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Local greenhouse featured as first stop in Extension's Summer Twilight Series

April 16, 2026

RICHVIEW, Ill. – Illinois Extension is kicking off the 2026 Southern Illinois Summer Twilight Series with a trip to Richview. Whether you’re a flower gardener, bride-to-be, or interested in learning more about growing cut flowers, you’ll want to join the upcoming tour of Flower Girls Greenhouse…

Illinois Extension specialty crop expert’s legacy built on grower trust

April 16, 2026

URBANA, Ill. — When something feels off with a specialty crop like peaches, apples, or horseradish, one phone number growers may have on speed dial is Elizabeth Wahle. Since 2002, Wahle has been with University of Illinois Extension, assisting growers through production questions, while helping…

Summer Twilight Series strengthens southern Illinois food systems

April 10, 2026

RICHVIEW, Ill. – Illinois Extension is excited to announce the return of the eleventh-annual Summer Twilight Series. This southern Illinois tradition brings farmers, educators, and community members together to explore the diversity and innovation of local agriculture.

Twilight…

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An ear of field corn, dirty worn gloves, and a stethoscope sitting on a wooden table.

June 20, 2024

AgrAbility provides more resources, expands chronic disease webinar series through summer
URBANA, Ill. — Experiencing symptoms from chronic disease is a daily and often private occurrence for many. Illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, liver disease, bipolar disorder, or other chronic long-term conditions can cause symptoms such as fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiety,...

June 20, 2024

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...

Two rows of people posing, smiling for the Extension Academy program graduation photo.

June 18, 2024

Inaugural Illinois Extension Academy learns organization’s mission through statewide tour
URBANA, Ill. — Collaboration and shared expertise strengthen any project, especially when meeting the need for current research and best practices that emanate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus to the world every day.Early this...

an adult emerald ash borer, a small metallic green beetle perched on a hand

June 18, 2024

Emerald ash borer continues spread through Illinois; Extension can help manage
URBANA, Ill. — While much of Illinois has been focused on the emergence of periodical cicadas in the summer of 2024, another insect is buzzing about that is more than a nuisance; it’s a threat to ash trees everywhere. In June, the...

A monarch butterfly on a yellow-eyed Susan flower bloom.

June 17, 2024

Provide resources to pollinators in any space with container gardens
URBANA, Ill. — Supporting pollinators has become increasingly important as concerns over pollinator population decline are more evident. The good news is that even small spaces can provide resources for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Container gardens are one solution for...

The rotunda at the Illinois state capitol

June 17, 2024

Illinois Extension announces 2025 cohort in program promoting public service careers
URBANA, Ill. — The Illini Science Policy Program, administered by University of Illinois Extension, is excited to name seven University of Illinois graduates to its fifth class of ISPP Scholars. By...

June 12, 2024

Specialist and migratory birds at greater risk under climate change
URBANA, Ill. — Following decades of decline, even fewer birds will darken North American skies by the end of the century, according to a new analysis by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Their...

A ruby-throated hummingbird visiting a purple blazing prairie star plant.

June 11, 2024

Gardening for a hummingbird's travels
URBANA, Ill. — Hummingbirds are unlike any other bird. Spanning the Americas with over 330 species, hummingbirds belong to Trochilidae, the second-largest bird family in the world. However, only the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) inhabits the Midwest....

A person conducting a neuromarketing test to another person

June 11, 2024

Extension leverages neuromarketing to boost awareness of HPV vaccine in Hispanic communities
URBANA, Ill. — Vaccines are a crucial line of defense in our fight against infectious diseases, acting as a protective barrier for communities. Yet, even with their demonstrated success, false information and doubts have created an unsettling resistance among some individuals. This hesitancy,...

June 10, 2024

Beyond the recipe box: youth event showcases the power of teamwork, improvisation
DECATUR, Ill. —  The Illinois 4-H Food Challenge had its first culminating statewide event on June 1, bringing together talented young chefs from across the state to showcase their culinary skills. This program is designed to help youth develop expertise in nutrition,...

June 10, 2024

Conservation project tracks behavior, migration of Chicago's endangered heron
URBANA, Ill. — Among the snowbirds returning north for the summer, A24 is special. For one thing, A24 is an actual bird: a Black-crowned night heron, to be exact. And it has just returned to Chicago to join hundreds of its kind nesting near Lake Michigan. But unlike the human snowbirds that...

June 10, 2024

Learn how to help others during an emergency with Mental Health First Aid training
URBANA, Ill. — One in five Americans has a mental illness, and depression and anxiety increased following the pandemic. Still, many are reluctant to seek help due to stigma or don't know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can...

a group of people stand in a circle in a field surrounded by trees listening to someone speak from the back of a truck

June 6, 2024

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,...

Vanilla ice cream sundae topped with strawberries, chocolate syrup, and crushed cicadas.

June 5, 2024

Consider adding periodical cicadas to summer list of favorite ice cream toppings
URBANA, Ill. — “That’s surprisingly delicious!” This is maybe not the phrase first expected to be heard when trying a once-in-a-lifetime lunch menu of cicada pesto pizza, cicada tempura bites with lime aioli, and, for dessert, cicada ice cream sundaes.This spring, a team of...

A group of people holding a sign that says: We are no longer a food desert

June 4, 2024

Illinois Extension's health equity project recognized at National Health Outcomes Conference
URBANA, Ill. — Picture a world where everyone enjoys equal access to optimal health, regardless of where they were born or their identity. Sadly, reality diverges from this ideal. Health disparities disproportionately impact many Illinois residents due to factors such as race, nationality, and...

A single green plant emerging from the sunlit soil.

May 31, 2024

Keep agriculture safety a priority with tips from Cultivating Caution webinar series
URBANA, Ill. — Taking the extra time to plan safety precautions into daily routines can save a life when accidents occur, and they will. The agriculture industry is filled with risk, injury, and danger at about every turn. Cultivating Caution is a monthly webinar series that explores...

4-H campers enjoy water activities in row boat

May 28, 2024

4-H Memorial Camp in Monticello earns spot on Newsweek’s America’s Best Summer Camps 2024
MONTICELLO, Ill. — 4-H Memorial Camp in Monticello has recently been included in Newsweek's list of America's Best Summer Camps 2024, earning a full 5-star rating. This recognition is especially meaningful as the camp celebrates its 75th anniversary this summer, marking decades of dedication to...

Margarita Teran with another person receiving an award

May 24, 2024

Abriendo Caminos ‘Opening Pathways’: Pioneering Extension initiative receives nationwide recognition
URBANA, Ill. — In Illinois, a committed group of researchers and educators confronted a sobering truth: Latino children were experiencing notable health inequalities, especially evident in the high rates of childhood obesity. This concerning pattern not only jeopardized their current health but...

A farmer wearing a hearing aid while doing outdoor chores at a chicken coop.

May 23, 2024

Illinois AgrAbility provides assistive technology to farmers statewide
URBANA, Ill. — Stepping in to assist farmers through research, conversation, knowledge, and assistance devices is how Illinois AgrAbility continues to work alongside farmers across the state of Illinois. Together, the two work together to...

May 21, 2024

Discover strategies for addressing mental health challenges in the agricultural community
URBANA, Ill. — Mental health and substance use issues are widespread. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States lives with a mental illness. In addition, over the past 20 years, an...

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Local greenhouse featured as first stop in Extension's Summer Twilight Series

Illinois Extension specialty crop expert’s legacy built on grower trust

Summer Twilight Series strengthens southern Illinois food systems

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