Everyday Environment

In late May, I toured an urban central Illinois woodland alongside my colleagues. Many of them have birding experience and noted birds as they appeared along the trail. We saw a red-tailed hawk, European starling, brown thrasher, northern cardinal, American robin, and house finch.Something I often...

In the underground world of any prairie, root systems crisscross and extend downward to create an underground maze. As the roots of grasses and flowers grow and search for nutrients, they may find themselves exposed and no longer surrounded by soil, but rather growing into an underground opening....

In the past decade, people living in southern Illinois have seen armadillos in their backyards, in the field, or, in most cases, as roadkill. Sightings of armadillos are becoming common as they continue what appears to be a northward expansion. Armadillos have become established in the region, and...

For 25 years, the Urban Coyote Research Project has been studying the ecology of urban coyotes in the Chicago area. Researchers monitor and examine coyote behavior, health, and genetics through live capture and radio-collaring, led by Dr. Stanley Gehrt from Ohio State University and Chris...

A public fish hatchery is a facility that raises fish from an early life stage, such as an egg or freshly hatched fry, to a larger size, with the intention of stocking them into a body of water where they could eventually be caught by a recreational angler or commercial fisher. In Illinois, public...

Tallgrass prairie is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, and yet there is hope for the future of the ecosystem that defines Illinois, aka the prairie state. Tallgrass prairie is an open grassland ecosystem characterized by abundant tall grasses like big bluestem, Indian grass, and...

While commuting to work in southernmost Illinois, I regularly lament seeing crushed eastern box turtles and other roadkill along the mostly rural roads. I sometimes see as many as 5-10 living eastern box turtles on the road in the morning. Unfortunately, I do not always have time or feel that it is...

The world is teeming with biodiversity: Fungi, plants, insects, animals, and all of the living things. Often, these things exist unknowingly right alongside us. In our woods, in our streams, in our skies, and in our soil. It’s understandable that we don’t see the biodiversity around us. Sometimes,...

Not very long ago, you couldn’t walk a fencerow or open field in Illinois without your heart skipping a beat as a covey of quail flushed beneath your feet. After a long day in the fields, through all the noise of the world, their iconic two-beat whistle stuck in your head as you try to fall asleep...