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University of Illinois Extension
@extension.illinois.edu
260 followers 77 following 150 posts
Illinois Extension is the flagship outreach effort of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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extension.illinois.edu
When snow hits, putting down salt keeps ice off roads. But that salt, 20M tons nationwide, also increases chloride levels in waterways.

Read for how you can help at home. 
Smart Solutions for Icy Roads: Reducing Winter Salt Impact
When the weather turns cold, windy, and snowy, many of us prefer to stay indoors and keep warm at home. However, for those who venture outside, clear and safe roads
extension.illinois.edu
January 14, 2026 at 11:57 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Big first‑year impact from Illinois Extension’s 10‑year strategic plan! Our year-one report is out — see how we're making progress to extend knowledge, build partnerships, and support people, communities, and the environment. Report here: https://go.illinois.edu/ExtImpactSP
Yellow bees and flowers in a circular pattern with the words "Lifelong Learning, Lifelong Impact" above and "Collaboration" below represent Illinois Extension's collaboration value in its Strategic Plan.
January 14, 2026 at 12:02 AM
extension.illinois.edu
A winter visitor to Illinois, the long-eared owl is a slender and secretive owl. Along with traditional hoots, this owl has some strange coyote-like barking calls.

Listen in and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or online at https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/voice-wild
Long-eared owl perched on a tree branch, with text overlay: "Long-Eared Owl", "Voice of the Wild", "Illinois Extension".
January 10, 2026 at 12:38 AM
extension.illinois.edu
A seasonal migrant to Illinois, the tiny northern saw-whet owl is easy to overlook from October to March.

Listen and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice or at https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/voice-wild/episode-40-northern-saw-whet-owl-voice-wild

#Birds #Conservation #WildLife
Northern Saw-Whet Owl perched on a branch. Text reads "Voice of the Wild" and "Illinois Extension" with the Illinois logo.
January 8, 2026 at 12:02 AM
extension.illinois.edu
With longer evenings, winter months are a great time to explore the night sky!

Bundle up and get ready for some stargazing to explore seasonal celestial favorites like the Orion constellation or Mars with a winter night sky tour at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4dO06DGhIs
Starry night sky with prominent constellations, including Orion with its three-star belt. A bright planet shines near the horizon.
December 14, 2025 at 1:48 AM
extension.illinois.edu
The tufted titmouse is a backyard favorite for birders. With its high, sweet song, a "peter peter peter" brings a touch of color to bird feeders with the rusty orange color under their blue-gray wings.

Learn more with the Voice of the Wild podcast or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild
Tufted Titmouse perched on a branch, with "Voice of the Wild" and "Illinois Extension" text overlay at the bottom.
December 12, 2025 at 12:04 AM
extension.illinois.edu
Plan next year's crop with updates from Extension Agronomy Summit events, visiting a town near you this January and February.

🔗 Read about Agronomy Summit events and registration at https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/illinois-extension-agronomy-summits-equip-farmers-strategies-year-ahead
Young soybean plants sprouting from the soil with roots visible, promoting Agronomy Summits, featuring logos for Illinois Extension and the University of Illinois's orange I-Block.
December 11, 2025 at 3:03 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Illinois Extension offers "Lessons for Living," a free webinar series that provides practical, easy-to-understand tips to help adults of all ages live healthier lives.
✅For more: https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/discover-practical-tools-healthy-inspiring-life
Three older women smiling and embracing, with the text "Lessons for Living" and "Illinois Extension" on a blue background.
December 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Tune in as we break down five powerful reasons why managing blood sugar is essential for your health and longevity.
🎧 Listen now: https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/wellness-wake-call/5-reasons-get-blood-sugar-under-control
Close-up of a hand using a blood glucose monitor. Text: "5 reasons to get blood sugar under control." Illinois Extension logo.
December 3, 2025 at 12:01 AM
extension.illinois.edu
In the Farmer Led Advances in Soil Health program, farmers lead soil health and water quality improvement efforts

More in the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy podcast: https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/illinois-nutrient-loss-reduction-podcast/episode-77-batch-and-grow-farmer-led-advances
Podcast cover for "The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast" Episode 77, titled "Batch and Grow with Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health (FLASH)," featuring a green field background and logos for Illinois Extension and Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.
December 2, 2025 at 12:24 AM
extension.illinois.edu
A special dinner with family and friends is unforgettable, but safety makes it even better! 
We share 3 simple ways to safely defrost your frozen turkey and ensure your holiday feast is both delicious and worry-free.

✅https://extension.illinois.edu/turkey/thawing
Roasted turkey on a platter with citrus and herbs, featuring text: "3 Ways to Safely Thaw a Turkey." Illinois Extension logo present.
November 24, 2025 at 11:30 PM
extension.illinois.edu
The red fox sparrow is a winter visitor to Illinois that can be found in the woods or maybe at a bird feeder. 

Learn more on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms or online at https://go.illinois.edu/VoiceoftheWild
A reddish Fox Sparrow songbird perched on a wooden surface. University of Illinois Extension logo and Voice of the Wild logo.
November 22, 2025 at 2:33 PM
extension.illinois.edu
Cozying up to the fireplace this weekend? 

Explore how to keep your home warm, seasoning and storing firewood, chimney safety, and more at https://extension.illinois.edu/firewood.
A cozy fireplace with bright orange flames dancing over stacked logs, with additional wood logs neatly piled to the right.
November 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM
extension.illinois.edu
On an abandoned parking lot in Chicago, Urban Canopy is transforming concrete into community. With support from the IL-EATS program, the fresh food they grow stays right where it’s needed most.

🎥Watch the story: https://extension.illinois.edu/videos/how-urban-farm-turns-concrete-community-il-eats
A yellow food truck with "The Urban Canopy" logo parked under trees. Text reads, "From Pavement to Plates: IL-EATS Story," with Illinois Extension logo.
November 16, 2025 at 3:03 PM
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