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  • A Snowy Christmas in Illinois is Rare

    Dec 14, 2009 1:45 am

    Every year in December, weather forecasters are asked the age-old question:  Will we have a white Christmas this year? An analysis of Illinois' history shows the chances are slim, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • INHS contributes to 70th annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference

    Dec 18, 2009 2:45 pm

    The 70th annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference was held in Springfield, IL during the first part of December 2009. Several INHS researchers, such as Dr. Steve Havera, Dr. John Epifanio and affiliate Dr. Jeff Brawn. The co-chair of the conference was Dr. Epifano, who said that more than 650 people were in attendance. Of those in attendance, 240 were students who had the option of attending any of the four sessions offered on networking, working in groups or mentoring.

  • Illinois Has Fourth Wettest Year on Record

    Jan 5, 2010 1:45 am

    Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average precipitation for 2009 was 50.3 inches, 11 inches above normal. This was the fourth wettest year on record for the state based on data going back to 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey

  • Miscanthus, a biofuels crop, can host western corn rootworm

    Jan 19, 2010 1:45 pm

    Dr. Joe Spencer, INHS Insect Behaviorist, and Sathyamurthy Raghu, INHS Affiliate, recently published a paper in PLos ONE. This paper is the first to identify Miscanthus, which is a crop that can be used for biofuels, as a host to corn rootworm. Corn rootworm is estimated to be a billion dollar yearly problem to the United States’ corn industry as the as the corn rootworm damages the plant's roots and leads to a significantly decreased yield.

  • Could Asian carp be competing for food with eagles?

    Feb 1, 2010 2:30 pm

    INHS Scientists Dr. Gregg Sass and Dr. John Chick were interviewed by Chris Young for an article that questions the cause of the decline of the Bald eagle, and other birds, at the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. One of the possible contributors to the decline may be due to the presence of Asian carp.

  • New Nanosensor Detects Leaky Water Pipes

    Feb 26, 2010 1:45 am

    Combining the latest nanotechnology with hydraulics may yield a promising solution to the costly problem of leaking water pipes in community public water systems, according to Yu-Feng Lin, a hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Cold February Wraps Up Cold Winter

    Mar 3, 2010 1:45 am

    Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average temperature for February was 25.1 degrees, 5.1 degrees below normal. Snowfall for February was above normal. Amounts ranged from 6 inches in southern Illinois to over 18 inches in the Quad Cities and Chicago areas, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey 

  • The Biology of Small Mammals published

    Mar 4, 2010 5:30 pm

    Dr. Joseph F. Merritt, INHS Mammalogist, is the author of The Biology of Small Mammals, published by the Johns Hopkins University Press. The book covers  small mammals, which are defined as weighing 11 pounds and under. The book, 336 pages long, also includes black and white photographs and illustrations. It can be ordered from amazon.com.

  • On the hunt for first flower of spring

    Mar 5, 2010 11:45 am

    Environmental Almanac, written by Rob Kanter, describes searching for skunk cabbage. Kanter, along with INHS Wetland Plant Ecologist Rick Larimore, headed out to the Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area in Vermilion County to see this "first flower" of spring. Kanter and Larimore were successful in their quest to find skunk cabbage. Skunk cabbage is able to bloom so early in the year because it generates enough heat to grow in the frozen ground. It gets it's name from the rotting flesh smell it exudes to attract ground pollinating insects. 

  • Study Provides New Insight on Fog Formation in the Midwest

    Mar 16, 2010 1:45 am

    For decades researchers have postulated that fog typically forms in the early morning hours following a calm, clear night. But a new study shows that a higher percentage of fog incidences–at least in the Midwest–occur under overcast skies when rain has fallen overnight.

    Dense fog forming in conditions that are not well understood increases the difficulty of forecasting fog accurately, according to Nancy Westcott, climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Fog is a safety hazard for ground and air travelers and can be particularly costly when air traffic is delayed.

  • Preserving nature through art

    Mar 19, 2010 2:00 pm

    Smile Politely has an excellent article discussing the visiting art exhibit, "Nature Sketches by Gladys and Ruth Dudley", currently on display at the Forbes Natural History Building. In the article, INHS biological control specialist Sue Post discusses what makes the sketches in the collection so fascinating. The exhibit will be on display through the spring. No special arrangements or fees are needed to view the sketches, which on on display in the first-floor North West hallway.

  • March Was Warmer and Drier than Normal

    Apr 6, 2010 1:45 am

    Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average temperature for March was 43.6 degrees, 2.5 degrees above normal. This ends a three-month streak of colder than normal temperatures that occurred this winter, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Soil Moisture and Temperatures Dictate Spring Planting Dates

    Apr 8, 2010 1:45 am

    Once springtime arrives, Illinois crop producers begin watching and waiting for optimal soil moisture and temperatures to kick off the 2010 planting season.  Soil moisture at the end of March was above average over much of Illinois, according to Bob Scott, meteorologist of the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Saving the Illinois cave amphipod

    Apr 21, 2010 4:30 pm

    Dr. Steve Taylor, INHS macroinvertebrate biologist, was interviewed for an article in the online magazine Smile Politely. The article discusses the habitat, range and human impacts that eventually placed the Illinois Cave Amphipod on the Endangered Species list in 1998.

  • Illinois State Water Survey to Inventory Private Wells in McLean and Tazewell Counties – Well Owners Asked to Help

    May 1, 2010 1:15 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is set to conduct an inventory of private wells in the rural areas surrounding Armington, Congerville, Danvers, Deer Creek, Goodfield, Hopedale, Mackinaw, McLean, Minier, Morton, and Stanford to determine water levels, pump settings, and well depths for all local wells.

  • Warmest April on Record for Illinois

    May 3, 2010 1:15 am

    Based on preliminary data, the statewide average temperature for Illinois in April was 58.4 degrees, 6.2 degrees above normal and the warmest April on record. This beats the old record of 58.2 degrees set in 1955, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Fourth Warmest Spring in Illinois

    Jun 11, 2010 1:15 am

    Based on preliminary data, the statewide average temperature for spring in Illinois was 55.3 degrees, 3.3 degrees above normal and the fourth warmest spring on record. Warmer than normal conditions prevailed in all three spring months of March (2.5 degrees above), April (6.2 degrees above), and May (1.3 degrees above), according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Attack of the Flying Fish

    Jun 24, 2010 2:00 pm

    The Illinois Times talks to Kevin Irons, INHS LTRMP Fish Specialist, about sampling for Asian carp. Irons catalogs some of the things that he does to make sampling on the Illinois River safe.

  • Dr. Heads blogs as part of UK National Insect Week

    Jun 25, 2010 8:00 am

    The Illinois Natural History Survey's insect systematist, Dr. Sam Heads, has been asked by the Royal Entomological Society to keep a blog as part of the UK National Insect Week. This is an outreach project aimed at raising the profile of entomology.

  • Second Wettest June on Record for Illinois

    Jul 1, 2010 1:15 am

    Illinois has experienced the second wettest June on record, based on preliminary data. The statewide average precipitation for June was 7.8 inches, 3.7 inches above normal, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • ISWS Climate Models Predict Extreme Heat Waves in Mid-and Late-21st Century

    Jul 13, 2010 1:15 am

    Heat waves that we have experienced recently will likely pale in comparison to what’s ahead in 50 years if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, according to Xin-Zhong Liang, Ph.D., Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) atmospheric scientist at the University of Illinois and assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

  • Getting the scoop on Illinois mussels

    Aug 5, 2010 3:30 pm

    Rob Kanter, who writes Environmental Almanac spent the day with INHS field biologists as they both looked for, and relocated, some Illinois mussels. Kanter's article also discusses sampling techniques and the life-cycle of this animal. 

  • July–Warmer and Wetter than Normal for Illinois

    Aug 8, 2010 1:00 am

    The statewide average temperature for Illinois in July was 77.7 degrees, 1.9 degrees above normal. While it was warm and uncomfortably humid, it was only the 19th warmest July on record, tied with 1986 and 1952, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Loss of our colleague Arlo Raim

    Aug 24, 2010 9:00 am

    We are very sad to confirm that early Friday, August 20, 2010 our colleague Arlo Raim was killed in an accident while working in DuPage County. Arlo worked for the Illinois Natural History Survey in various scientific and technical capacities since 1975.

  • Summer - One of the Warmest and Wettest on Record

    Sep 2, 2010 1:00 am

    This summer was one of the warmest and wettest on record, based on preliminary data. The statewide average temperature for summer (June–August) in Illinois was 76.4 degrees, 2.7 degrees above normal and the seventh warmest summer on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Asian carp still doing well

    Sep 7, 2010 9:00 am

    Thad Cook, of the Illinois River Biological Station, took an impressive photo of carp that appeared in a web log of the Peoria Journal Star.

  • Champaign County confirms West Nile in samples

    Sep 10, 2010 1:00 pm

    Richard Lampman, an INHS entomologist, was interviewed by the Daily Illini about West Nile's appearance in Champaign County. Lampman said that this summer's hot, dry weather was perfect for the spread of mosquitoes.

  • Illinois State Water Survey and U of I Extension Team up to Reduce Flood Risk

    Sep 15, 2010 1:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and the University of Illinois (U of I) Extension are teaming up to help Illinois communities better understand and reduce their flood risk.

  • Illinois Natural Areas Inventory probes health of state's habitats

    Oct 5, 2010 8:00 am

    The update of the 1978 Illinois Natural Areas Inventory was highlighted in an article in the Kankakee Daily Journal. INHS regional ecologist Connie Cunningham has been inventorying sites in Kankakee, Iroquois and 23 other counties across Illinois, documenting changes and identifying area in need of protection.

  • September Experienced Near Normal Temperatures

    Oct 7, 2010 12:00 am

    Illinois experienced temperatures close to normal for September. The statewide average temperature was 66.8 degrees, just 0.6 degrees above normal, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Kevin Johnson and colleagues find Passenger Pigeon a place in the family tree

    Oct 7, 2010 10:30 am

    INHS Ornithologist Kevin Johnson and his colleagues published a paper on the phylogenetics of the extinct Passenger Pigeon. They found that its closest living relative is not the mourning dove, but actually other large pigeons found in Central and South America, but even those are distant relatives. “The passenger pigeon is in a monotypic genus, which means there is only one species in that genus: Ectopistes migratorius,” [Johnson] said. “This bird is pretty diverged from its nearest relatives, meaning it had a unique place in the world. It represented a unique lineage that’s now gone.” For more information, read the press release or an article published by Science 2.0.

  • Short-Term Weather Lore Holds a Kernel of Truth

    Oct 25, 2010 12:00 am

    Before the Internet, The Weather Channel, and NOAA radios, our ancestors relied on nature to tell its tale of upcoming weather. Moss growing on the south side of trees and squirrels hiding their nuts deep underground were thought to foretell a severe winter ahead.

    Some natural prognostications like these are grounded in truth, given our current knowledge of meteorology, but others are purely fiction, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Mike Ward to give program in Ringwood, Tuesday Nov. 2

    Nov 1, 2010 10:00 am

    INHS Ornithologist Mike Ward will be presenting on his work studying the birds of Illinois and talk about the trends in bird populations they have found. The program will be at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park Conservation Area, Rt 31 and Harts in Ringwood. The new book, Illinois Birds: A Century of Change, will be available soon!

  • Emerald ash borer quarantine area expanded

    Nov 2, 2010 2:30 pm

    The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey program posted that Champaign and Vermilion Counties have been added to the Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Area.

  • October Was Warm and Dry in Illinois

    Nov 3, 2010 12:00 am

    The statewide average rainfall for October was 1.4 inches, 1.5 inches below normal. This ranks as the 20th driest October on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Is there enough food in the Great Lakes to support Asian Carp?

    Nov 3, 2010 9:00 am

    In a press release issued by Illinois Indiana SeaGrant, INHS Aquatic Ecologists Walter Hill and Sandra Cooke suggest that due to other invasive species in the Great Lakes, Asian Carp may not find enough food to thrive. However, Hill does not see their results as a reason to relent on efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. "Given the potential consequences to Great Lakes ecosystems if these filter feeders do prove capable of establishing reproducing populations, efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes must not be lessened." Another story discusses some of the methods being used to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes, including an experiment being led by Blake Ruebush and Greg Sass on a Sound-Bubble-Strobe-Light-Barrier.

  • November Snow Climatology for the Midwest

    Nov 4, 2010 12:45 am

    In the Midwest, November is typically the first month of the cold season when measureable snowfall occurs over a majority of the region, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).  However, it is not uncommon for northern portions of the Midwest to experience their first snowfall in October.

  • October Solar Radiation in Illinois: Record High in 2010, Record Low Last Year

    Nov 10, 2010 12:45 am

    Did it seem to you that the weather in October was quite a bit sunnier than in Octobers of the past? Do you remember last October as being rather cloudy?

    If these are your impressions, you are correct, according to Bob Scott, Director of the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program at the Illinois State Water Survey. Scott operates an array of weather sites across the state called the Illinois Climate Network, and one of the sensors on the stations measures solar radiation.

  • INHS macro-invertebratologist Steve Taylor illuminates the unique world of caves

    Dec 2, 2010 2:45 pm

    INHS Macro-Invertebrate Scientist and cave maggot namesake, Steve Taylor was featured in an article from the Illinois News Bureau. Read about his "more than two decades plumbing the mysteries of cave life," in articles by the U of I News Bureau and Physorg.com.

  • Warm November in Illinois

    Dec 3, 2010 12:30 am

    The statewide average rainfall for October was 1.4 inches, 1.5 inches below normal. This ranks as the 20th driest October on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • December 2010 in Illinois–Cold and Snowy

    Jan 3, 2011 12:30 am

    The statewide average temperature for December was 24.0 degrees, which is 5.8 degrees below normal. This ranks as the 12th coldest December on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Illinois Birds: A Century of Change applauded by USFWS and IDNR

    Jan 4, 2011 8:00 am

    The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources put out a press release praising the most recent INHS Special Publication. “This book demonstrates the importance of investing in long-term research to provide the information needed by natural resource managers to make wise, science-based resource management decisions.  It also emphasizes the importance of public-private, and state-federal partnerships in responding to landscape scale natural resource challenges,” said Marc Miller, Director of the Illinois DNR. “The long term data collected by these surveys provides the information necessary to evaluate changing bird distributions,” said Tom Melius, Midwest Regional Director of the Service. "Illinois Birds: A Century of Change is a benchmark in bird research that will inform current and future bird conservation priorities, and serve as a model for bird research across the United States.” The book was also reviewed in the Rockford Register Star, the BirdBooker Report and the Herald Review.

  • INHS ornithologists participate in Christmas Bird Count

    Jan 4, 2011 8:15 am

    Les Winkeler, the outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan, accompanied Jeff Hoover, Dave Thomas and Matt McKim-Louder on the Cypress Creek Christmas Bird Count. With 64 species identified by their team, Jeff Hoover said, "This is the birdiest Christmas bird count I can ever remember." Winkeler also wrote a side piece about his adventure with the three INHS ornithologists, likening it to "playing in a foursome with Tiger, Jack and Arnie. It's like taking batting practice with George Brett, Rod Carew and Ichiro Suzuki."

  • INHS astacologist Christopher Taylor discovers new species of crayfish

    Jan 21, 2011 8:00 am

    A recent UI News Bureau release reported on the discovery of a new species of crayfish by INHS astacologist Chris Taylor. The new crayfish belongs to the genus Barbicambarus, which in addition to being big is very distinctive. Most notably, Barbicambarus have unusual bearded antennae; the antennae are covered with a luxurious fringe of tiny, hair-like bristles, called setae, which enhance their sensory function. The article has been picked up by Reuters and has spread to news sites everywhere including New Scientist, Discovery News, Yahoo News, Christian Science Monitor, Eureka, and Science Blog.

  • Biology of Small Mammals, by INHS mammalogist Joe Merritt selected as an "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2010

    Jan 25, 2011 4:30 pm

    The Biology of Small Mammals, by INHS mammalogist Joe Merritt was selected by Choice Reviews as one of the "Outstanding Academic Titles" of 2010. It was one of 10 books selected for the list from the Zoology category.  Choice Reviews is a publication of the American Library Association.

  • Lake Effect Adds a Punch to the Latest Snowstorm

    Feb 3, 2011 12:30 am

    Conditions earlier this week were exactly right for Lake Michigan to help the latest intense snowstorm drop up to 2 feet of snow in the Chicago area, according to David Kristovich, head of the Center for Atmospheric Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • ISWS Scientist Honored for Contribution to Meteorological Sciences

    Feb 7, 2011 12:30 am

    The American Meteorological Society at its Annual Conference in Seattle during January 24–27, 2011 awarded the distinction of Honorary Member to Stanley A. Changnon, a scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Tenth Wettest February on Record for Illinois

    Mar 7, 2011 12:30 am

    The statewide average precipitation in Illinois for February was 3.39 inches, 1.46 inches above normal. This ranks as the tenth wettest February since statewide records began in 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Illinois Natural Areas Inventory discovers new natural areas

    Mar 14, 2011 2:30 pm

    Illinois Natural History Survey scientists have spent the past three years evaluating thousands of sites across Illinois to assess their quality. Biologists have discovered approximately 185 more of these "beautiful little gems," as Randy Nyboer calls them, which were missed during the original inventory in 1978. The Inventory is used by the Nature Preserves Commission to determine protection and management of our remaining natural areas.

  • INHS botanists reconstruct 226 year history of fire in Southern Illinois

    Mar 14, 2011 4:45 pm

    By looking at the scars in the growth rings of 36 old-growth post oak trees, INHS botanist Greg Spyreas, affiliate John Ebinger and Illinois State Museum botanist William McClain found that there had been more than 100 fires in Southern Illinois between the 1770s and 1996. This repeated burning stabilized prairies and kept the woodlands open until the mid-1800s when fires appear to have been suppressed by the settlers in the area for a 30 year period. Fire suppression altered the plant community by allowing fast-growing, shade-loving species to survive. The study was published in the journal Castanea. Read news coverage of the story by the Science Blog, Science Codex, and Earth Times.