News Releases

Pining for Evergreens: A Pruning Guide on December 3
Do you have evergreens in your yard or landscaping? Should you be pruning them? If so, when and how? What can you do to keep them healthy and make them look wonderful for years to come? Horticulture Educator Sarah Vogel will discuss the best pruning practices for pines, spruces, junipers, and...
Catch the spark and join the new virtual 4-H STEAM club
MONTICELLO, Ill.— What role does science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) play to create clothing and textiles? Youth ages 8 to 18 will explore the answer to this question and more in the new virtual Stitches 4-H Club offered by DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt 4-H. The kick-off...
Make some holiday treats with 4-H and Barclay Public Library
DECATUR, Ill. – The hustle and bustle of the holidays is just around the corner. Decorating the house and baking treats are all part of the busyness of the season. Children especially enjoy baking and decorating cookies, so Barclay Library and DeWitt, Macon,...
Extend the life of urban forests with Urban Tree Conference
URBANA, Ill. – Trees can live hundreds of years, but from pests and diseases to improper care and installation, urban trees are not living as long as their forest counterparts. Many urban trees only live 20% of their life span. Whether you are new to tree care or a seasoned professional...
Farmdoc Illinois Economic Summit: Farm management guide in difficult times
URBANA, Ill. – The past year has been a year like no other for Illinois agriculture. While the year started optimistically with talks of a surge in agricultural exports resulting from the trade agreement with China, the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the global economy. Most agricultural prices...
Discover your superpower with 4-H
MONTICELLO, Ill.— Calling All Superheroes: Discover your superpower with 4-H is a fun, hands-on virtual 4-H event open to all children in Kindergarten through second grade.  Take this great opportunity to introduce your child to the wonderful world of 4-H and do it from the comfort of your...
Join 4-H for virtual family fun nights
DECATUR, Ill. - Families often find it difficult to spend quality time together. Busy lives, work schedules, and other commitments have families running here and there. DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt 4-H has a solution to this problem: a virtual 4-H Family Night. Join Macon County 4-H...
Tap into your creativity with Macon County 4-H
DECATUR, Ill. — Creative writing can be an important tool to help ease anxiety, stress, depression, and promote wellness. Studies show that just 15 to 20 minutes of writing a day can make a difference in the overall stress levels of students. Macon County 4-H is offering students the opportunity...
Explore, learn and grown with Wee Naturalists virtual program
URBANA, Ill. – Nature is a place for children to explore, learn and grow and the new virtual Wee Naturalists program allows for just that. University of Illinois Extension is once again offering nature-loving children, families and educators the opportunity to explore a different nature...
Extension campaign gives tips for reducing diabetes risk
URBANA, Ill. – More than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes; that's one in 10. An additional one in three U.S. adults have prediabetes, and 84% of them do not realize they have it. ...
Families needed for 4-H family virtual food challenge
DECATUR, Ill. –  Does your family enjoy making meals together? Is there a young chef in your home that experiments with meal ingredients? Or is your inner chef calling out? If the answer to at least one of these questions is yes, University of Illinois Extension 4-H in Macon County invites...
Planting trees boosts curb appeal and benefits the urban environment
URBANA, Ill. – New homeowners often wonder about the value of planting shade trees when they first move in when there are so many more areas to focus on with a new home. “Planting shade trees is an investment for the future just like other home upgrades,” says...