NRES

On a 2009 hike in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona, a group of birders heard an otherworldly, ethereal bird song floating, flute-like, through the canyon. The hikers identified the singer as a brown-backed solitaire, recognizing immediately that the bird was very far from home. The brown-backed solitaire spends its life in the mountain forests of Mexico and Central America — what was it doing in Arizona? 

Students in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences know communication is key. From public speaking requirements to advanced composition classes, ACES students are trained to share their knowledge with the world. Pam Leiter, the recruitment coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, is part of that effort.

The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE), College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), and The Grainger College of Engineering celebrated the investiture of two campus researchers for their leadership in advancing resilient food systems, clean energy transitions, and shaping global sustainability technologies.

Illinois once harbored more than 8 million acres of wetlands. By the 1980s, all but 1.2 million wetland acres had been lost, filled in for development or drained to make way for agriculture. Now, thanks to a 2023 Supreme Court decision, roughly 72% of the remaining 981,000 acres of Illinois wetlands are no longer protected by the federal Clean Water Act, putting communities at risk of losing the flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification and natural habitat these wetlands provide, researchers report.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced new funding to understand and reduce grassland fire risk in the Southern Great Plains. The five-year project is being led by grassland fire expert Jon Henn at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences has announced the Finalists for the 2025 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.

Most birdwatchers are drawn to the dynamism of birds — snippets of a call as flyers twist and dive overhead, or a flash of wings in the bushes, gone before you can snap a picture. But a group of students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign goes out looking for a bleaker target: birds killed in collisions with buildings.

Imagine moving into a new house just to discover it has no insulation. That’s what life can be like for a bat box resident.

Bat boxes, a kind of artificial roost, are a simple and cost-effective way to increase habitat for these flying mammals. They’re a preferred spot for mother bats to raise pups if their favorite housing option, large dead trees, are hard to come by. But if improperly designed, bat boxes can end up hurting more than helping, Illinois bat researcher Joy O’Keefe says. 

A scientist in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the recipient of the 2025 national agInnovation award for Excellence in Agricultural Research Innovation. 

Each fall, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign welcomes thousands of students to campus.