I am always excited for a new adventure – the anticipation of looking around the bend to the next interesting feature on a trail; the view at the top of a mountain or, in Illinois, a bluff; or searching and finding a new bloom in a prairie!
Everyday Environment is embarking on a new journey, offering the residents of Illinois, the Midwest and beyond an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of nature, to inspire stewards of the environment to recognize and act on local issues, and to stay informed on the latest natural resource-related research.
What's our purpose? Everyday Environment explores the intricate web of connections that bind us to the natural world. From water, air, energy, plants, and animals to the complex interactions within these elements, we aim to unravel the ties that link us to our environment. Through podcasts, blogs, webinars, and videos, you'll gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for these connections in Illinois and beyond.
What is different about Everyday Environment?
You may wonder – what is different?
Everyday Environment started as a webinar series in 2020. We have also been podcasting since 2009 as Spotlight on Natural Resources and blogging on Naturalist News since in 2020. Now this “ecosystem” of content covering the environment, natural resources, and energy is coming together to collectively be known as Everyday Environment.
Why did we do this? The simple answer is that we want to make it easier for you to learn in one place, in different ways. We want to inspire and motivate people to take action. We want to have fun creating content around topics that people care about. Through feedback, we recognize that people want to know about how they can help the environment. We also know that the residents of Illinois engage with information in a variety of formats.
Everyday Environment will include new podcasts, blogs, webinars, and videos diving into the details and research around a common theme each fall and spring.
The weekly Everyday Environment Podcast is the audio form of the series. Listen in for episodes ranging from in-depth research talks to tips for your everyday life.
Everyday Environment Blog articles will be a written version of podcast episodes. Maybe you want to refer to something that was mentioned in a podcast? The blog is the place to do this!
Our live, hour-long Everyday Environment webinars, previously released monthly, will be released twice per season. This allows learners to ask live questions and explore a topic in greater depth.
Lastly, we are venturing into the world of videos! Our short videos will cut straight to the point and provide a mini lesson while scrolling. The videos will have actionable tips and How-Tos.
Our kickoff season is August 2024. What will our first theme be? Well, our readers, listeners, and webinar viewers have expressed growing concern about climate change. Guided by this feedback, our first season will focus on climate change and we'll be answering questions like – what is it, how is our environment is responding, how human health is affected, and, finally, what can we do about it?
Unraveling the ties that link us to the environment...
Wow, “unraveling the ties” sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? In reality, this means we will chat, ask and answer questions, and just plain be curious about nature. We aim to provide actions we can take in our day-to-day lives; build connections with nature; and deliver information that helps residents make environmentally conscious decisions. These actions can occur at various scales, from the landscape level down to your home and individual decisions, including food choices at the grocery store or the personal care products you use.
Who will we be talking to?
Our mission at Illinois Extension is to bring research from the University of Illinois to the residents of Illinois to help solve everyday challenges. Everyday Environment will do exactly that – foster connections with university researchers, our team of natural resource educators, and field specialists from across the Midwest. We hope to share a diverse range of perspectives on environmental issues that are affecting lives.
This fall, our climate action season will feature state climatologist, Trent Ford; Extension climate specialist, Duane Friend; many Extension educators and specialists in natural resources, environment, and energy and related fields; and guests from a universities outside of Illinois.
We can’t wait to start this journey with you! Make sure to subscribe and join us on our new Everyday Environment adventure so we can change the world together.
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