September is National Preparedness Month. Kerri Taylor joins us from Illinois Safe Electricity to teach us about how we can better prepare our homes, families, workplaces, and communities in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.  Focusing on storm preparedness, we discuss in-depth how to prepare an emergency supply kit, how to choose and safely use a generator, and how to ensure we are using carbon monoxide detectors properly. We walk through a number of common scenarios and explain the proper way to respond.

Links/Resources referenced
ready.gov/September
Generator Safety
Wireless Emergency Alerts

NOAA Weather Radio
IL Citizen Corps
Red Cross
Neighborhood Watch
Fire Corps
Civil Air Patrol
American Radio Relay League 

With high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus entering our waterways and making their way to the Gulf of Mexico, Illinois is taking action to address nutrient loss and hold those nutrients in place. Rachel Curry and Nicole Haverback are the boots on the ground for this project in Illinois, and they join us on the podcast to take about the NLRS and what it means for farmers and the public.  

Links mentioned: 

Lawn to Lake

The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast

The Nutrient Loss Reduction Blog

Original and biennial Illinois NLRS reports
NOAA's 2023 report

With droughts and drastic weather occurring in Illinois, how do we keep our landscapes resilient? Extension Stormwater Specialist, Eliana Brown, joins the podcast to discuss how we can help build healthy landscapes in this extreme weather.

Links mentioned:
Drought Monitor Website
Red Oak Rain Garden Native Plant Resources

Corn sweat - an interesting Midwest phenomenon that happens during the summer months.  Find out what corn sweat really is and how it affects our weather, wildlife and other plants. Duane Friend, Illinois Master Naturalist Coordinator and Climate Specialist, joins us during this episode.  Hint: An acre of corn can “sweat” up to 4,000 gallons of water in a day!

Find out more about our Illinois weather phenomena through the Illinois Extension blog, All About Weather. 
Latest articles:
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How much do you know about climate? Take the quiz!
Has this spring in Illinois been windier than usual?

Biodiversity - such a buzzword these days. But what is biodiversity and why does everyone seem to be talking about it? Extension Educator Abigail Garofalo will break down this scientific concept and give you insights into the biodiversity crisis and what you can do about it. 

Don’t count out nighttime when it comes to exploring.  Each season brings a different “night” whether it be the long winter nights with clear skies or the late sunsets in summer, there is always something to discover in nature at night.  In fact, in terms of wildlife, over 60% of our mammals are nocturnal. Extension Natural Resources Educator Amy Lefringhouse joins Erin Garrett and Abigail Garofalo to discuss nature at night. 

Spring is here, and one of the best places to enjoy the season is hiking through a forest. In spring you can find the forest floor bursting with life. Many of the spring-blooming flowers you see when out on a hike are from a group of plants called spring ephemerals. Today we chat with Erin Garrett to learn more about these plants and why they’re so unique. 

Maple Syrup Season in Illinois