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Environmental Almanac
Weekly commentaries on the environment and appreciating the natural world, by Rob Kanter from the School of Earth, Society, and Environment at the University of Illinois.
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Does brittle prickly pear cactus have a future in the Midwest?
Few brittle prickly pear cacti remain in Illinois. Will they persist in a changing climate?
![Brightly lit close-up lateral view of tiger swallowtail butterfly, wings folded above body. Underside of wing is pale yellow with black border and black tiger stripes.](https://will.illinois.edu/images/uploads/36860/b92a4627_will__medium.jpg)
Late summer a great time to expand your butterfly horizons [from the archive]
Everybody loves monarch butterflies, don't they? And for good reason. But if monarchs are all you know, you're missing out. Late summer is a great time to expand your butterfly horizons.
![Rob Kanter holding a small garter snake](https://will.illinois.edu/images/uploads/36487/me_garter_copy__medium.jpg)
A love of life—even snakes [from the archive]
Thanks to a friend who’s more observant than me, I recently discovered a new species of reptile in my own backyard, a plains garter snake. Maybe I should clarify by saying I mean the plains garter snake was “new” to me, not new to science or the wider world.
![Tight profile of a small bird on a branch, nearly all black with patches of vibrant reddish-orange on its wings.](https://will.illinois.edu/images/uploads/53351/b92a3254__medium.jpg)
Embrace your inner birder as spring migration peaks
Where can you see some of the most beautiful birds in the world? In central Illinois! Right now!
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Why not bike?
Does the warm weather have you thinking about riding your bicycle to get from here to there? If so, let me offer some words of encouragement.
![Two boys in rubber boots holding nets stand in a woodland pool .](https://will.illinois.edu/images/uploads/53064/36630194294_68c93f9bdd_z__medium.jpg)
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Now is the time to catch woodland wildflower show in Illinois [from the archive]
There is an extended wildflower show that takes place each spring in the woodlands of Illinois, beginning in February and peaking in early May, when a dozen species can be seen flowering at once
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Cook County research provides perspective on coyotes [from the archive]
How much risk do coyotes pose? Could it be good to have them around? Findings from the Cook County Coyote Project suggest they pose a very limited threat and even benefit urban ecosystems.