Wildlife

Events

Uncovering the Winter Secrets of Whip-poor-wills

October 16, 2025

Creatures of the Night

October 18, 2025

County

Livingston

Kinkaid Lake Fall Ecology Hike

October 26, 2025

County

Jackson

Blog Posts

Coyotes as sentinels: What wildlife reveal about public health

October 2, 2025

For 25 years, the Urban Coyote Research Project has been studying the ecology of urban coyotes in the Chicago area. Researchers monitor and...

armadillo movement and wildlife disease. Armadillo walking

Tracking the armadillo expansion into Illinois

October 9, 2025

In the past decade, people living in southern Illinois have seen armadillos in their backyards, in the field, or, in most cases, as roadkill....

tallgrass prairie restoration bison on prairie

Return of bison revives biodiversity of one restored Illinois prairie

September 18, 2025

Tallgrass prairie is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, and yet there is hope for the future of the ecosystem that defines Illinois...

Poison Ivy: A friend to deer and bird, a foe to many humans

September 8, 2025

By Jennifer Bass, Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell countiesI love my yard with all...

More Blogs

News Releases

July 28, 2025

Discovering Dragonflies takes its final flight of the summer
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS – This summer, southern Illinois youth explored the outdoors in a new way right inside their local libraries. Through the Discovering Dragonflies program, dozens of young learners connected with nature, books, and their communities thanks to a...

August 1, 2025

University of Illinois Extension’s Magnificent Moths event inspires curiosity, conservation, and community connection
MAKANDA, Ill. − From colorful wings to late-night fluttering, moths took center stage during the recent Magnificent Moths event held at Giant City State Park. This year’s Magnificent Moths event...

September 9, 2025

Clues about vanishing whip-poor-wills uncovered at birds’ wintering grounds
URBANA, Ill. — Often heard and rarely seen, the Eastern Whip-poor-will and its namesake nighttime call is an iconic Midwestern woodland bird. But like many other insect-eating birds, its numbers are declining....

DNR Resource Trunk kits with contents shown

August 7, 2025

IDNR Resource Trunks available throughout southernmost Illinois
ANNA, Ill. – Teachers, homeschool groups, youth leaders, and curious learners across southern Illinois now have access to a unique, hands-on way to explore the natural world thanks to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Through a special partnership,...

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Videos

Sound Key to Common Annual Cicadas – Voice of the Wild

Six annual cicada species are common in the Midwest. This episode of the Voice of the Wild podcast can be used as a key to identify them by their sound....