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New homeowners should take time to learn their yard

August 4, 2026

By Deborah Lane, Extension Master Gardener, Serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell CountiesAs a Master Gardener volunteer, I have learned that many new homeowners arrive with the same concern: they have inherited a yard, but they are not sure what they have. Moving day may bring boxes...

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Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary: A local nature classroom

August 4, 2026

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By Roberta Clifton, Extension Master Naturalist, serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and TazewellOff the beaten path, but only 30 minutes from our capital city of Springfield, in Loami, Illinois, is a wonderful place I found in 2015. Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature stop that offers everything from...

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Elwood Wildlife Preserve creates a long-lasting ecosystem for wildlife

February 18, 2026

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By Ed Coleman, Extension Master Naturalist, serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesIn 2020, the family members of the John Elwood and Mary Elwood Trust donated a 75.5 acre tract of land in Peoria County to the Prairie Land Conservancy, a land trust. Five acres of this was...

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Spring Creek Preserve: Dealing with the invasive plant problem

February 18, 2026

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By Mike McGraw, Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell countiesSpring Creek Preserve, located in Tazewell County, is a park of the East Peoria Fondulac Park District. Of its 344 acres, 236 have been designated as an Illinois Land and Water Preserve....

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Joyce and Gordon Wassell

February 18, 2026

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By Megan Todd, Extension Master Gardener, Serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesDriving up the street in a Morton subdivision searching for the home of new Conservation@Home members Gordon and Joyce Wassell, one needs no house number to know which place is theirs. All...

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Lynda Sharp-Lower

February 18, 2026

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By Sarah Smith, Master Gardener and Naturalist, serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesIn 2018, Lynda and her husband Jeff moved into their current home and set to work on taking care of their almost 2-acre property that sits on a small lake, surrounded by other homes. Encouraged by...

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Top 10 pursuits to fall in love with winter

October 23, 2025

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By Jill Meints, Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties1. RestJust like with our gardens & plants, it can be our season of REST! Read on for ideas on how to embrace the season! 2. Clean out your pantry and organize it. You may have things...

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Conservation@Home Member Spotlight: Janine Donahue

August 1, 2025

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By Janine Donahue, Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesMy journey into learning about native plants began about 6 years ago when I decided to add native plants to one of the Master Gardener projects. As I looked at a...

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two ladies standing in the woods with five garbage bags full of garlic mustard

Spring Creek Preserve: A haven for spring ephemerals

June 18, 2025

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By Mike McGraw, Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties Even as a teenager, I loved the ephemeral wildflowers that grew in the woods near my home in Alton, Illinois – plants with wonderfully evocative names like Harbinger of Spring, Spring...

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Welcoming hummingbirds to your yard

May 2, 2025

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By Jennifer Bass, Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell countiesThis past weekend I pointed out to my grandkids the first goldfinch of the season I spotted at my feeders. Bird watching is enjoyable for many of us – I had an uncle...

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