Outdoor Skills

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Blog Posts
tick on a grassy plant
Feeling “tick”-ed off?
May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, so now is a great time to learn more about its host and how to protect your family from tick bites.  What...
Hard water fishing – by accident or grand design?
Winter’s cold snap brings a range of human reactions. For the select few who celebrate the chance to ice fish, these sub-freezing days are a welcome...
An older couple walking outside on a snowy sidewalk. One of them is using a walking cane.
Conquer the cold: Improve your health by staying active this winter
December is here and it has brought shorter days and colder temperatures. Have you noticed any changes to your exercise routine or the amount of time...
Outdoor Dutch Oven with hot coals on the lid
How to cook outside with a Dutch oven
A recent camping trip allowed me to explore a new way of outdoor cooking: Dutch oven cooking. Different than a home Dutch oven, which has a flat...

News Releases
Portrait of the researchers standing in front of a map of Illinois with tick species indicated on the map.
New study reinforces the need for year-round tick awareness in Illinois
URBANA, Ill — A new study has reported a “dramatic growth” in the number of human cases of tick-borne disease between 2004 and 2022. The University of Illinois study also found that tick-borne diseases were reported in every month of the year and in every Illinois county, underscoring the...
A small tick is visible on a human hand
Tick concerns are growing: What Illinois residents need to know
URBANA, Ill. — For some residents, a walk through a park or an afternoon in the backyard brings a new level of anxiety thanks to growing concerns about ticks and the diseases they carry. This fear can lead people to limit outdoor activity out of concern that they may be bitten. As reports of...
child with clipboard, paper, and pencil outside
Fifth annual NatureFest to take place on May 16
GENOA, Ill. —Join us again for a day in the woods. University of Illinois Extension, DeKalb County Forest Preserve, DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District, and DeKalb County Health Department have planned the fifth annual NatureFest. Join us on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m...
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Videos
Winter Ice Safety

How can you know that ice is safe to walk on? Is old ice safer than new ice? Curt Sinclair, 4-H youth development Extension specialist, walks you through how to stay safe on the ice this winter, covering everything you need to know for winter ice safety including how to make homemade ice picks...

Staff