Lake and McHenry Counties

Young builders bring stories to life in 4-H challenge
URBANA, Ill. — From mad scientists to haunted trees, Illinois 4-H youth let their imaginations run wild in October’s statewide 4-H Creating with Building Bricks Challenge, themed “Monster Mash: Build a spooky creature or monster.” More than 80 youth from across Illinois...

Master Naturalists connect through community and conservation at annual conference
OGLESBY, Ill. — Of all the state parks in Illinois, Starved Rock has the most visitors, and this October, it also welcomed University of Illinois Extension’s Master Naturalists to explore and learn together. Against a backdrop of migrating pelicans floating in the Illinois River at the base of...

Time change raises risk of driver collisions with wildlife
URBANA, Ill. — This Sunday at 2 a.m. Central Standard Time, daylight saving time will end, with clocks set back one hour. One of the most noticeable effects of “falling back” is that people will find themselves driving home from work or for after-school activities as the sun sets, putting them...

University of Illinois Extension responds to rising food access needs
URBANA, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension is responding to increased demand for food assistance amid the ongoing government shutdown and SNAP benefit disruptions. Publicly available resources are being shared by Extension to help Illinois...

Nine new invasive species regulated in Illinois with expansion of Exotic Weeds Act
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The forests and prairies of Illinois have a new line of defense against harmful non-native plants. On Oct. 1, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources added nine more invasive plants to the list of species that are illegal to buy,...