Connect. Learn. Grow.

Everyday Environment Webinar Series

Help the Environment

Small changes have positive impacts on the environment. This winter, explore climate, healthy waterways, and the return of big predators
seedlings growing in egg carton

When to Plant in Illinois

Believe it or not, it’s never too early to start making plans for this year’s garden. Knowing when to plant for your area and getting your plants started right will help you maximize the growing season.
Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff

Improve Money Management

Discover tools, tips, and techniques for common money management topics that help you prepare for first-time financial decisions such as buying or renting, evaluating job benefits, and making financial plans.

bee on yellow flower with text "I pollinate community scientist"

You Can Help Pollinators

Heard the buzz? Help Illinois scientists help pollinators with your garden this summer! I-Pollinate uses observations from Illinois growers to track and help conserve pollinators.
Illinois Master Gardener

Master Gardener Training

Gain practical experience and horticulture knowledge straight from Extension educators so you can positively impact your community.
Eat. Move. Save. text logo

Budget-Friendly Nutrition Tips

Make healthier choices for your family on any budget. Find your healthy lifestyle with Eat. Move. Save.
Birds at edge of water

Advocate for the Environment

Love nature? The Master Naturalist program works with adult volunteers to support natural spaces and wildlife around Illinois as environmental stewards.

2022 Gardners Corner spring

Are you ready to grow?

Spring gardening season is here. Choose plants that work for your garden, support native wildlife and ecosystems, prevent stormwater flooding, and grow stronger with seasonal advice from the experts at Gardener's Corner.
Woman in hat and sunglasses stands in rain garden
Red Oak Rain Garden welcomes April showers
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.
industrial hemp
Farmers, researchers break ground with new guidelines for budding hemp crop
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.
map of soil lead concentration in Chicago area
Is there lead in your soil? New Chicago-area map tells you
Leftover from paint, gasoline, and other sources, lead lingers in urban environments where it can be a health risk for anyone in contact with the soil - from children playing in mud puddles to backyard gardeners. University researchers worked with communities to identify lead hotspots.
caucasian man in hat standing in field holding pink flowers
Fields of dreams: From 4-H to cut flower grower
Illinois cut flower grower uses 4-H background to builds community with his 'more than one person' approach.
ginger plant laying on a bed of straw
The spice is right? Researchers explore growing ginger in Illinois
Ginger is a tropical plant that may seem out of place in a state known for growing row crops, but its flavorful, golden root could be the solution to a plant disease problem for farmers who grow tomatoes in hoop houses.
cardboard box full of large and small tomatoes and banana peppers
Central Illinois communities come together to feed families
By sharing a little, we can help a lot. Across Central Illinois, families are struggling with food insecurity, unsure where their next meal will come from. Starting in 2019, Illinois Extension staff partnered with local growers to donate more than 64,000 pounds through food pantries.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Find Food IL community food map

Find Local Food Resources

Find all food assistance sites closest to your Illinois zip code, including food pantries, school meal sites, and grocery stores and farmers markets that accept WIC/SNAP.
TEConomy report

Economic and Functional Value

A new report finds that Extension provides more than $600 million annual benefit to Illinois, ten times its budget. Read the report.
Hispanic Family

En Espanol

La Extensión de la Universidad de Illinois es el principal alcance emblemático de la Universidad de Illinois en Urbana-Champaign, que ofrece programas educativos a los residentes de los 102 condados de Illinois, y mucho más.
Upcoming Events

  1. Master Gardener Informational Booth | Christian County
    Taylorville Square (Christian County)
  2. 4-H Eco-Investigators
    Bolingbrook (DuPage County)
  3. Vermilion County Master Gardeners - Annual Plant Sale
    First Presbyterian Church (100 N. Franklin St., Danville) (Vermilion County)
  4. Garden Workshop Series- Transplanting and Summer Gardening
    Jones Park Greenhouse
  5. Lake County Master Gardener 2022 Plant Sale
    100 South Highway 45, Grayslake, IL 60030 (Lake County)
More Events