A man in a yellow jacket stands in front of a wetland landscape
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Amidst a biodiversity crisis, these Champaign County groups are working to restore native ecosystems

The Midwest has seen an incredible loss of native prairies and wetlands over the past few centuries. The changes have been driven primarily by farming and urban sprawl. But in east-central Illinois, several initiatives aim to bring back native ecosystems. 

Senate President Don Harmon,

Plan to ban carbon injections near aquifers stalls in Senate

Legislation was proposed after a pair of leaks at an ADM injection site near Decatur An Illinois Senate committee hit pause on a bill to ban carbon sequestration injections near aquifers after more than an hour of debate Wednesday. Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, asked that the Senate Executive Committee to wait to act…

beetle

A Midwest beetle that needs corpses to survive is dying out. But there’s still hope

The couple moving the body only have the moon to light their way. And this isn’t a mere coverup. “They’re taking this body into this underground bunker that they made,” said Bob Merz. Once in there, they’ll roll it into a ball and cover it in preservatives. Then, they’ll cut off pieces of flesh to…

Mississippi River

Upper Mississippi River refuge celebrates 100 years of protection for fish, wildlife and habitat

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is the core of a major flyway for migrating birds and one of the most visited refuges in the U.S. Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts saved it from being drained 100 years ago, but the next century brings new challenges. High up on a bluff above the…

Cicadas impacted some apple harvests in Central Illinois, but Curtis Orchard was spared
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Cicadas impacted some apple harvests in Central Illinois, but Curtis Orchard was spared

This summer, three broods of cicadas emerged at the same time in parts of Illinois. Cicadas lay their eggs in the bark of small trees, which can damage or stunt their growth. The volume of cicadas varied from town to town. 

tree planting
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Danville gets $1 million to focus on tree planting program

  DANVILLE – The City of Danville has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program. This grant will be used in launching a new program, Community Roots: Danville’s Urban Reforestation and Revitalization Plan. “This initiative is designed to enhance tree canopy…

farmer cattle
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Federal drought relief policies leave some farmers out to dry

  Programs that provide drought relief to farmers use the U.S. Drought Monitor to determine eligibility, but some experts say it doesn’t always capture local conditions.   On a recent fall day, as Wilburn Harris did the rounds on his cattle farm in the Missouri town of Drexel, he was met with brown grass, cracked…

ADM leak documents
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ADM stops carbon injection as its Decatur facility remains under federal scrutiny

Company identified ‘anomaly’ in monitoring well After identifying an underground carbon dioxide leak earlier this year, agribusiness giant ADM found a further “anomaly” in one of the wells at its Decatur carbon dioxide sequestration plant in recent weeks. ADM has temporarily paused carbon dioxide injections as it conducts additional testing, according to company spokesperson Jackie…

No ‘threat to public health’: ADM responds after violation notice from EPA on carbon sequestration project
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No ‘threat to public health’: ADM responds after violation notice from EPA on carbon sequestration project

DECATUR- Agribusiness giant ADM is responding after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found last week that the company violated federal regulations, a federal permit and the Safe Drinking Water Act earlier this year when a monitoring well at their carbon sequestration site in Decatur leaked liquified carbon dioxide into “unauthorized zones.” ADM says it has…