When the Everyday Environment team first looked at water as our season two topic, we brainstormed a lot of different approaches. Unlike our first season, where we covered climate change, water is an overarching part of our environment. Yes, water can be a challenge, flooding for example, but it can also simply be an abiotic aspect of ecosystems. So we looked into the issues related to water, how those issues relate to all our lives, and the actions we can take. Pollution was an obvious water-related topic, as well as healthy water for drinking, recreation, and aquatic life. But we also covered the availability of water in Illinois and stormwater runoff.
Water comes in many forms – precipitation, groundwater, surface water – which can then be split into flowing water like rivers and streams or limnic systems such as lakes and ponds. In addition, we can examine the different lenses of water – economic, ecological, meteorological, anthropogenic, and so on. What we discovered is that water is powerful; it touches all aspects of life at many different levels. It shapes our history, geology, ecosystems, economy, weather, communities, transportation systems, and recreation.
Our Takeaways
We Can Do More Together
Because water is so integrated into all aspects of life on our planet, it’s no surprise that it takes action at many different levels – from individual habits to global initiatives – to address water challenges. As we spoke with different experts on stormwater, invasive species, community and economic development, and historians, we realized that the challenges facing local communities, homeowners, industrial areas, and ecosystems need input from everyone. Individuals, communities, states, and entire countries must collectively address water issues. From empowering individual choices to collective legislative action, it takes everyone. A single raindrop won’t have much of an impact, but one rainstorm can make a world of difference.
Native Plants and Water Are Linked
One of our favorite podcast topics is native plants, and this season it came up in expected and unexpected areas. When we talked with Layne Knoche about rain gardens, we knew that native plants would come up. They are an excellent choice for a successful rain garden. What we didn’t expect was Scott Kuykendall’s mention of native plants in protecting groundwater aquifers.
Water is Not Guaranteed
In the Midwest, summer droughts come and go, but the water supply has always, eventually, been replenished. But that’s not the case everywhere. As weather patterns have shifted and metropolitan areas have grown, cities, indigenous nations, and farmers across the Western U.S. have struggled and fought for access to diminishing water supplies in rivers and aquifers. An ongoing historic two-decade-long megadrought has led to issues such as not enough water behind hydropower dams to generate electricity, home water restrictions, the death of wildlife and plants, city hydrants running dry during wildfires, and destructive flash floods when it does rain. These water struggles are a very real cautionary reminder for the rest of the country that water is a precious resource. All the water on our planet is all the water we are ever going to have.
What’s coming next? This fall, we're exploring invasive species!
Looking ahead, season three of Everyday Environment will cover the wild world of invasive insects, plants, and animals. What are invasive species? Where do they come from? How are they harmful? How can anyone help prevent their spread? We’ll cover all this and more when we’re back in August 2025!
In the meantime, please explore and share our season two content across our blog, podcast, short videos, and webinars. If you have questions about your Everyday Environment or suggestions for topics you’d like to see us cover, please email us and let us know your thoughts!
As always, remember you can connect with your local University of Illinois Extension office (every county has one!) for information about the environment, gardening, farming, food safety and preservation, health, and so much more at go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice.
Thank you for reading!
Everyday Environment is a series of blogs, podcasts, webinars and videos on exploring the intricate web of connections that tie us to the natural world. Want to listen to us chat about this topic? Check out the podcast episode to hear more from the Everyday Environment team.
Listen to the Podcast Sign Up for Everyday Environment Newsletter