyed working with Gentry on his ‘How a bill becomes a law’ project.”