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green trees beside river under blue sky during daytime
Monitoring river health with macroinvertebrates
The stream water quality monitoring season may be ending, but it remains important to understand how we monitor our streams.   From May 1...
clump of johnsongrass in bloom with red seed heads
A closer look at Johnsongrass, a challenging invasive grass
Summer is here, which brings a very busy programming schedule. In the past few weeks I’ve driven across the five counties I work in to deliver youth...
PFAS exposure can be reduced with simple swaps and habits
What are PFAS chemicals?Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, called PFAS (pronounced pea-fass) for short, are a group of more than...
clump of Junegrass in a forest with trees in the background
Welcome June with Junegrass
When we think of prairie grasses, often the tallest grasses come to mind, like Big Bluestem, Indiangrass, and Switchgrass. But that doesn't mean...
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News Releases

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...
man pointing at tree roots exposed on side of hill
Expert guides lead educational hikes for local Extension volunteers
LEWISTOWN, Ill. - Education isn’t just in a text book, in a classroom, or on a Zoom call. University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners enjoy taking educational hikes and learning about the history of the natural areas around them. The educational hikes with local...
a Black-crowned night heron
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...
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Videos

Microplastic Pollution: The Big Problem with Tiny Plastic

Plastic is the most common debris found in oceans and lakes. Microplastics are smaller than a grain of rice, and scientists don’t fully understand their impact on aquatic ecosystems, especially in the Great Lakes. Researchers are exploring the scope of the problem, as well as what potential...

Fungus Among Us: An Insight to Fungi in Illinois Ecosystems

There's more to mushrooms than meets the eye.

Fungi are more than a pathogen eating your trees or the mushroom in your meals. Not a plant or an animal, fungi are dynamic organisms that help decompose and recycle the nutrients in organic materials and form beneficial relationships with...

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Staff

Staff photo Shiba Kar

Shiba 'Shibu' Kar

Assistant Dean: Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy Program Leader. Associate Director of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
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