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
bean field
Explore agriculture technology to inform the future of digital ag
URBANA, Ill. – The agriculture industry is changing – driverless full-sized tractors can till fields and robots are milking cows and feeding calves. New digital farming technologies like robots and autonomous field equipment are coming out every day. But these labor-saving machines have also...
man hunting with dog
As you hunt, look out for power lines and poles
Stay safe this hunting season in more ways than one SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Now that hunting season is upon us, Safe Electricity reminds hunters to survey their surroundings before aiming at the next big prize. Take a moment to look up and out for...
trees damaged by storm
Prepare your trees for severe weather
URBANA, Ill. – Spring showers, summer thunderstorms, a winter dusting of snow; these are familiar weather events for Midwesterners, but as climate changes so do weather events. Extreme weather is increasing in Illinois. Over the past 120 years, significant changes have occurred that are...
man watching for bats in the woods
Bats’ midnight snacks reveal clues for managing endangered species
URBANA, Ill. – How do we bring threatened and endangered animals back from the brink? The task is never easy or simple, but one thing is undeniably true: If we don’t understand these animals and what they need to survive, we have little chance of success. Saving bats, then, is arguably a...
Orange flag marks the location of an underground utility line in a leaf-covered yard..
Avoid injury, fines, power outages by calling 811 before digging
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — National Safe Digging Day, or 811 Day, is upon us. Easy to remember because of its 8/11 date, the day is a good reminder to get underground utilities marked prior to breaking ground. Having utilities marked is free and easy to do; simply call 811 two to three business days...
orange and black monarch butterfly sits on pink swamp milkweed flowers
Give monarch butterflies something to munch on, plant native milkweeds
URBANA, Ill. – Imagine eating only one type of food your entire life. Your survival depends entirely on being able to find this food. This is the challenge monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, face every day as landscapes change nationwide and fewer native plants are available. But home...
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Paddle Devil’s Kitchen Lake during Kayak Botany Tour
URBANA, Ill. – There's much to learn about the native plants and trees near the shores of Illinois' lakes. University of Illinois Extension and the Southern Chapter of the Illinois Native...
A closeup of a small bug
Bugs can be a solution for high-tunnel farmers
SIMPSON, Ill. – More Illinois specialty crop growers are planting in high tunnels to benefit from the extended growing season, increased crop diversity, higher yields, and improved quality. But high tunnels come with their own unique challenges including insect pests that can cause major...
An opening in a forest
Prevent the spread of invasive species in Illinois
URBANA, Ill. – You may not know what an invasive species is, but you've likely heard about them and the price tags they can carry. The estimated cost of managing the damages caused by invasive species such as the emerald ash borer or Asian carp is $120 billion annually in the U.S. ...
Planted grasses beneath tree.
Give caterpillars a chance with soft landings under trees
URBANA, Ill. – Trees are natural caretakers – their limbs provide shade and shelter, their seeds and leaves provide food, their roots filter water. Insect scientists have another skill to add to the list – a haven for caterpillars. Entomologists are asking gardeners, homeowners, and landscapers...
A wide shot of a sunny forest path
Generate income with your woodlands
URBANA, Ill. – Woodlands are a valuable resource that many forest owners use to make income by selling timber. But landowners may have more opportunities to make money from their property than they realize. Landowners can explore income generating specialty products and recreational...
A close up of flowers
Early blooming spring ephemerals flowers welcome warmer weather
URBANA, Ill. – Spring ephemeral flowers are nature’s gems after winter. These short-lived beauties are wildflowers that grow in woodlands in the early spring before the leaves on deciduous trees are open. They are called spring ephemerals because they have a relatively short blooming time....
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Map reveals widespread lead pollution in Chicago backyards, parkways
URBANA, Ill. – In backyards and community gardens across Chicago, growers tend fruit and vegetable crops as diverse as the city they live in. Most have one thing in common – lead lurking in the soil. Legacy lead, leftover from paint, gasoline, and other sources, lingers in the...
Log on for forestry expertise woodland owners can use 
URBANA, Ill. – From managing woodlands so they can support native wildlife to dealing with tree damage and pests, University of Illinois Extension Forestry has the tools woodland owners need. The nine-part, weekly Forestry...