Blog Posts

Read article: From observation to conservation through community science
From observation to conservation through community science
It’s July 19, 2023. Standing at a trailhead within Skokie Lagoons, I was armed with close-focus binoculars and a clipboard, about to embark on a...
orange pumpkin being launched into a dumpster
Read article: How to safely dispose of old Pumpkins after Halloween
How to safely dispose of old Pumpkins after Halloween
From decorating and carving pumpkins to visiting a pumpkin patch, pumpkins bring excitement during the fall season for people of all ages. Carving...
Read article: Digging into the plains pocket gopher, Illinois’ hidden soil builder
Digging into the plains pocket gopher, Illinois’ hidden soil builder
In the underground world of any prairie, root systems crisscross and extend downward to create an underground maze. As the roots of grasses and...
why you should listen to illinois wildlife
Read article: Why you should listen to Illinois wildlife
Why you should listen to Illinois wildlife
In late May, I toured an urban central Illinois woodland alongside my colleagues. Many of them have birding experience and noted birds as they...

News Releases

Volunteers showing dragonfly costume
Discovering Dragonflies takes its final flight of the summer
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS – This summer, southern Illinois youth explored the outdoors in a new way right inside their local libraries. Through the Discovering Dragonflies program, dozens of young learners connected with nature, books, and their communities thanks to a...
DNR Resource Trunk kits with contents shown
IDNR Resource Trunks available throughout southernmost Illinois
ANNA, Ill. – Teachers, homeschool groups, youth leaders, and curious learners across southern Illinois now have access to a unique, hands-on way to explore the natural world thanks to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Through a special partnership,...

Videos

Uncovering the Winter Secrets of Whip-poor-wills

Often heard and rarely seen, the eastern whip-poor-will and its namesake nighttime call is an iconic Midwestern woodland bird. But like many other insect-eating birds, its numbers are declining. University of Illinois avian researchers are working to uncover the secrets of where this elusive...

Staff