Mosses are the underdogs of the plant world. These scientists are trying to protect them
More than 1,600 plants and animals are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but out of all of those, only one is a moss.
-
-
A proposed Clean Water Act change could remove protections from 80% of American wetlands
Environmental advocates say the outlined revision ignores science and threatens water quality, while farm groups argue it offers landowners needed clarity about which parts of their land count as federally protected.
-
It’s eagle nesting season in Illinois. One nesting pair calls a northern Illinois state park home
The bald eagle used to be a rare sight in Illinois. Now, there are more than 3,000 that spend the winter here.
-
Illinois Democrats and Republicans introduce competing packages to regulate data centers amid concerns over power and water usage
Lawmakers from both parties argue the centers pose a significant threat to Illinois’ power grid and freshwater sources like the Mahomet Aquifer, but they are offering different visions for how to regulate the industry.
-
As farmers face a changing climate, a USDA program designed to help is at risk
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created a network of “climate hubs” to understand how climate change affects agriculture and forestry and help farmers adapt to more extreme and unpredictable weather.
-
Urbana Park District planning new playground, skate park, walking paths for Prairie and Weaver parks
In the coming years, the Urbana Park District is planning to install new sports facilities, paved walking trails, and a spray ground among other amenities in Prairie Park and Weaver Park.
-
Trump administration again rejects Illinois’ request for disaster aid from August storm
The agency said supplemental assistance from the federal government wasn’t warranted.
-
Protections from carbon sequestration and pipelines remain a key priority for Central Illinois advocates and policymakers
Alongside education funding, Faraci said he remains focused on environmental protections for the Mahomet Aquifer, the primary drinking water source for nearly one million people in Central Illinois.
-
How the Trump administration is fast-tracking logging in Illinois’ only national forest
Shawnee is the only national forest in the state and one of the smallest in the nation.
-
This conservation practice boosts wildlife species on farmland, new research finds
University of Illinois researchers analyzed traces of DNA in rivers and streams to learn how strips of trees near water — called riparian buffers — impact land species.
-
Wind chills below zero Monday morning following severe weather and stark temperature drops
After severe storms and a cold front passed through Central Illinois, the National Weather Service said wind chills are expected to drop below zero again late Monday night and heading into Tuesday morning.
-
Preserving wetlands: ‘Those that are remaining are critical to maintain’
Wetlands are important not just to all the animal and plant species that live there, but they’re also valuable to humans because they purify drinking water by taking nutrients and pollutants out of the system through all of the plant life and natural cycling that occurs.
-
As state regulators warn of impending energy shortfalls, capacity prices rise again
State-driven resource planning process will begin in 2026.
-
With a federal tax credit ending early, installing home solar is about to get more expensive
The massive tax and spending law signed in July halts a federal incentive for residential solar, and homeowners and installers are hurrying to complete projects before the end of the year. Industry experts say there are other ways to cut costs like “group buys.”
-
Improved natural gas storage fields will save customers money, Ameren Illinois says
Buried in the rate request that Illinois regulators cut last month from nearly $129 million to $73 million is the final phase of Ameren’s modernization efforts for its natural gas storage field just south of Freeburg.
