Everyday Environment Podcast

Stabilization of streambanks is an important aspect of watershed management in Illinois. Across the state, we are experiencing increased rainfall and increasing storm intensity as the effects of climate change continue to ramp up. These changes create additional strain on Illinois streambanks, leading to a variety of impacts, from increased erosion or changes in streamflow capacity to the loss of land area in extreme cases. Join us as we chat with Extension Educator Ryan Pankau on how we can address this challenge using nature-based solutions.   

New uses for old docks?  Tiny, microscopic biofilm on the roots of wetland plant communities?  Susan McIntyre, a plant ecologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, joins us to talk about how dock frames were used to construct floating wetlands in a lake ecosystem.  We talk about water quality issues that floating wetlands can address, plant choices for floating wetlands, and the interesting wildlife they attract.  We also point out that roots rule during this episode! 

Learn More 

• Building a Living Laboratory on a Lake
• Wild Mile

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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Is your yard compliant?  Don't be fooled by the title - we have a fun time chatting about municipal codes and our native plant gardens during this episode with Brodie Dunn, Illinois Extension Wildlife & Pollinator Outreach Associate.  Find out where to find the rules that may cover your native garden, learn best practices to apply within your own yard, and we even chat about some good and bad plant choices.  Join us!

Learn more

• Listening to Illinois Wildlife Everyday Environment episode
• Voice of the Wild podcast
• Illinois Wildside blog
• Illinois pollinator plant selector tool

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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Many of us invite birds to our landscapes - sometimes there is joy and sometimes there is frustration when birds begin to nest near our homes in the spring. Join us during this episode as we talk to Illinois Extension horticulture educator, Kim Rohling, about what to do in the fall to prepare our homes and landscapes for spring nesting birds.

Learn more

• Merlin bird ID app
• eBird bird recordkeeping app
• Illinois Extension Pollinator Plant Selector Tool
• National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder
• Cornell BirdLab Right Bird, Right House
• Fall Migration Mini-Sit Birdwatching Event - Cache River Wetlands Natural Area, Cypress IL

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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Before central heating and cooling became a standard feature of many homes, there was a greater emphasis on designing homes and their yards to provide natural climate control. This was accomplished by taking advantage of the heating effects of solar radiation during the winter along with the cooling effects of shade and natural air flows during the summer. As we see more extreme cold and heat events in Illinois and as energy bills continue to rise, it’s a good time to revisit how your landscaping is contributing to your home’s climate control and energy efficiency. Chat with Energy Specialist Andrea Wagner, and Natural Resources Educator Jay Solomon to learn about how we can use landscaping to our advantage to save a few bucks as extreme weather becomes more commonplace.

Resources: 

• Energy Website from Illinois Extension
• Selecting Trees to Plant in Illinois
• Under the Canopy Tree guides can be found at your local Illinois Extension office. 

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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EO Wilson famously called insects the "little things that run the world." Dr. Ken Johnson, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, joins us this week to solve our insect challenges.  Insects perform numerous services within our ecosystems, but how do we respond when insects start to "bug" us? Mosquitos on your patio, wasps by your door, and ticks in your yard - all these topics are discussed around the table this week on Everyday Environment.

Resources

• Managing mosquitoes at home
• Voice of the Wild - Yellow billed cuckoo
• WILSON, E.O. (1987), The Little Things That Run the world* (The Importance and Conservation of Invertebrates). Conservation Biology, 1: 344-346. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1987.tb00055.x
• Fabian, S.T., Sondhi, Y., Allen, P.E. et al. Why flying insects gather at artificial light. Nat Commun 15, 689 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44785-3. 
• Check out Ken on the Good Growing podcast and blog!

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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Today we chat with Chris Enroth, horticulture educator for Illinois Extension, about how we can approach our lawn care with fewer inputs. We chat about why we even have lawns, top tips for a healthy lawn with fewer inputs, demystifying seed mixes, and how to shrink your lawn to support pollinators and other wildlife. We get in the weeds this episode and have a fun discussion with lots of examples from our own yards.

Check out Chris on the Good Growing podcast and blog!

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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When we talk nature-based solutions, trees can be the answer to many problems! Trees planted in our landscapes can deal with a lot of problems though. This week we chat with Horticulture Educator Sarah Vogel about the complexities of the question "what's wrong with my tree?" and what we can do to help set our trees up for success in the long term.

Learn more
For more tips on tree care, use resources like Illinois Extension’s Tree Maintenance Schedule, or USDA Forest Service’s Tree Owner’s Manual. 

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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We're kicking off our nature-based solution season with guest Amy Powers, who is a garden coach and social media influencer in the Chicago region. We had a blast chatting with Amy about how we can work with nature rather than against in our home gardens. We talk about native plants, fall garden care, and the importance of paying attention to how we communicate when talking with others about incorporating nature-based solutions.

Check out Amy's videos at Powers Plants on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @Powers_Plants

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

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Check out our Blog
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Join the Everyday Environment team for our fifth season chatting with experts, researchers, and professionals in the environmental field. Erin, Amy, and Abigail go over the theme for season five and the very exciting guests they have in store.

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 share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.

Questions? We'd love to hear from you!
Abigail Garofalo [email protected], Erin Garrett [email protected], Amy Lefringhouse [email protected] 

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Check out our Blog
See the Everyday Environment Archives