Illinois Extension helps provide nearly 25,000 meals through 12-county Deer Donation Program More than 24,500 plates in East Central Illinois were full this winter thanks to the Illinois Extension Deer Donation Program. The 12-county pilot program fights food insecurity by connecting hunters with meat processors and food pantries. 50 years of changing lives with 4-H When Joyce Smith’s children joined 4-H in the 1970s, little did she know it would be the start of a half-century journey. Now, Mercer County 4-H is celebrating the 50th year of Smith's work uplifting and helping to shape youth into leaders and community builders. Bring life to empty downtown buildings Communities big and small across Illinois struggle with vacant buildings. These properties can have a ripple effect that harms the local economy, lowers property values, and impacts the safety and quality of life for residents and visitors. Explore options for municipalities to recapture a property's value to build healthy, prosperous communities. Pest Success: 4-H member starts business, wins national award for bio-pesticide After moving to the U.S. as a child, Matias Habib felt like an outsider. He struggled with language barriers and social anxiety and was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through the University of Illinois Extension 4-H science program, Habib found community and confidence and now has a growing ag business. Don’t dump Halloween pumpkins, donate or compost them Every year, come November billions of jack-o’-lanterns whose wilting faces are now past their prime need to find a new home. Instead of tossing them into the trash or dumping them in a natural area, compost them! The Hunt for Orange October: Master Naturalists track monarchs On their annual 3,000 mile migration to Mexico, monarch butterflies rest in select trees. A group of Illinois Extension volunteers, The Secret Society of Monarch Roost Hunters, scout for these roosts and report their findings as part of a community science research project to help this at-risk species.
