Prairie Research Institute

Found a bat in your house? 🦇 Don't worry — here's a guide on how to remove it safely, written by mammalogist and bat expert Tara Hohoff from the Illinois Natural History Survey. 👉 Check it out at the link in the comments.

Bat in the house? 🦇

A bat biologist walks through the steps for persuading a bat to leave your home, and what to do when a whole family decides to roost in your attic.

👷 Visiting Scientific Specialist, Environmental Assessments Researcher - Join Illinois State Geological Survey!
Help evaluate potential environmental and geologic hazards and risks for Illinois Department of Transportation infrastructure improvement projects. Apps due Jun. 18, 2026.
👉 Find the link to apply in the comments.

Ready to get hooked on fishing? 🪝
Swim over to Ifishillinois, the official source for all things fish, from permits and licenses to fish guides and places to fish. This newly refreshed website was put together by Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Natural History Survey.
👉 Check out this great resource using the link in the comments.

Flood maps play an important role in helping communities understand risk and access flood insurance through FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program.

Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey help update Flood Insurance Rate Maps across the state, providing communities with data used for planning, mitigation, and insurance decisions.

WBEZ recently explored why many Chicago-area residents remain uninsured despite growing flood risks: https://loom.ly/UqDqu1E

Few Chicago residents buy flood insurance, but should they? Almost every community in the Chicago area is at risk of flooding, and powerful storms are expected to increase. Here's what to know about flood insurance.

What a great story! 🤩 There's still so much to learn about our rivers and lakes.

Americans eels are born in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There’s just one other known instance of one being found in the Chicago River in recent years.

April in Illinois had a few brief periods of cooler-than-normal temperatures, heavy precipitation, and severe weather and tornadoes. ⛈️ Get the latest climate recap and summer outlook from State Climatologist Trent Ford and Illinois State Water Survey. 👉 Link in the comments.

What will Illinois lose as cities grow and landscapes change?

Researchers at the Illinois State Archaeological Survey found that land-use change, urban expansion, and climate-driven migration could destroy tens of thousands of archaeological and cultural sites across the state by 2100 — many of which are still undiscovered.

👉 Learn more using the link in the comments.

Exciting news! Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) awarded a two-year grant to the Medical Entomology Lab at the Illinois Natural History Survey to support statewide mosquito, tick, and biting midge surveillance. 👉 Read more about the grant using the link in the comments.

Visit Anita Purves Nature Center on Thursday, May 14, 6-7 PM, to learn how you can take part in a citizen science project and support research at the Medical Entomology Lab at the Illinois Natural History Survey! 🦟

Thanks to the Spring Bird Count, coordinated by the Illinois Natural History Survey, we know that several bald eagle pairs nest in Cook County -- and we LOVE to see more of them! 😍

Eaglets were observed in a Chicago cemetery and at a Southeast Side park this spring, marking a historic milestone.