Everyday Environment Podcast

For our final episode of our invasive species season we have something a little different: we're sharing the recording of an invasive species livestream we hosted on Facebook with Chris Evans, answering your invasive species questions! Get the answers to your questions about managing different species, communicating about invasives, regulations, and more. Share your own Everyday Observation Was th...

After decades of draining the land for agriculture, restoring water to The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve helped recreate high quality wetland, lake, and marsh habitats that were once common along the Illinois River. Maintaining these high-quality habitats requires monitoring and effectively managing invasive species. This episode's discussion will focus primarily on our efforts to better u...

Abigail and Amy chat with Aishwarya Veerabahu, a mycologist and PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She enlightens us with the issues surrounding the golden oyster mushroom, a representative of the fungi kingdom , one kingdom we haven't discussed.   We explore the rapid spread of the golden oyster mushroom across eastern North America, what happens when an invasive fungus moves i...

Join Steve Butler , Biologist at the Kaskaskia Biological Field Station , as he discusses invasive carp (silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp, and black carp) and their reproducing populations throughout much of the Mississippi River basin. This set of fish have altered the structure and function of aquatic food webs, thereby impacting native fish assemblages.  Due to concerns about the impacts o...

Join us as we chat with Dr. Theresa Culley, a genetic researcher from the University of Cincinnati. We discuss the genetics of invasives and how genetics helps solve the puzzle of how different invasive species have escaped from managed spaces. Discover the stories of buckthorn, wintercreeper, Callery pear and much more. Listen to Erin and Abigail's minds be blown by the diversity of genetic optio...

During this episode of Everyday Environment, hosts Amy and Erin chat with Kelly Estes from the Illinois Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. We learn about how the CAPS program works and surveys for invasive pests in our state. Resources IL CAPS program Pest Tracker Share your own Everyday Observation Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know!...

Everyday Environment talks with Tricia Bethke, Illinois’ Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, about the growing threat of invasive pests. We explore how these pests are impacting our forests, what a “tree check” looks like, and which warning signs to watch for in your own yard and community. Learn More Invasive insects Spotted Lanternfly reporting via email: lanterfly@illinois.edu Elm zigzag sawfly S...

Listen in on our chat with Chris Enroth, fellow Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator and also co-host of the Good Growing podcast, about invasives in the home landscape. We discuss the challenge of plants that are not listed on regulation lists, how to tackle invasives without getting overwhelmed, replacement species, and Chris's favorite butterfly! Learn More Management of Invasive Plants and...

This week we welcome TJ Benson from the Illinois Natural History Survey to talk about the Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP), and how data collected can teach us how invasions have changed plant and animal communities in Illinois. 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 shar...

This week on Everyday Environment we chat with Rebekah Wallace out of the University of Georgia. Rebekah is the coordinator for EDDMapS, a platform used by the general public and professionals alike for invasive, pest, and biocontrol species reporting and distribution monitoring. For 20 years, this platform has worked with partners across the US and Canada to develop tools to help aggregate distri...

Join us as we chat with Michelle about the invasive plant early detection efforts of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network. We take a special focus on the Public Gardens as Sentinels against Invasive Plants initiative, a program focused on sharing information and creating a network to detect potential invasive species. Resources:  MIPN Website Printed Resources from MIPN MIPN Webinars Early Detection...

In this episode of Everyday Environment , hosts Erin and Amy sit down with Chris Evans to break down how invasive species are regulated in Illinois—and why it matters to you. Illinois recently added nine species to the Illinois Exotic Weed Act, making it illegal to buy, sell, or transport them. From the Exotic Weed Act to the Noxious Weed Law, these regulations are designed to slow the spread of i...

This week we're joined by our marketing and communications manager Emily Steele! We chat with Emily about how our words matter when we talk about invasive species and how we can encourage people to manage invasive species through value-based communication and engagement approaches. We also hear from Phil Anderson, a biology professor at University of Illinois, who shares his experience using cospl...

The Everyday Environment team is back for a new season this spring to discuss Invasive species. Get a preview of what is in store as well as a primer on Invasive Species from everyone's favorite Extension person: Chris Evans. Invasives Species 101 starts at 20:30 Original Episode from the archives: Invasive Alert: Spotted Lanternfly Share your own Everyday Observation Was there something about thi...

In this episode of the Everyday Environment Podcast , hosts Amy Lefringhouse and Karla Griesbaum talk with Allen Lawrance, Curator of Entomology at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, to discuss the power of community science and how volunteers contribute valuable data to wildlife monitoring programs across Illinois. Allen highlights initiatives like the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, the I...

If you learn to listen for wildlife, you’ll start finding it everywhere. Learning a bird’s song or an insect’s call means you can sense them even when they are out of sight or pick out their call from a chaotic audio background that the brain normally filters out. There are side benefits too; sometimes an animal’s call is the only way to identify it, and it’s often the easiest way to share nature...

Beneath Illinois’ soil lives a little-known but ecologically important animal — the plains pocket gopher . In this episode, hosts Amy Lefringhouse and Darci Webber talk with Nathan Alexander , postdoctoral researcher at the Illinois Natural History Survey, about what makes this gopher unique to Illinois. Nathan shares how this “angry potato” of the prairie shapes soil health, how agriculture has i...

The Mexican long-nosed armadillo ( Dasypus mexicanus ) has become a recent addition to the local fauna of Illinois as a response to habitat alteration and climate change. With these new species and many others comes new diseases and exposure of pathogens. Join Southern Illinois University associate professor Agustin Jimenez as he discusses zoonotic diseases and how the movement of Illinois wildlif...

The Urban Coyote Research Project is an ongoing 25-year project studying coyotes in the Chicagoland area. Join Chris Anchor, wildlife biologist for the Forest Preserves of Cook County , as he discusses his 40-year career in wildlife management and the insights we’ve gained from this long-term research project.   Learn more about Urban Wildlife:  Research at the Forest Preserves of Cook County The...

Fish hatcheries are an important tool for the heritage and recreation of Illinois wildlife. Join Kayleigh Smith, Outreach specialist for the IDNR Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery as she discusses the work at the fish hatchery and how it support conservation of Illinois wildlife. Share your own Everyday Observation Was there something about this topic we didn’t cover? See something cool in nature?...

Find out the difference between bison and buffalo...Amy and Darci talk with Dr. Elizabeth Bach from The Nature Conservancy about prairie restoration at Nachusa Grasslands. From reintroducing bison to boosting biodiversity, the conversation explores how science, history, and community come together to restore Illinois’ tallgrass prairie. Resources to learn more Nachusa Grasslands Research by moonli...

Hosts Amy Lefringhouse and Darci Webber chat with Sydney Oliveira from the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic about what to do if you find injured wildlife, how to prevent common injuries, and the vital role rehabilitation and education play in conservation. Resources to learn more University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic Illinois Extension Wildlife National Wildlife Rehabilitato...

There are nearly 4 million miles of roadway in the U.S., allowing people to access almost anywhere, at any time, which has its benefits for people but also numerous ecological drawbacks. Learn from Kevin Rohling how roads alter the ecology of an area and affect our wildlife. Check out the Everyday Environment Blog for more information and a reference to the studies Kevin discusses in the podcast....

In this amazing episode, conservation biologist Dr. Mark Davis joins hosts Amy and Karla to explain environmental DNA (eDNA)—genetic material shed by organisms into their surroundings. This tool allows researchers to detect species in water, soil, and air without disturbing them. A fascinating look at how invisible clues in nature help protect biodiversity. Highlights: - Rediscovering the endanger...

Join Quail Forever biologist Brodie Eddington as he shares his expertise and experience with quail and the restoration of their habitat. Quail are culturally significant to Illinois , and their conservation is important for the preservation of this heritage and our Illinois ecosystems. Learn about the status of bobwhite quail populations, the culture around this species, and what Illinois organiza...