On their annual 3,000 mile migration to Mexico, monarch butterflies rest in select trees. A group of Illinois Extension volunteers, The Secret Society of Monarch Roost Hunters, scout for these roosts and report their findings as part of a community science research project to help this at-risk species.

Illinois is home to some of the most fertile soils in the world. No one should go hungry here. Every year, Illinois Extension staff and Master Gardener volunteers around the state fight food insecurity with fruits and vegetables fresh from the garden.

Financial education and coaching can make a huge difference in people’s lives. That's why Illinois Extension consumer economic staff and volunteers make financial discussions easy to understand through workshops and webinars.

The Red Oak Rain Garden is a 10,000-square-foot demonstration site on the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus that is designed to soak up rainwater, provide wildlife habitat, and educate visitors about sustainable landscape design.

By collecting data from more than 180 hemp growers over the past two years, Illinois Extension researchers now have a better understanding of how to produce hemp and are sharing that information directly with growers through the Midwestern Hemp Database.