Pollinator Habitat

Events

Blog Posts

a painted lady butterfly on a mexican sunflower
Help the butterfly lifecycle: Plant a garden of pollinator favorites
Around 100 different species of butterflies call Illinois home. Unfortunately, our fluttering insect populations have declined over the years due to...
Carpenter bees: Destroyers of wood or beneficial pollinators? Carpenter bee on a purple passion flower
Carpenter bees: Destroyers of wood or beneficial pollinators?
Bees are a welcome site in our gardens. Without the help of bees (and other pollinators) pollinating many of our plants, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy...
Monarch caterpillar feeds on orange butterflyweed
Monarchs and milkweeds - nativars help pollinators
Among gardeners, there is an ever-growing interest in creating plant arrangements that support pollinators.  This has been driven by recent research...
dandelion
Lawns and pollinators - The case for dandelions
Urban areas typically have a large proportion of turfgrass. From lawns and residential areas to golf courses, parks and rights-of-way, turf covers...
Redbuds: a great addition to any landscape. Branches of a redbud tree coer
Redbuds are a great addition to any landscape
While spring-blooming bulbs get much of our attention in the spring, flowering trees shouldn’t be overlooked. One of the best trees for spring color...
When should I clean up my garden? Picture of a garden with brown native bunch grasses and brown fallen tree leaves.
When should I start cleaning up my garden?
As the days get longer and the temperatures start to warm, we often get the itch to start gardening. On the first warm day of the year, I often find...
mourning cloak butterfly
The mourning cloak butterfly
A winter butterfly sighting We have had some warm weather this February, which means it is time to keep an eye out for butterflies! You may be...
grass covered in ice
Leave grasses intact in the garden through fall and winter
You may have heard the phrase “leave the leaves” when it comes to deciding what to do with your trees' fallen leaves in autumn. But what about the...

News Releases

Butterfly with water colors
Fly on over to the Butterfly Festival on June 3!
Livingston County-Over 150 different types of butterflies can be found visiting our Illinois backyards and gardens this summer. The most prized of them all, the monarch, is the Illinois state butterfly. Celebrate these magical, fluttering creatures and learn how to support their habitat for...
three monarch butterflies rest on a tree branch in the early morning light
The hunt for orange October: Master Naturalists track monarchs
KANKAKEE, Ill. – It was early on a hot September morning several years ago that Master Naturalist program coordinator Nancy Kuhajda turned into Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area in northern Illinois. She had arrived early for a...
Four horticulture educators with award plaques with Dr. Nickols-Richardson
Evaluate and adjust: Four Seasons Gardening wins state evaluation award
URBANA, Ill. – A popular Extension gardening program was honored by University of Illinois Extension for its dedication to constant evaluation and adaptation of educational programming. The Four Seasons Gardening series addresses home and community garden issues that encourage residents to...

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