Join the Everyday Environment Hosts as we chat with Doug Tallamy, founder of the Homegrown National Park Movement, and discuss a nature-based solution to the biodiversity crisis. We talk about changing the culture of a home landscape to think beyond the idea that nature should live in a formal park or designated "nature space", and instead focus on how we can address nature at our homes on the very land we call home.

Share your own Everyday Observation

Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu

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This week the Everyday Environment team recorded a live episode at the Master Naturalist Conference in Springfield! Abigail, Amy, Erin, and Emily discussed beavers as they talked about "Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter" by Ben Goldfarb. Whether you've read the book or not, listen in to this lively discussion about beavers and then hear beaver everyday observations from the crowd.

Share your own Everyday Observation

Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu

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Stabilization of streambanks is an important aspect of watershed management in Illinois. Across the state, we are experiencing increased rainfall and increasing storm intensity as the effects of climate change continue to ramp up. These changes create additional strain on Illinois streambanks, leading to a variety of impacts, from increased erosion or changes in streamflow capacity to the loss of land area in extreme cases. Join us as we chat with Extension Educator Ryan Pankau on how we can address this challenge using nature-based solutions.

New uses for old docks? Tiny, microscopic biofilm on the roots of wetland plant communities? Susan McIntyre, a plant ecologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, joins us to talk about how dock frames were used to construct floating wetlands in a lake ecosystem. We talk about water quality issues that floating wetlands can address, plant choices for floating wetlands, and the interesting wildlife they attract. We also point out that roots rule during this episode!

Learn More

• Building a Living Laboratory on a Lake
• Wild Mile

Share your own Everyday Observation

Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu

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Is your yard compliant? Don't be fooled by the title - we have a fun time chatting about municipal codes and our native plant gardens during this episode with Brodie Dunn, Illinois Extension Wildlife & Pollinator Outreach Associate. Find out where to find the rules that may cover your native garden, learn best practices to apply within your own yard, and we even chat about some good and bad plant choices. Join us!

Learn more

• Listening to Illinois Wildlife Everyday Environment episode
• Voice of the Wild podcast
• Illinois Wildside blog
• Illinois pollinator plant selector tool

Share your own Everyday Observation

Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu

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Many of us invite birds to our landscapes - sometimes there is joy and sometimes there is frustration when birds begin to nest near our homes in the spring. Join us during this episode as we talk to Illinois Extension horticulture educator, Kim Rohling, about what to do in the fall to prepare our homes and landscapes for spring nesting birds.

Learn more

• Merlin bird ID app
• eBird bird recordkeeping app
• Illinois Extension Pollinator Plant Selector Tool
• National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder
• Cornell BirdLab Right Bird, Right House
• Fall Migration Mini-Sit Birdwatching Event - Cache River Wetlands Natural Area, Cypress IL

Share your own Everyday Observation

Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu

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Before central heating and cooling became a standard feature of many homes, there was a greater emphasis on designing homes and their yards to provide natural climate control. This was accomplished by taking advantage of the heating effects of solar radiation during the winter along with the cooling effects of shade and natural air flows during the summer. As we see more extreme cold and heat events in Illinois and as energy bills continue to rise, it’s a good time to revisit how your landscaping is contributing to your home’s climate control and energy efficiency. Chat with Energy Specialist Andrea Wagner, and Natural Resources Educator Jay Solomon to learn about how we can use landscaping to our advantage to save a few bucks as extreme weather becomes more commonplace.

Resources:

• Energy Website from Illinois Extension
• Selecting Trees to Plant in Illinois
• Under the Canopy Tree guides can be found at your local Illinois Extension office.

Share your own Everyday Observation

Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Check out our Blog
See the Everyday Environment Archives