Everyday Environment Podcast

This week the Everyday Environment team recorded a live episode at the Master Naturalist Conference in Springfield! Abigail, Amy, Erin, and Emily discussed beavers as they talked about "Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter" by Ben Goldfarb. Whether you've read the...

During this week's episode we take a step back from our home landscapes and look at our rural communities through the lens of tourism. We explore how parks can be nature-based solutions to not only attracting outsiders to visit our communities, but at the same time to support and engage local...

Stabilization of streambanks is an important aspect of watershed management in Illinois. Across the state, we are experiencing increased rainfall and increasing storm intensity as the effects of climate change continue to ramp up. These changes create additional strain on Illinois streambanks...

New uses for old docks?  Tiny, microscopic biofilm on the roots of wetland plant communities?  Susan McIntyre, a plant ecologist with the Illinois...

Is your yard compliant?  Don't be fooled by the title - we have a fun time chatting about municipal codes and our native plant gardens during this episode with Brodie Dunn, Illinois Extension Wildlife &...

Many of us invite birds to our landscapes - sometimes there is joy and sometimes there is frustration when birds begin to nest near our homes in the spring. Join us during this episode as we talk to Illinois Extension horticulture educator,...

Before central heating and cooling became a standard feature of many homes, there was a greater emphasis on designing homes and their yards to provide natural climate control. This was accomplished by taking advantage of the heating effects of solar radiation during the winter along with the...

EO Wilson famously called insects the "little things that run the world." Dr. Ken Johnson, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, joins us this week to solve our insect challenges.  Insects perform numerous services...

Today we chat with Chris Enroth, horticulture educator for Illinois Extension, about how we can approach our lawn care with fewer inputs. We chat about why we even have lawns, top tips for a healthy lawn with fewer...

When we talk nature-based solutions, trees can be the answer to many problems! Trees planted in our landscapes can deal with a lot of problems though. This week we chat with Horticulture Educator Sarah Vogel about the complexities...