tree in the park, a silver maple. The 1.3-mile (2.1 km) Schoolhouse Trail accesses a restored tallgrass prairie which provides habitat for more than 30 different species of butterflies. More than 80 birdhouses are maintained to provide homes for bluebirds. The spring-fed Weldon Spring Lake is managed for largemouth bass and channel catfish, with panfish also present. There is a power limit on the lake, with gasoline-powered motors not allowed. The campgrounds and amphitheaters used during the spring complex's Chautauqua days continue in readiness for use. 2008-2009 temporary shutdown Weldon Springs State Park was one of eleven state parks slated to close indefinitely on November 1, 2008, due to budget cuts by then-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. After delay, which restored funding for some of the parks, a proposal to close seven state parks and a dozen state historic sites, including Weldon Springs, went ahead on November 30, 2008. After the impeachment of Illinois Governor Blagojevich, new governor Pat Quinn reopened the closed state parks in February 2009. References External links . Retrieved 2008-05-05. Chautauqua Protected areas of DeWitt County, Illinois State parks of Illinois Springs of Illinois Protected areas established in 1936 1936 establishments in Illinois