217 Today: Amidst a biodiversity crisis, these Champaign County groups are working to restore native ecosystems

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A man in a yellow jacket stands in front of a wetland landscape
Ross Sorensen stands in front of one of the wetlands at his conservation project near Loda, about 30 miles north of Champaign. The former hops farm now contains over 80 acres of habitat restoration area.
  • Photo: Brendan Gallian / Illinois Student Newsroom

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • After administrators updated school policies to prohibit the use of loudspeakers on campus, students are finding new ways to make sure their voices are heard — even if they’re silent.
  • The Champaign Park District is moving forward with plans to make security upgrades at the Virginia Theatre.
  • Following the social media platform Twitter’s transformation into X, some experts are worried about government agencies leaving the platform.
  • New rules governing Illinois’ hemp industry are going into effect.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about the efforts to increase biodiversity in east-central Illinois.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Mae Antar, Anulika Ochuba, Kulsoom Khan and Brendan Gallian.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.