Feb 3, 2025
Based on eDNA information, a team of researchers donned waders and wetsuit gear to search under slab habitats in the Sangamon River. Encountering hidden catfish, crayfish and mudpuppies, they also located the first salamander mussels encountered in more than a century. Their uncommon dedication reminds us that species thought to have been long lost can be found again.
MoreFeb 3, 2025
Regardless of the mechanism, it appears that the bison at Nachusa Grasslands are playing an important role in altering prairie habitat for species of concern, such as the Henslow’s sparrow. Learn how researchers are monitoring plant and animal community responses to grazing across the preserve to help unravel questions about the presence of bison on the prairie.
MoreFeb 3, 2025
Since 2018, Prairie Rivers Network has been documenting the effects of off-target herbicide exposure on Illinois’ plants and trees, logging more than 11,500 plant observations across 290 sites in Illinois. Everyone who cherishes the outdoors should be concerned as healthy habitats are the foundation of thriving wildlife populations and losing them to chemical trespass undermines conservation efforts, outdoor recreation and our shared heritage.
MoreFeb 3, 2025
Regulated hunting and conservation efforts saved white-tailed deer from extirpation at the start of the 20th century and has allowed them to rapidly recover. Since deer are now a common sight in Illinois, it brings into question what aspects have allowed deer to flourish.
MoreFeb 3, 2025
Gray and fox squirrels share preferences for similar resources and cooccur throughout most of eastern North America. How much do these two species compete and how are they able to coexist? Studying the degree of overlap in the use of resources can give biologists a clearer understanding of the competitive pressures among species.
MoreFeb 3, 2025
Keeping up with cutting-edge wildlife research, as well as changes in state and national wildlife-oriented programs and legislation, can be a daunting task. Here we briefly summarize some of the current, key work.
MoreNov 1, 2024
The osprey was listed as a state-endangered species in Illinois in 1997. It struggled to thrive following years of habitat loss and the degradation of waterways essential to their food source and nest site selection. In 2012, Illinois Department of Natural Resources biologists Patrick McDonald and Joe Kath designed a program to give osprey a boost in building a self-sustaining breeding population in Illinois.
MoreNov 1, 2024
Like many states, Illinois has faced the challenge of dealing with invasive species and one of particular concern is the black carp. A bottom-dwelling fish, black carp are voracious predators of mollusks, posing a severe risk to native mollusk populations, and a threat to the fishing industry. Learn how state and federal agencies are working to address the threat of black carp in Illinois and other parts of the Mississippi River Basin.
MoreNov 1, 2024
The Bats in Small Cities Project was organized to learn how urban bat ecology relates to the context of the city, specifically to learn how bats respond to their environment in a city with lots of tree cover versus one with little tree cover. Check out the findings here.
MoreNov 1, 2024
Determining what bats use an area once meant you had to have a good look at a small, quickly moving nocturnal species. But diagnostic features of the bat too often weren’t visible at that scale. Today, a passive sampling technique entailing the collection of guano allows researchers to observe and record species-specific information even if the animals aren’t seen.
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A message from Chief, Division of Wildlife Resources Mike Wefer
Welcome to the February 2025 edition of the online magazine OutdoorIllinois Journal, featuring timely, seasonally based stories about the Prairie State’s wildlife resources, with an expansion of content to include a broader range of subjects—including endangered and threatened species and Illinois’ unique, high-quality habitats and the people working to preserve, protect and manage these resources.
