News & Media

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Illinois Extension strives to provide relevant, science-based information that serves residents and businesses in our area and across the state. We offer impactful insights backed by the research and public engagement resources of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois.

Extension Forestry News
Youth planting a tree
Planting trees in fall brings benefits spring doesn't afford
JOLIET, Ill – As the forecast starts showing cooler temperatures, many people are ready to get outside and continue to soak up the last bit of sunshine before winter.  But while people are focused on summer activities that they love, things like gardening and planting are often dismissed as...
walking
Mark your calendars for Nature Trails Day
Bloomington, IL- The University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalists are thrilled to announce Nature Trails Day will be hosted at COMLARA Park this September, and if you have not participated in this event before, now is the time to check it out!   There are various...
Forest with stars
Meteor Watch Party
Join us for an unforgettable evening under the stars at Fugate Woods! The University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalists are hosting a Meteor Watch Party on August 10th from 7:30 to 10:00 PM. Last year this...
Take care of your trees with summer Forestry Stewardship Series
URBANA, Ill. — Illinois has 4.8 million acres of tree-covered land. From shading homes and feeding wildlife to producing oxygen and filtering water, trees do a lot of heavy lifting. Give them a hand by discovering innovative, research-based management options in the summer Forestry...
a group of people stand in a circle in a field surrounded by trees listening to someone speak from the back of a truck
Growing Extension forestry team speaks for the trees
URBANA, Ill. — Oaks, elms, hickories, and other trees cover Illinois in a tapestry of forests and woodlands that shade homes and parks, shelter and feed wildlife, produce oxygen, and stabilize soil. Trees once covered more than a third of Illinois, but now that number is halved and disease,...
prairie
Becoming a Master Naturalist
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Do you find yourself deeply enjoying the outdoors, bird watching, growing native plants, or wishing you knew more about sustainability?  This fall the University of Illinois Extension serving McLean, Livingston, and Woodford counties, will be offering...
Row of blooming Callery pear trees
Six replacement trees for invasive Callery pear
URBANA, Ill. — Now considered an invasive species, Callery pear is a widely used ornamental flowering tree with negative effects on native ecosystems. The tree is still bought, sold, and planted because it has not yet made the...
two morel mushrooms growing on the forest floor
Spring brings opportunity to forage wild mushrooms
URBANA, Ill. — Spring is a time of change. Migrating birds return. Ephemeral wildflowers start popping up. And morel mushrooms start appearing prompting enthusiastic mushroom hunters to scour forests across Illinois in search of the elusive and delectable fungi. Determined...
A man at a podium presents to a room full of people
Future forests rely on stewardship, knowledge of private landowners
FREEPORT, Ill. — A forest is many things. Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife. Their leaves clean the air, and their roots filter water, slow floods, and prevent soil erosion. Timber products are crucial to local economies and tourism. Forests and woodlands also once made up more...