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  • Snowy Owls invade Illinois

    Jan 17, 2012 8:00 am

    This winter, Snowy Owls have been sighted in Illinois almost daily. According to INHS Ornithologist Steve Bailey, "It's probably the biggest Snowy Owl invasion in years." He explains that this year's high lemming population led to an increase in young snowy owls. Bailey asks bird watchers to be responsible and keep their distance. Flushing an owl causes them to expend a great deal of energy and these birds have already migrated up to 1,000 miles. And as for those fabulous photographs of a snowy owl approaching the camera with talons outstretched? Those are often staged by photographers baiting the owls with captive raised mice. Bailey reminds bird watchers to "keep the bird's welfare in mind," and not lure the owls towards dangerous roadways with store bought mice that may harbor diseases.

  • Rendleman Orchards worker loads boxes onto a truck for delivery to a food bank (photo credit: Zach Samaras)

    TAP project helps Rendleman Orchard get surplus fruit to food banks

    Jan 21, 2022 10:45 am

    Through a grant from USDA, ISTC and Feeding Illinois partnered with Rendleman Orchards during the 2021 growing season to ensure no fruit went to waste. 

  • Microplastic contamination found in common source of groundwater, researchers report

    Jan 25, 2019 1:30 pm

  • Cultivating Innovation: The Intersection of Geography, Climate, and Agricultural Research in Illinois

    Jan 31, 2024 8:45 am

    Since its inception in 2008, the Prairie Research Institute has conducted long-term monitoring of Illinois’ water, soil, and climate. These data, including growing and pest degree days, soil temperature and moisture, water table levels, and in-stream sediment, are used every day by thousands of Illinoisans and by the state’s agriculture, renewable energy, and construction industries.

  • Propelling Innovation: PRI and Illinois’ Industrial Evolution

    Jan 31, 2024 9:15 am

    The Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), part of the Prairie Research Institute, plays a vital role in researching and analyzing Illinois’ mineral resources, including coal, fluorite, lead, limestone, and sand and gravel. Their work has been instrumental in mapping reserves, guiding sustainable mining practices, and informing policy decisions.

  • snow and frost on tree branches

    A warm start to January, followed by snow and record-breaking cold

    Feb 1, 2019 2:15 pm

    January 2019 will be a month remembered by an unseasonably warm start, followed by a torrent of winter storms, and ending with a monumental Arctic air outbreak that shattered many record-cold temperatures across the state.

  • Warmer January temperatures nearly broke records

    Feb 1, 2023 5:00 pm

    Illinois temperatures were above normal in January, preliminarily ranking the month as the sixth warmest on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Six new rattlesnake species in Western United States

    Feb 9, 2016 8:00 am

    In a recently published paper, INHS Conservation Geneticist Mark Davis and colleagues recommended elevating several rattlesnake subspecies to full species status. The team collected data from 3000 individuals, measuring physical characteristics and analyzing genetic samples.

  • Sewage lagoons remove most - but not all - pharmaceuticals

    Feb 14, 2013 9:00 am

  • Soil Temperatures in Illinois Normal So Far This Winter

    Feb 20, 2015 3:15 pm

    Soil temperatures across the state have been near normal on average so far this winter, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Few Chicagoland wetlands left without non-native species, study finds

    Feb 23, 2018 12:30 pm

    The wetlands in and around Chicago are overwhelmingly invaded by non-native plants, according to a new study by University of Illinois researchers. The study, which pulls together species occurrence data from over 2,000 wetlands in the urban region, is the first to describe wetland invasion patterns on such a large scale in the Chicagoland area.

  • White Nose Syndrome confirmed in Illinois

    Feb 28, 2013 8:00 am

    INHS researchers and their collaborators have confirmed the presence of White Nose Syndrome (WNS)—a disease fatal to several of our bat species—in Illinois. Read more about WNS and the work INHS researchers are doing to understand the disease on the INHS website.

  • Illinois town provides a historical foundation for today's bee research

    Mar 1, 2013 9:00 am

  • Mild February wraps up a weak winter

    Mar 2, 2023 4:45 pm

    February in Illinois was particularly mild, ending a winter season that was 2 to 6 degrees above normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. February also brought wetter weather to the state.

  • Snowy, Wet February, 9th Coldest on Record

    Mar 5, 2007 8:30 pm

    "Old Man Winter weather arrived in full force across much of Illinois in February, the 9th coldest on record since 1895, with a statewide temperature of 21.9°F, 8.9°F below normal, based on preliminary data. Snowfall generally was 2–6 inches (southern Illinois), 6–25 inches (central Illinois), and 12–25 inches (northern Illinois). Heaviest amounts occurred in east-central Illinois, with Sidell (Champaign County) reporting 27.5 inches, the most for any Illinois station.

  • 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. 

  • Greater Prairie Chickens can't endure without human help

    Mar 6, 2017 2:30 pm

    Researchers at the Illinois Natural History Survey report that the greater prairie chicken cannot persist in Illinois without help.

  • helicopter to do HTEM measurements

    Beneath the Surface: Charting the Mahomet Aquifer for Water Security

    Mar 6, 2024 7:15 am

    Cutting-edge investigations will result in the most accurate maps of the Mahomet Aquifer to date

  • Warmer Soil Temperatures Continue Into February and March

    Mar 11, 2012 8:00 pm

     Soil temperatures continued to rise across Illinois in February and March, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Rising temperatures could benefit the Snapping Turtle

    Mar 13, 2018 4:30 pm

    The size and quantity of eggs produced by the Common Snapping Turtle may vary with fall and spring temperatures, according to a new study by Earlham College and INHS researchers.

  • INRS Naturally Illinois Expo attracts thousands

    Mar 14, 2011 6:00 pm

    The Naturally Illinois Expo, held March 11th and 12th, was attended by a record 1700 students from 22 Illinois schools on Friday. On Saturday, many of these students returned to share the Expo with their families. There were 54 exhibits from the 5 surveys. INHS scientists provided exhibits on plants, backyard insects, fossil insects, turtles, mammals, birds, aquatic pollutants, mosquitoes and their diseases, crayfish, fish, mussels and exotic invasive species. Other favorites included Kids' Fossil Dig, Archaeological Dig, Weather on Your Birthday and Biofuels.

  • Two hands joining puzzle pieces

    ISTC TAP offers free sustainability training for Illinois manufacturers

    Mar 15, 2023 3:30 pm

    ISTC TAP recently launched an innovative training program focused on increasing the competitiveness of Illinois manufacturers by reducing environmental impacts and costs. The project is funded by a grant from U.S. EPA. 

  • Be Prepared for Natural Disasters to Keep Well Water Safe and Clean

    Mar 28, 2013 2:45 am

    Floods, droughts, and power outages can affect the safety of water supplies in private wells.  Being prepared for the unexpected may minimize the damage, according to Steve Wilson, hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • New lecture series named for renowned aquatic biologist

    Mar 29, 2017 8:00 am

    In recognition of James Karr's contributions to aquatic biology and environmental management, a new James R. Karr Lecture in Aquatic Biology will kick off on Friday, April 14 with an inaugural address from its namesake.

  • March 2012 Was the Warmest March on Record for Illinois

    Apr 3, 2012 8:00 pm

    The statewide average temperature for March was 54.9 degrees, 13.8 degrees above normal, making March 2012 a record-setting month, 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.

  • Illinois team tackles mysterious disease afflicting wild and captive snakes

    Apr 12, 2017 8:00 am

    Researchers in the Illinois Natural History Survey are investigating every aspect of snake fungal disease, hoping to find a treatment.

  • Morels in Illinois: first steps on the path to a new obsession

    Apr 13, 2012 8:00 am

    Hunting for morels is a popular spring pastime for many. INHS Mycologist Andy Miller was consulted by Rob Kanter for an Environmental Almanac piece and revealed that there are at least 26 separate species of black morels and 16 species of yellow morel. Not mentioning specific locations, Andy gave tips to would-be hunters on where to look, such as moist areas near dead elm trees or living ash trees. Borrowing Rob Kanter's words of warning: Deadly poisonous mushrooms occur along with nonpoisonous ones throughout Illinois. Neither this article nor the accompanying photo is intended to enable beginners to distinguish between them.

  • Praveen Kumar

    PRI executive director Praveen Kumar elected as 2023 AAAS Fellow

    Apr 18, 2024 10:15 am

    Seven University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professors have been elected 2023 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are among the 502 scientists, engineers and innovators recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements by the world’s largest general scientific society.  

  • Record-Setting Rainfall in April for Illinois

    Apr 29, 2011 12:15 am

    The statewide average rainfall for Illinois in April was 7.45 inches, nearly double the average rainfall of 3.83 inches for the month. This exceeds the old record of 7.13 inches set in 1957, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Emerald Ash Borer adults emerging

    May 8, 2012 8:30 am

    According to Illinois CAPS Coordinator Kelly Estes, "Recent reports indicate that emerald ash borer adults have begun emerging in several areas of the state. Over the past two weeks we have been notified of adults in central Illinois in the Bloomington-Normal area as well as recent reports from NE Illinois in the Chicago area." For more information and resources on Emerald Ash Borer Beetles, visit the Illinois CAPS Blog and the Illinois Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Website.

  • Periodical cicadas possibly to emerge in southern Illinois this year

    May 15, 2015 8:00 am

    INHS Entomologist Chris Dietrich was interviewed about the emergence of 13 and 17 year cicadas this spring in southern Illinois. It is uncertain how abundant they will be, as “the cicadas require forest habitats, so they are not found out in open areas or areas that have been paved, or where the trees have been removed, so they’re really going to be restricted to areas where there is natural forest.”

  • Increased risk of drought conditions in Illinois

    May 23, 2023 8:00 am

    Weather conditions have been dry in the past four to six weeks in parts of northeastern, western, and central Illinois. Forecasts for the next 7 to 10 days show very dry weather and above normal temperatures, which will likely worsen already dry conditions in the state and potentially cause rapid-onset drought conditions in some areas.

  • May brought spring and a taste of summer to Illinois

    Jun 2, 2022 11:00 am

    Illinois temperatures in May varied from periods of below average to periods of far above average, breaking records across the state, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. Rainfall was slightly below normal in May statewide.

  • 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.

  • Team determines how estrogens persist in dairy farm wastewater

    Jun 5, 2012 9:00 am

  • 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.

  • Pat Charlebois honored as Professional of the Year by Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month Committee

    Jun 9, 2014 8:00 am

    INHS Lake Michigan Biological Station's Aquatic Invasive Species oordinator, Pat Charlebois, was honored as Professional of the Year by the Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month Committee.

  • Biomedical breakthrough: Carbon nanoparticles you can make at home

    Jun 18, 2015 1:30 pm
  • Leellen Solter and Sam Heads

    Ancient katydid fossil reveals muscles, digestive tract, glands and a testicle

    Jun 26, 2023 1:45 pm

    Fifty million years ago in what is now northwestern Colorado, a katydid died, sank to the bottom of a lake and was quickly buried in fine sediments, where it remained until its compressed fossil was recovered in recent years. When researchers examined the fossil under a microscope, they saw that not only had many of the insect’s hard structures been preserved in the compressed shale, so had several internal organs and tissues, which are not normally fossilized. 

  • U. of I. to receive Energy Frontier Research Center awards

    Jul 3, 2014 1:45 pm

  • Osprey being brought back to Illinois

    Jul 12, 2013 8:00 am

    INHS Ornithologist Tara Beveroth is assisting the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as they work to restore osprey populations in Illinois. Five nestling osprey were brought from Langley Airforce Base in Virginia to the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur, where they were given health assessments, fed, measured, and banded. This it the first of a series of osprey translocations over the next ten years.

  • Scientists gear up to fight deadly snake fungal disease

    Jul 15, 2015 1:45 pm

  • INHS researchers collaborate with U of I Vet Med to detect fungus in snakes

    Jul 16, 2014 8:00 am

    INHS Research Affiliate Matt Allender (a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine) has developed a way to detect the presence of a deadly fungus with less impact on the infected snake. INHS Mycologist Andrew Miller and his graduate student Dan Raudabaugh are working to understand the fungus itself. This work is being done in conjunction with the long-term INHS research project on the critically endangered Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. INHS Herpetologists Chris Phillips and Mike Dreslik have been studying the ecology of the snakes for over 15 years.

  • Yeast byproduct inhibits white-nose syndrome fungus in lab experiments

    Jul 21, 2015 10:00 am

  • It's a Tie for the Coolest July on Record in Illinois

    Aug 1, 2014 3:00 pm

    The statewide average temperature for July was 70.3 degrees in Illinois, which ties the record for the coolest July set back in 2009, according to the Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • West Nile found in Champaign county mosquitoes

    Aug 15, 2011 8:00 am

    INHS Medical Entomology Program confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus in a mosquito sample from the Champaign Department of Public Health. Champaign is the 12th county to have positive mosquito samples this year. No human cases have been reported yet this year, but the CDPH recommends dumping standing water and taking general precautions.

  • Heavy rains wash away mosquito larvae, but mosquitoes repopulate standing waters

    Aug 16, 2011 8:00 am

    Entomologist Rich Lampman was interviewed by Chicago's CBS affiliate WBBM about mosquitoes.  According to Lampman heavy rains in northern Illinois in July may have flushed out larvae in standing water. Unfortunately, any puddles left over will be colonized by new mosquitoes. Dumping standing water every couple of days can help keep mosquito numbers down.

  • snake

    Snake fungal disease alters skin microbiome in eastern massasaugas

    Aug 16, 2018 3:30 pm

    In the first study of its kind, researchers characterized the skin microbiome of a population of free-ranging snakes to begin to understand how the animals’ environmental microbial community may promote disease resistance as well as how it may be disrupted by infection.

  • Baseline mussel survey finds only one female Fatmucket

    Aug 18, 2015 8:00 am

    INHS Aquatic Biologist Jeremy Tiemann led a team in a baseline survey of mussels in Crystal Lake Park, finding only a female Fatmucket. The team will return in 5-10 years to see if the planned installation of in-stream riffles improves the habitat and changes the mussel population.