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  • Bumper crop of mosquitoes, but not West-Nile Virus, yet

    Jun 7, 2011 8:00 am

    According to INHS Medical Entomology Director Ephantus Juma Muturi, despite the large number of mosquitoes out now, the level of West-Nile Virus is still very low. The optimal breeding environment for West-Nile Virus bearing mosquitoes is dry, warmer weather, when the larvae are not washed away by heavy rains.

  • Monarch butterfly

    Butterflies of Illinois field guide is now available from University of Illinois Press

    May 14, 2019 2:15 pm

  • Buying a home in Illinois? You'll need PRI for that.

    Feb 6, 2020 1:00 pm

    For every Illinois home sold, the Prairie Research Institute provides data needed for banks, title companies, insurance companies, and consumers to make informed decisions about home ownership. 

  • corn stalk

    Cahokia's rise parallels onset of corn agriculture

    May 14, 2020 8:45 am

    Corn cultivation spread from Mesoamerica to what is now the American Southwest by about 4000 B.C., but how and when the crop made it to other parts of North America is still a subject of debate. In a new study, scientists report that corn was not grown in the ancient metropolis of Cahokia until sometime between A.D. 900 and 1000, a relatively late date that corresponds to the start of the city’s rapid expansion.

  • Sumatran tiger captured by camera trap

    Camera-trap study captures Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, other rare beasts

    Feb 24, 2020 2:00 pm

    Scientists deployed motion-sensitive camera traps across a 50-square-mile swath of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in southern Sumatra and, over the course of eight years, recorded the haunts and habits of dozens of species, including the Sumatran tiger and other rare and endangered wildlife. Their observations offer insight into how abundant these species are and show how smaller creatures avoid being eaten by tigers and other carnivores.

  • A new study adds to the evidence that apex predators like pumas play a unique role in ecosystems that is not fulfilled by smaller carnivores.

    Camera-trap study provides photographic evidence of pumas' ecological impact

    Jan 23, 2023 10:45 am

    A camera-trap study of two ecosystems – one with pumas and one without – adds to scientists’ understanding of the many ways apex predators influence the abundance, diversity and habits of other animals, including smaller carnivores. The study followed multiple members of the order Carnivora, looking at how the largest carnivore in each locale influenced the behavior and presence of other animals in the same vicinity.

  • Camera trap study reveals the hidden lives of island carnivores

    Dec 21, 2018 11:30 am
  • man at injection well site

    Carbon capture and storage project with ADM concludes

    May 19, 2021 2:15 pm

    On May 19, 2021, ADM and the University of Illinois announced the successful completion of the Illinois Basin - Decatur Project, a carbon capture and storage project designed to evaluate and test the technology at commercial scale.

  • ISTC and ISWS Director Kevin OBrien with University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen at City, Water, Light, and Power in Springfield, Illinois.

    Carbon capture collaborations lead clean energy drive

    Jun 30, 2020 8:00 am

    The Prairie Research Institute — is leading a drive to implement CO2 removal strategies, an essential step to a clean-energy future. 

  • Carp play a role in disseminating plant seeds in the Illinois River

    Feb 28, 2018 10:15 am
  • Google Earth image of the shooting range showing the actual flood extent.

    Case study on flooding highlights usefulness of topographical tool

    Jun 18, 2020 10:45 am

    After a downpour in early June, Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrographer Ryan Meekma compared images from the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), which outlines low-lying areas in Illinois that could flood, with actual flooding at a gun range in Champaign, Illinois, to study the tool’s effectiveness.

  • Casting a net for conservation

    Mar 22, 2017 8:00 am

    Go Behind the Scenes with graduate research assistant Benjamin Williams as he catches ducks and records data along the Wabash River.

  • Cat disease Toxoplasmosis found in muskrats and minks

    Jan 28, 2015 8:00 am

    INHS Graduate student Adam Ahlers led a study on the prevalence of Toxoplasmosis, a disease spread by cats. The researchers found antibodies for Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, in 18 of 30 muskrats and 20 of 26 minks tested for the disease in central Illinois.

  • Cats pass disease to wildlife, even in remote areas

    May 13, 2011 1:00 pm

    INHS Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla and graduate students Shannon Fredebaugh recently published a study that found that even in remote parts of a natural area, cats spread disease to wildlife. Their study, Allerton Park in Monticello, does not have bobcats which strongly suggests feral house cats are responsible for spreading the feline dependent Toxoplasma gondii parasite.  Infection by the parasite causes neurological problems and possible death in humans and other animals. "If one infected cat defecates there, any area can become infected," Fredebaugh said. "It just takes one cat to bring disease to an area."

  • Cave microbe produces compound that inhibits the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome

    Jul 21, 2015 1:00 pm

    A new study from INHS Mycologist Andrew Miller and grad student Daniel Raudabaugh has found that the yeast Candida albicans produces a compound: trans, trans-farnesol, that inhibits growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats.

  • Pinto Bean

    Celebrated squirrel’s legacy lives on for visitors

    Apr 18, 2023 3:00 pm

    Pinto Bean, the beloved piebald squirrel that lived and died on the University of Illinois campus, is back. The squirrel’s taxidermied remains are now on display at the Forbes Natural History Building lobby, where visitors can see its rare gray and white coloration that attracted fans and followers at the university.

  • Central Illinois weather station is upgraded to track air pollution particles

    Jan 17, 2018 2:00 pm

    After 23 years of data collection on atmospheric conditions at the Bondville Environmental and Atmospheric Research Site, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration worked with scientists at the Prairie Research Institute to move the monitoring system to a new temperature-controlled building.

  • 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.

  • Champaign Couunty mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile Virus

    Jul 15, 2009 11:00 am

    Mosquito samples taken during the month of June have tested positive for the West Nile Virus (WNV). The samples were collected and processed by the Illinois Natural History Survey's medical entomology program, headed by Dr. Barry Alto. Interestingly, this is the first positive sample for WNV since October 2007. Since surveillance started this year in May, positive samples for WNV has been found in eight other counties throughout Illinois, including: Adams, Bureau, Cook, DuPage, Knox, LaSalle, Madison and St. Clair counties. The News-Gazette ran an article about the WNV sample in the July 8, 2009 edition. The article was titled, "Champaign mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile."

  • Chance of a White Christmas in Illinois

    Dec 15, 2014 3:45 pm

    It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but will it be white?  A white Christmas is defined as at least an inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. It should come as no surprise that the highest odds are in northern Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Chances of a White Christmas in Illinois This year

    Dec 14, 2012 7:30 pm

    What are the chances of a white Christmas in Illinois this year?  Historically, the highest odds are in northern Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • snowy roadway

    Changing methods for road salt application may ease environmental effects

    Feb 8, 2017 4:30 pm

    Salt crystals on roads and parking lots shimmer in the muted sunlight of an Illinois winter day. Once washed away into rivers and streams, salt contaminates the local environment, according to groundwater geochemist Walt Kelly with the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute (PRI).

  • Tommy McElrath wields a net in Trelease prairie

    Chasing bumble bees on a patch of prairie

    Jul 21, 2020 8:00 am

    Illinois Natural History Survey insect collection manager Tommy McElrath conducts surveillance for bees at the prairie near the University's Trelease Woods. Only 11 of the 18 bumblee bee species historically collected in Illinois have been seen in the last 15 years. Of those remaining here, three are endangered or threatened.

  • Check in with INHS online before heading out to hunt or fish

    Apr 30, 2021 8:30 am

    Whether it’s for hunting or fishing, the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) collects data and provides information and education to support hunters and anglers in exploring Illinois and its many biological resources.

  • Chinese researchers visit INHS field station

    Aug 18, 2009 2:00 pm

    Dr. John Chick, Director of INHS' Great Rivers Field Station, spent the first part of August with Yangtze River researchers. Chick first met the researchers while visiting China last year. The Chinese researchers were particularly interested in learning about the methodology and techniques used in the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program on the Upper Mississippi River. A long-term goal of these exchanges is to have comparable monitoring programs set up on large rivers around the globe, which would provide an excellent opportunity to advance both the scientific understanding and management of large rivers.

    In addition, both Chinese and American researchers at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center were interested in learning about Asian carp habitat. The Asian carp is native China, but invasive in the United States. To read more about this exchange, please read the August 7th article in the Belleville News-Democrat entitled, "Chinese Scientists Studying in Area."

  • a deer

    Chronic wasting disease: hunters' perceptions and attitudes

    Aug 1, 2022 9:45 am

    For Outdoor Illinois Journal, INHS scientists describe what their surveys have revealed about deer hunters'perceptions and attitudes toward the management of chronic wasting disease in Illinois' deer population.

  • Healthy deer. Photo by Susan Post, INHS.

    Chronic wasting disease in Illinois: resources and disease dynamics

    Sep 13, 2017 5:30 pm

    Protecting the deer herd from chronic wasting disease has economical value to the State of Illinois, recreational value to deer hunters, and a health value for CWD-susceptible animals. Currently, there is no treatment or vaccination against CWD. Management based on removal of infected deer in areas where disease is present is the only known strategy to control the spread of CWD.

  • Citizen scientist mussel survey finds 14 species

    Oct 1, 2012 8:00 am

    INHS Field Biologist Sarah Bales accompanied a group to survey mussels at Lake of the Woods. The group of citizen scientists found 314 individual mussels of 14 native and one introduced species. According to Bales, only one species that was previously found there was not found by this group, and that species is rare. She also said that the range of sizes found indicates the mussels are reproducing and that the habitat had not been degraded significantly.

  • fox in snow

    'Citizen scientists' help track foxes, coyotes in urban areas

    Jun 4, 2019 12:45 pm

    As foxes and coyotes adapt to urban landscapes, the potential for encounters with humans necessarily goes up. A team of scientists is taking advantage of this fact to enlist the eyeballs and fingertips of humans – getting them to report online what they see in their own neighborhoods and parks.

  • Citizen scientists invited to participate in bioblitz

    May 25, 2015 8:00 am

    INHS scientists will be participating in a Bioblitz organized by The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) at Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin and Hopper Lakes in Putnam County on June 13-14. Citizen scientists are invited to help document all of the flora, fauna, and fungi of the area over the course of 24 hours.

  • Chicago skyline

    Climate studies focus on a new priority: urban areas

    Jul 15, 2021 1:15 pm

    Climate change affects cities, and cities affect the climate. Urban areas are hotspots for heat waves, flooding, and air pollution that ultimately affect human health and welfare. Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) study the relationship between cities and climate to determine ways to make cities more resilient to these challenges.

  • Climatologist compares rainfall from Hurricane Harvey with Chicago storms

    Sep 25, 2017 2:15 pm

    What would happen if the rain from Hurricane Harvey that fell in Houston, Texas, hit Chicago? The result would be unlike any rainstorm that Chicago has ever seen, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel.

  • Corn stalks in summer

    Climatologist: Vegetation plays a role in developing flash droughts

    Apr 22, 2021 1:30 pm

    Farmland vegetation and grasses can affect both the frequency and extent of flash droughts, say scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), who hope to better understand the phenomenon and improve early warnings.

  • Cold, dry December ends a warm year in Illinois

    Jan 4, 2017 4:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature for December was 28.6 degrees, 1.3 degrees below normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Coldest July on Record for Illinois

    Aug 3, 2009 11:15 am

    Based on preliminary data for Illinois, the statewide average temperature for July was 70.4 degrees, 5.3 degrees below normal. This ranks as the coldest July in the statewide records and a degree colder than the previous record set in 1924 (71.5 degrees), according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

  • 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 

  • Cold January for Illinois

    Feb 3, 2014 4:15 pm

    January 2014 was the eighth coldest January on record for Illinois. The statewide average temperature was 18.2 degrees, 8.1 degrees below the 1981-2010 average of 26.3 degrees, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • light frost on fall leaves

    Cold November brings an end to meteorological autumn

    Dec 2, 2019 3:45 pm

    November temperatures were well below the long-term average across the state, breaking hundreds of local daily records. The preliminary statewide November average temperature was 35.6 degrees, about 7 degrees below our 30-year normal and tied for the ninth coldest on record.

  • Cold, Snowy March for Illinois

    Apr 2, 2015 3:00 pm

    The statewide average temperature for March was 38.2 degrees, 3.1 degrees below average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Coming back strong: Illinois Bald Eagle populations on the rise

    Feb 7, 2012 8:00 am

    Bald Eagle populations in Illinois are on the rise. In 1980, Bald Eagles were found breeding only in extreme Southern Illinois, but in surveys during 2008, nesting pairs were found in 67 Illinois counties. Part of the increase is attributed to the ban of DDT in 1972, but according to INHS Ornithologist Mike Ward, that was just the beginning. Environmental regulations have led to cleaner waterways (enabling eagles to more easily catch fish) and eagles have become more comfortable around humans. Being able to be near people gives them a lot more places to breed in Illinois, Ward said.

  • well water

    Coming soon: new hotline, website, and maps on private wells

    Nov 27, 2023 11:15 am

    A new hotline, website, and other resources will soon be available through the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) for private well and septic system owners and the water professionals that serve them. 

  • Conservation efforts help some rare birds more than others, study finds

    Jan 23, 2019 9:30 am

  • Conservation efforts work to improve migratory bird habitat

    Jun 6, 2011 12:00 pm

    INHS Ornithologist TJ Benson was quoted in a Chicago Tribune article about migratory birds and bird habitat restoration projects in the Chicagoland area. Benson says that there has been a decrease in shrub land birds over the past century and that studies are currently being done with miniature video cameras to document predation on these birds.

  • Contaminated sediments affecting wetland mice

    Feb 21, 2008 12:00 am

    Jeff Levengood and Ed Heske recently published an article entitled "Heavy metal exposure, reproductive activity, and demographic patterns in white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) inhabiting a contaminated floodplain wetland" in Volume 389, Issues 2-3 of Science of the Total Environment.The article discusses the effects of using contaminated sediments from Lake DePue, Illinois to create a wetland that is home to white-footed mice. View the Science of the Total Environment article at ScienceDirect. Accessible through subscription only.

  • Cool, Dry August for Illinois

    Sep 3, 2008 12:30 am

    August statewide precipitation was below normal, ending an eight-month streak of above-normal precipitation in Illinois that began in December 2007, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

  • Cool, Dry November Finishes with First Major Snow of the Season

    Dec 3, 2008 8:15 pm

    November in Illinois was both cooler and drier than normal. However, a low-pressure system at the end of the month brought the first significant snowfall of the season across northern and central Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Cooler soil temperatures in mid-April

    Apr 18, 2018 8:45 am

  • Cooler than Normal July Prevails

    Aug 3, 2007 7:45 pm

    "Statewide July temperatures averaged 73.5°F, 2.3°F below normal, and the 20th coolest July since 1895. While we had some hot days, Illinois generally managed to avoid the heat wave experienced out West during July," says State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

  • Cooler, Wetter Soils in Mid-May

    May 16, 2016 7:00 pm

    Soils were wetter and cooler than average over most of Illinois in mid-May, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Cool fall temperatures continued in October

    Nov 3, 2020 1:00 pm

    October was much cooler than average across Illinois, 2.6 degrees below the 30-year normal for the month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. The preliminary statewide average October temperature was 51.8 degrees.