Environmental Almanac

A new sighting and a turtle tale revisited

Could a turtle photographed recently in Urbana be the same one featured in this story from 2013?

Extra time? The birds are out there!

While human movement is currently restricted, spring bird migration is in full swing--and you need no orgranized acitivities to check it out.

A Backyard Lesson in the Birds and the Bees

What do you get when you cultivate native plants in your yard? Beautiful scenery and first-hand education in local ecology.

Perspectives on Earth Day

Are you wondering what to make of Earth Day during this time of social distancing? Tune for some perspective from some perspective from some local environmentalists.

Federal policy the foundation for a wildlife success story

The fastest animal on earth was once endangered in most of the U.S., but it has come back from the brink thanks to federal policy. Stop by to learn about the peregrin falcon.

Return of the American Woodcock, Another March Madness

One of the early season highlights of birding in central Illinois is the widespread return in March of a bird called the American woodcock.

Crustaceans the stars of this year’s Insect Fear Film Festival

Grad students bring some real versus reel commentary on giant crabs and other creatures.

Appreciating Illinois amphibians and the habitats that support them

It may be too early in the year to contemplate April showers bringing May flowers. But in much of Illinois heavy rains in late February and early March trigger an astonishing and ancient natural phenomenon—the annual congregation of amphibians in the waters where they breed.

Get out soon to find the first flower of spring

People who go looking for beauty in the woodlands of central Illinois tend to get excited about the months of April and May, when showy beauties like Virginia bluebells carpet the woodland floor. But if you wait until April to get out, you may already be a month late for the emergence of the first flower of spring.

It’s time to make woodchucks well-loved

How do you expand appreciation for an animal beyond a single day out of the year? Listen as U of I student Grace Finnell-Gudwien shares her interest in groundhogs.

Invitation to opening for a photography show

Does brittle prickly pear cactus have a future in the Midwest?

Few brittle prickly pear cacti remain in Illinois. Will they persist in a changing climate?

Late summer a great time to expand your butterfly horizons [from the archive]

Everybody loves monarch butterflies, don't they? And for good reason. But if monarchs are all you know, you're missing out. Late summer is a great time to expand your butterfly horizons.

A love of life—even snakes [from the archive]

Thanks to a friend who’s more observant than me, I recently discovered a new species of reptile in my own backyard, a plains garter snake. Maybe I should clarify by saying I mean the plains garter snake was “new” to me, not new to science or the wider world.

Embrace your inner birder as spring migration peaks

Where can you see some of the most beautiful birds in the world? In central Illinois! Right now!

Why not bike?

Does the warm weather have you thinking about riding your bicycle to get from here to there? If so, let me offer some words of encouragement.

What to do for Earth Day?

Spring in My Step

Now is the time to catch woodland wildflower show in Illinois [from the archive]

There is an extended wildflower show that takes place each spring in the woodlands of Illinois, beginning in February and peaking in early May, when a dozen species can be seen flowering at once

Cook County research provides perspective on coyotes [from the archive]

How much risk do coyotes pose? Could it be good to have them around? Findings from the Cook County Coyote Project suggest they pose a very limited threat and even benefit urban ecosystems.