Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam! 🎵 Good thing there is a place in Illinois for the American bison, AKA the buffalo, to graze on restored tall grass prairies, including the Nachusa Grasslands. Explore more with Elizabeth Bach from @nature.org at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment

Today, we're excited to welcome Dr. Matthew Vann as Illinois Extension’s new Associate Dean & Director! “Together, we will chart a bold, responsive path forward — rooted in listening, innovation, and a deep belief in Extension’s power to improve lives,” says Vann.

While the chirp of the fall field cricket is just background noise when outside, anyone who’s had one drawn to the warmth of their garage or home can tell you they are very loud…and very hard to find.  Learn more with the Voice of the Wild podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

Does that baby bird need help, or is it fine? Knowing when to help wildlife and when to step back can be hard.  Find out what to do in the latest Everyday Environment blog and podcast with guests from the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment

A third of Illinois is in at least moderate drought, with conditions intensifying and nearing record levels in parts of southern and central Illinois. Find drought updates from the Illinois State Climatologist at https://go.illinois.edu/IllinoisDrought

The round-tipped cone head is a katydid that will start singing their buzzy call starting in mid-August until frost hits.  Learn more about nature calls with the Voice of the Wild podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

A turtle's shell protects it from a lot, but not a car. It's a hard truth that roadways split up habitat, pollute the environment, and lead to costly collisions for people and wildlife. So what can we do? Learn more with Everyday Environment at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment

Love that nighttime summer chorus of insects and frogs? The lesser anglewing's short, raspy rattle can be heard in the mix, calling from the tops of trees. Learn more with the Voice of the Wild podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

How do you study something you can't see? Environmental DNA is giving scientists new insights into wildlife by collecting their genetic material from the water, air, and soil.  Explore more with conservation biologist Mark Davis at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment

Is the Illinois electrical grid resilient? Don't be in the dark about our state's power needs, goals, and community-driven solutions. Sign up for free for the webinar Building a Resilient Illinois Energy Grid at noon on Sept. 16 at https://go.illinois.edu/ResilientCommunities2025.

The Midwest is home to 12 common katydids. The latest episode of the Voice of the Wild podcast is your key to katydid calls!  Check out the Voice of the Wild podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

Quail used to be common across Illinois, but in a story that's similar to many other wildlife species, as the landscape has changed, there has been less habitat. Explore more about quail conservation in the Everyday Environment blog and podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment

When you flick a switch the power turns on, but what does it take to make that happen now and in the future? 💡 Don't be in the dark about community power needs. Sign up for free for the webinar Energy Grid Resiliency 101 at noon on Sept. 9 at https://go.illinois.edu/ResilientCommunities2025

Walker's cicada is heard July-October in Illinois in creeks and swamps. This colorful insect is larger than most of the other common annual cidadas. Learn its call with the Voice of the Wild podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

We’ll be there, will you? #FPS25 Stop by, say hello, and travel through various tables, filling the tent with research updates and conversations. 📍Farm Progress Show | Aug. 26-28 | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – College of ACES and Illinois Extension  Booth # 34W

Stay in the loop on the latest in pesticide safety issues, regulatory information, and changes in pesticide registration label status with the Illinois Pesticide Review newsletter. 🔗 Read the August newsletter issue at https://extension.illinois.edu/newsletters/julyaugust-2025

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Matthew Vann as Illinois Extension’s new Associate Dean & Director, starting Sept. 22! “Together, we will chart a bold, responsive path forward — rooted in listening, innovation, and a deep belief in Extension’s power to improve lives,” says Vann.

Midwest oak trees are a keystone species that support ecosystems, but they're dying off after years of drought.  Extension Forestry Research Specialist Chris Evans spoke about the impact in southern Illinois

Keep up with Illinois field crop progress from Illinois Extension educators across the state.  🔗 Aug. 15 Crop Report in The Bulletin from @farmdocdaily.bsky.social: https://farmdoc.illinois.edu/field-crop-production/illinois-crop-update-august-15-2025.html

#DYK Illinois is home to 6 species of cicadas? Learn how to distinguish their calls with the Voice of the Wild podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild 6 cicada species: Scissor grinder, dog day, morning or swamp, Linne's, lyric, and Walker's

Looking for #wildlife? You don't have to look too far - Illinois is home to thousands of fish, birds, plants, and insects! Explore how we can coexist - from squirrels to snakes - with the latest Everyday Environment blog and podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment

As growing seasons shift, keep the learning going with two new fall webinars from Extension's Four Seasons Gardening series. Sept. 30: Be a Seed Shaker: Which Are Worth Saving?  Oct. 21: Reclaiming Runaway Landscapes 🔗 Register: https://go.illinois.edu/FourSeasons

The chimney swift has adapted to building its nests in cities, where it can be seen foraging for insects. Watch for these #birds in the fall at dusk around old chimneys, where they will return to roost. Listen to Voice of the Wild wherever you get podcasts or https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

Think outside the [box] turtle with an Aug. 21 Everyday Environment webinar exploring 20 years of turtle research that tells us a lot about the land and water where they live. Sign up for "Saving the World One Box Turtle at a Time" for free at https://go.Illinois.edu/EETurtle

#DYK all toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads? 🐸 - Frogs: Long, strong hind legs for big leaps into water when startled - Toads: Short legs; sit and wait before taking small jumps

Illinois is home to several different species. The song of the lyric cicada is a steady toned whirr that doesn't pulsate Learn about the lyric cicada with Voice of the Wild on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

Midwest summer is the sight of planes and helicopters making gravity-defying turns as they make passes up and down cornfields.  🔗 Explore aerial application safety with planes, drones at https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/crop-dusting-exploring-aerial-application-safety-plane-or-drone

Have you talked about corn sweat yet? There's no doubt, the corn fields around us are sweating. 🎧 Everyday Environment Podcast Episode: A Midwest phenomenon - Corn Sweat at https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/spotlight-natural-resources/corn-sweat-midwest-phenomenon

Drones can now detect subtle soybean canopy damage from dicamba at one ten-thousandth of the herbicide’s label rate — simulating vapor drift — eight days after application. 🔗 Read more from College of ACES at https://aces.illinois.edu/news/new-land-grant-research-detects-dicamba-damage-sky

If its size doesn't give it away, the loud, low-pitched bellow of the American Bullfrog easily will. At up to 6 inches long, the bullfrog is North America's largest frog.  Learn about this frog with Voice of the Wild on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

Curious about cover crops? Join us on July 22 for a free online panel where three Illinois farmers will share their experiences with cover crops — what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how it’s helping their soil, nutrients, and bottom line. Details at https://go.illinois.edu/CoverCropConversations

Going on vacation? Here are some ways to save money on your power bill while you're away: - Unplug household appliances - Clean out your fridge and adjust it to a warmer setting - Put the thermostat higher than normal

Stay in the loop on specialty crops statewide and beyond with Extension's Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News.  🔗 Read the July newsletter issue at https://go.illinois.edu/IFVN 🔗 Subscribe to get the digital newsletter at https://go.illinois.edu/IFVNsignup

Once on the brink of extinction, #BaldEagle populations have rebounded in Illinois and nationwide after the pesticide DDT was banned in the 1970s. Tune in to learn its call in Voice of the Wild on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

There’s corn taller than knee high at the Fourth of July – what does that mean in today's crop talk?   🔗 July 11 Extension Crop Report: https://farmdoc.illinois.edu/field-crop-production/illinois-crop-update-july-11-2025.html @farmdocdaily.bsky.social

Try these water-wise landscaping tips: - Use a rain barrel: https://extension.illinois.edu/rainfall-management/harvesting-rainwater - Reduce watering / let your lawn go dormant: https://lawntolakemidwest.org - Install native plants: https://extension.illinois.edu/rainfall-management/plants-dry-areas

Did you know University of Illinois Extension has an office in every county? Find your local office at https://go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice. Click on your county and then "contact" to find your local office, connect with staff, and explore local events and volunteer programs.

Learn how to manage invasives this August in our new two-day online and in-person course, Introduction to Invasive Species Management.  Start with a day of online learning on Aug. 5 and then attend a regional field day from Aug. 6-9.  Sign up by Aug. 4 at https://go.illinois.edu/IntroInvasives

Fireworks are human fun, but scared wildlife flee across roadways, abandon young, or eat debris. - Watch community displays setting off your own - Don’t set off fireworks in dry areas - Clean up debris https://vetmed.illinois.edu/hospital/wildlife-medical-clinic/wmc-blog/wildlife-and-fireworks/

4th of July pet safety tips - Don’t feed pets people food - Keep away from fireworks/debris - Close windows/blinds and play background noise - Seek vet care for anxiety meds - ID pets with tags/microchips in case of escape https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet-health-columns/fourth-of-july-pet-hazards

The nectar-loving ruby-throated hummingbird is a fun-sized avian powerhouse pollinator and the only member of the hummingbird family that regularly visits Illinois.  Listen on your favorite podcast platform or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild #Bird #BirdIdentification

The heat wave puts pressure on the electrical grid. - Use major appliances early in the day - Turn up the thermostat by 2 degrees, more when no one is home - Close window coverings  More at

Free live forestry webinars at 2pm on Wednesdays in July! https://go.illinois.edu/ForestryStewardship - July 9 Urban Trees are a Matter of Life and Death - July 16 The Significance of and How to Manage Forest Elders - July 23 Best Practices for Firebreak Design - July 30 Emerging Invasive Species

Some wildlife sounds have surprising singers. The musical trill that fills the air near wet areas is actually the down-to-earth American toad! Take a few minutes to unwind and learn the call of the American toad on your favorite podcast platform or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

Question: Do opossums eat ticks? Answer: No. Surprised? It’s time for some myth-busting about North America's only marsupial with Illinois wildlife experts.  Read More https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2024-06-14-reassessing-opossum-tick-relationship-it-good-idea-attract-opossums

At home in forests and swamp edges, you may also find the eastern gray treefrog waiting for nightfall in your backyard, where it will use a porchlight as an insect buffet. Learn its call with Voice of the Wild on your favorite podcast platform or at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

Extension ag specialists Elizabeth Wahle and Dennis Bowman discuss impacts in today's farm labor and advancements in AI technology in specialty crops.  🔗 Read As labor costs rise, AI is learning to farm in @chicagotribune.com:

Help us welcome four new specialists to our natural resources, environment, and energy team: Ashley Belle, Abigail Garofalo, Andrea Wagner, and Jessica Rudnick! https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/extension-invests-sustainability-growing-natural-resources-environment-energy-team

The Warbling Vireo is an olive-gray color, so its fast, rollicking call is often the easiest way to identify this bird. Learn its call with Voice of the Wild on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild

First found in Illinois in 2024, the invasive Elm Zigzag Sawfly chews its way through tree leaves. Large infestations stress trees, putting them at risk. Read more https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/pesticide-news/2025-05-29-illinois-invasive-elm-zigzag-sawfly #Invasives #Insect