News & Media

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Illinois Extension strives to provide relevant, science-based information that serves residents and businesses in our area and across the state. From blogs featuring the best seasonal tips and techniques to news stories highlighting upcoming learning opportunities, we offer you impactful insights backed by the research and public engagement resources of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois.

News Releases
Master Naturalist volunteers posing with their diplomas
Master Naturalists welcome 18 new environmental steward volunteers
OGLESBY, Ill. – The Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam County Master Naturalists welcomed 18 new volunteers to their ranks on August 1.Helen Mlynarski, Ellen Evancheck, Pete Johnston, Coleen Piggott, Jillian Pender, Hannah Safiran, Cheryl Heitz, Patricia Meagher, Faye Barakat,...
A group of people outside standing under elevated bat boxes on poles
Simple design changes can make bat boxes safer
URBANA, Ill. — Imagine moving into a new house just to discover it has no insulation. That’s what life can be like for a bat box resident.Bat boxes, a kind of artificial roost, are a simple and cost-effective way to increase habitat for these flying mammals. They’re a preferred spot for...
Nature Trails Day welcome banner
Get ready for Nature Trails Day—A family adventure in the great outdoors!
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A family day outside filled with guided hikes and hands-on activities for kids and adults, what could be better? Nature Trails Day is right around the corner, and now is the time to register and select what activities your family wants to explore! Hosted by the University of...
A woodland with blue flowering plants
A century of data reveals declining forest diversity
URBANA, Ill. — Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have analyzed 96 years of forest census data to better understand ecological changes and inform management practices. Their study...
Prairie plants
Illinois plant ecologists fight to restore Midwest biodiversity
URBANA, Ill. — Imagine a prairie. How many plant species do you see? Maybe you’re picturing yellow coneflowers, some little bluestem, perhaps a few asters. But plant ecologists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say these ecosystems are much more...
Sun rise with electrical towers in front
Reduce energy consumption and stay safe during summer heat waves
URBANA, Ill. — The first heat wave of the summer hit the Midwest earlier than usual this week, with a heat index forecast of up to 105 degrees, pushing many indoors to stay cool. All those air conditioning units running almost nonstop put pressure...
Meteor Shower
Gaze upon the night sky at the 3rd Annual Meteor Shower Watch Party
FAIRBURY, Ill. — Summer nights are my absolute favorite. From running around in grass fields and seeing lightning bugs to the sounds of crickets and cicadas, summer nights hold such warmth and beauty in the natural world. As the day quiets down, the stars come out, and that too leaves me in awe...
A woman plants in a garden
At Extension, water resources work when we work with them
Sometimes water is only a drizzle or a trickle, while other times it pours and floods, but it is always there in the background, a steady and vital resource for all our lives. A core University of Illinois Extension program area — natural resources,...
Karen Weigelt staff photo
Karen Weigelt added to Illinois Extension natural resources team
PEORIA, Ill. - Over the past 13 years, the local University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalist program has steadily grown in the number of volunteers and the educational programs offered. It became important to add to the team to continue with the quality support Extension staff...