Conservation

Events

2025 DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt County Master Naturalist Training

January 7, 2025 - March 25, 2025

County

DeWitt

Macon

Piatt

Native Landscape Design Workshop

January 21, 2025

County

Cook

Native Landscape Design Workshop: Coaching Session

February 4, 2025

County

Cook

Integrated Water Management Workshop for Farmers and Landowners

February 26, 2025 - February 27, 2025

More Events

Blog Posts

From coal in stockings to coal for energy

December 16, 2024

In the 16th century, St. Nick's counterpart, Krampus, was fictitiously known to gift naughty children coal in their stockings. By the early 1900s,...

Gift wrapped in cloth with greenery for decoration

Unwrapping the environmental cost of holiday gifts  

November 8, 2024

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and while we might all celebrate differently, many of us are purchasing gifts for loved ones over the next...

The agronomics of N, P, & K

October 31, 2024

As harvest wraps up, many farmers are turning their attention to fall fertilizer applications. Managing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (...

A wooden frame holding native seed collected at Nachusa Grasslands in Northern Illinois

Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Native Seeds for Autumn

October 18, 2024

Autumn is a time for…life? This may seem perplexing, as we often link fall with plants dying, wildlife migrating, and us retreating indoors. However...

More Blogs

News Releases

Water flooding and rushing through a drainage system in a farm field.

January 14, 2025

Explore integrated water management with Illinois Extension workshop
URBANA, Ill. — In times of changing environmental conditions, unmanaged drainage water with a lack of soil conservation practices can impact farm profitability and sustainability of agricultural operations. Understanding management options starts with knowing what’s happening out in the fields...

November 12, 2024

Tara Heath promoted to Extension crops educator
LEWISTOWN, Ill. - The agriculture industry continues to change rapidly, impacting everyone from the producers to the industry professionals to the food consumers. University of Illinois Extension is growing its team of commercial agriculture educators to provide research-based, unbiased...

October 18, 2024

Learn the flow of integrated agricultural water management with Illinois Extension workshop
Notes on the Event Schedule ChangeThank you for your interest in the Integrated Water Management for Landowners and Farmers workshop. The workshop is postponed and moving to Feb. 26 and 27, 2025. Visit the...

A man stands in a prairie examining a plant

October 10, 2024

Faced with environmental challenges, Illinois Extension Master Naturalists sow seeds of hope
MACOMB, Ill. — The beauty of autumn in west central Illinois is not subtle. Amber swaths of blooming goldenrod are adorned by monarch butterflies under a bright blue sky, which only ends when it meets the expanse of Illinois River wetlands, filled with the calls of migrating birds. This vibrant...

More News

Videos

What is a Saturated Buffer and How Does it Work to Improve Water Quality?

Saturated buffers are an edge-of-field option farmers can apply to reduce the amount of nitrogen runoff in water leaving their fields. Illinois Extension watershed outreach associates explain how bioreactors work to remove nitrogen and improve water quality.

Water Conservation at Home

Conserving water can be simple with the right items in place and a few small habit changes. We all know the obvious “turn the water off” ways to save water, but what about considering water quality and how you can save some of the energy it takes to get water to your tap?

...