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University of Illinois Extension
@extension.illinois.edu
250 followers 70 following 140 posts
Illinois Extension is the flagship outreach effort of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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extension.illinois.edu
The downy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in Illinois. Be careful when identifying, it looks very similar to the hairy woodpecker.

Learn more with the Voice of the Wild podcast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild
A black and white Downy Woodpecker perched on a branch with red berries. Text reads: "Downy Woodpecker," "Voice of the Wild," "Illinois Extension."
November 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
extension.illinois.edu
All fall, our Everyday Environment team has been exploring wildlife. Check in with the last blog of the season and get a sneak peek of their spring 2026 topic (pssst, it's invasives!)

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/everyday-environment/2025-11-06-unexpected-turn-human-dimensions-wildlife
An older man sits on a chair fishing by a lake with the text "Where people and wildlife meet" and logos for Everyday Environment and Illinois Extension.
November 11, 2025 at 12:15 AM
extension.illinois.edu
How do you crowdsource nature? With community science! 

We explore the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network and other community science projects on the latest Everyday Environment blog and podcasts https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment
A brown butterfly perched on white flowers with "Wildlife and Community Science" text. Illinois Extension logo and "Everyday Environment" emblem included.
November 5, 2025 at 12:03 AM
extension.illinois.edu
Whether you call it a hedge apple or Osage orange, this tree has a story - Indigenous people made bows from it, pioneers used the thorny tree as a living fence, and mammoths dined on it.

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-11-11-massive-fruit-myths-and-mastodons-osage-orange
Close-up of green, bumpy Osage orange fruits hanging from a branch with yellow autumn leaves in the background.
November 2, 2025 at 2:27 AM
extension.illinois.edu
Collisions with wildlife spike after daylight saving time ends, when more people are driving after dark.

Not every collision can be avoided, but you can reduce your risk. Check out the article for tips.
Time change raises risk of driver collisions with wildlife
URBANA, Ill. — This Sunday at 2 a.m. Central Standard Time, daylight saving time will end, with clocks set back one hour.
extension.illinois.edu
November 1, 2025 at 9:05 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Illinois is home to three praying mantids, which are a common sight in the fall, along with their egg cases.

Check out the Good Growing blog for identification help.
What praying mantid have I found? Identifying praying mantids in Illinois
Most people are familiar with praying mantids. These large predatory insects are a common sight in the fall, and we often encounter their egg cases (ootheca) this
extension.illinois.edu
October 30, 2025 at 10:55 PM
extension.illinois.edu
If you learn to listen for wildlife, suddenly you start hearing them everywhere – the bark of a squirrel, the trill of a frog, the hoot of an owl.

Explore Illinois' natural soundscape in the Everyday Environment blog and podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment
A toad sits on the ground. Text overlay reads, "Everyday Environment, Illinois Extension. Why you should listen to Illinois wildlife."
October 28, 2025 at 11:18 PM
extension.illinois.edu
We welcome Dr. Kevin Carey as the new assistant dean and director of Illinois 4-H! Kevin brings deep experience and service-minded leadership to this role that will help to develop future leaders who are #BeyondReady.

Congrats, Kevin! 🍀

🔗go.illinois.edu/KevinCarey4H

#Illinois4H #YouthDevelopment
Kevin Carey is a smiling man with glasses and short brown hair parted to the side, wearing a patterned blazer and black turtleneck against a gray background.
October 27, 2025 at 11:02 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Illinois has 9 new invasives that cannot be bought, sold, or planted, including Callery pear, tree-of-heaven, garlic mustard, leafy spurge, sericea lespedeza, and stiltgrass

Details https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/nine-new-invasive-species-regulated-illinois-expansion-exotic-weeds-act
October 27, 2025 at 2:11 PM
extension.illinois.edu
The plains pocket gopher is one “angry potato!”

Learn how the only gopher found in Illinois got its nickname in the latest Everyday Environment blog and podcast with @prairieresearch.bsky.social researcher Nathan Alexander at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment
A small brown rodent, a pocket gopher, peeks out from its burrow. The image includes the University of Illinois Extension logo and the title "Pocket Gophers".
October 26, 2025 at 2:31 PM
extension.illinois.edu
The red-breasted nuthatch is an honorary "winter finch." Usually found in the Canadian north, these nuthatches will occasionally head south into Illinois in search of food. 

Learn more about with Voice of the Wild, found on podcast platforms or at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild
Red-breasted nuthatch perched on a tree trunk. Text reads: "Red-Breasted Nuthatch," "Voice of the Wild," "Illinois Extension."
October 25, 2025 at 1:06 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Droughts have long impacts, especially on trees.

@ilpublicmedia.bsky.social spoke with Forestry Extension and Research Specialist Chris Evans about how our forests respond.
Which trees fare well in Illinois during drought and how you can save yours? | Illinois Public Media
We learned about the impacts of drought on forests in Illinois. If you have a question about climate or weather, call 217.333.2141.
will.illinois.edu
October 24, 2025 at 6:12 PM
extension.illinois.edu
If you're cold, they're cold! A lot of Illinois is under a frost advisory tonight, so it’s time to move outdoor houseplants back inside and remove hoses from spigots.

Find the full list of affected counties from @nws.noaa.gov at https://www.weather.gov
October 22, 2025 at 5:03 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Leaders gathered Oct. 20 to celebrate the beam signing of the future Doris Kelley Christopher Illinois Extension Center. The 39,500 sq. ft. facility will be Illinois Extension's first central home, driving innovation and community impact.

🔹 Read More: go.illinois.edu/ExtensionCenterProgress
Four people wearing hard hats stand behind a signed beam at a commemorative ceremony for the future Christopher Extension Center on University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's campus.
October 21, 2025 at 5:03 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Armadillos are in Illinois. So what does that mean? 

Zoologist Agustin Jimenez from Southern Illinois University joined the Everyday Environment team to talk about the armadillo's movement, behaviors, and more. Blog and podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment
A nine-banded armadillo walking on grass with the text "Armadillos in Illinois" and "Illinois Extension" displayed on the image.
October 16, 2025 at 5:12 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Are you seeing plants that are still green with oval green leaves and red berries in a wooded area? You might have invasive bush honeysuckle.

Explore how to ID and remove amur bush honeysuckle this fall and winter at https://extension.illinois.edu/invasives/invasive-amur-bush-honeysuckle
Branch of amur bush honeysuckle with lush green leaves and clusters of small, bright red berries scattered throughout.
October 14, 2025 at 2:20 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Where have all the whip-poor-wills gone? Often heard and rarely seen, the eastern whip-poor-will is an iconic nocturnal woodland bird. But its numbers are declining.

Learn what’s happening to whip-poor-wills in an Oct. 16 webinar at 1 pm. Sign up at https://go.illinois.edu/WhipPoorWills
October 13, 2025 at 11:01 PM
extension.illinois.edu
By tagging, radio-collaring and collecting samples from 1,600+ coyotes, scientists with The Urban Coyote Research Project in Chicago know more about their activities and how to coexist with them

Explore more in the Everyday Environment blog and podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/EverydayEnvironment
A coyote walks along a suburban street with the text "Living with coyotes" and logos for Illinois Extension and Everyday Environment.
October 6, 2025 at 11:14 PM
extension.illinois.edu
When it comes to managing invasive species, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. A new Extension course gave people hands-on experience at local field days.

More at https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/online-and-ground-new-program-empowers-illinois-communities-tackle-invasive-species
A man in a white shirt and baseball cap uses a drip torch to ignite a controlled burn in a forested area, while another man observes. A group of people, wearing hats and casual outdoor clothing, gather around a person demonstrating a plant measurement tool in a lush, wooded area. A group of people seated on grass, attentively watching a man demonstrating equipment in a park, surrounded by trees and parked cars.
October 6, 2025 at 1:49 PM
extension.illinois.edu
See a holey tree? You might have a yellow-bellied sapsucker to thank! These woodpeckers tap into trees to drink the sap and any insects that come along as they migrate through Illinois or overwinter here. 

Learn more with the Voice of the Wild podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild
A red and white bird with a yellow belly. The yellow-bellied sapsucker on a tree trunk; text reads "Voice of the Wild," with Illinois Extension logo.
October 5, 2025 at 9:40 PM
extension.illinois.edu
From bass to blue gill, Illinois state-run hatcheries raise fish so they can be released to support natural populations that may be struggling.

Explore more in the Everyday Environment blog and podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/everydayenvironment with Kayleigh Smith from @illinoisdnr.bsky.social
Young fish swimming in water, with text reading "Hatcheries support more than fishing" and "Everyday Environment" logo. Illinois Extension branding.
September 29, 2025 at 11:27 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Not all fall-blooming flowers are to blame for seasonal allergies. If you're sneezing, ragweed and its airborne pollen are likely the culprit, but showy goldenrod blooms often get accused.

Learn more https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-10-21-autumn-allergies-dont-blame-goldenrod
Monarch butterfly on goldenrod with text "Goldenrod vs. Ragweed." Inset shows detailed view of ragweed. Illinois Extension logo present.
September 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Seeing starlings? These non-native invasive birds start to gather in the fall, with roosts as large as tens of thousands. Their large flocks often fly in synch – called mumuration – twisting into different shapes across the sky.

Learn more https://extension.illinois.edu/invasives/european-starlings
A starling bird with iridescent feathers is highlighted in front of a sky filled with a flock of starlings. Text reads, "Seeing starlings?" Illinois Extension logo in the corner.
September 28, 2025 at 3:31 PM
extension.illinois.edu
A charismatic, bold bird, the blue jay has a lot to say! This easily identifiable bird is common in towns, especially those with oaks that produce their favorite food – acorns!

Learn more with the Voice of the Wild podcast at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild
A blue jay holding an acorn in its beak, with text overlay reading "Blue Jay" and "Voice of the Wild, Illinois Extension."
September 27, 2025 at 10:16 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Go from "yup, that's a tree" to "that's a white oak!" with the Forest Trees of Illinois field guide.

Get a better understanding of almost 150 native and introduced tree species with this guide available to purchase at https://go.illinois.edu/ForestTreesIL
Cover of "Forest Trees of Illinois" booklet featuring a close-up of a green leaf against a blurred background, with the Illinois Extension logo.
September 27, 2025 at 2:21 PM