Chicago Bird Collision Monitors has been responding to an increase in calls for help in rescuing wild birds suffering from avian influenza.

It’s time to un-deck those “live” balsams, Fraser firs and pines. But instead of sending real Christmas trees off to a landfill, there are plenty of recycling options.

While the flu poses minimal immediate risk to humans, experts warn that the virus’ rapid spread among birds and mammals could increase the likelihood of mutations, potentially creating a strain more transmissible to humans.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Department of Agriculture issued a joint statement Friday afternoon, reminding the public to use caution around waterfowl or other wild birds.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is hosting First Day Hikes at 15 state parks on Jan. 1.

Officials suspect the plant — hydrilla — which is banned in Illinois may have been dumped from an individual's aquarium.

Local officials celebrated the completion of the Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project, which will protect the state’s only remaining natural shoreline from the devastating effects of erosion.

“I fell hard for Monty and Rose, the first piping plovers I ever met, and I can now bring my love and passion to their offspring and kind,” Tamima Itani told WTTW News.

Prepare to get all nostalgic for the extremely recent past.

After confirming several black bear sightings in southern Illinois in recent weeks, wildlife officials issued a reminder to residents in northern Illinois that furry guests might also pay a visit here.

Say hello to Nagamo (Na-GA-mo), the sole surviving piping plover hatchling at Montrose Beach.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi are now headquartered in northeast Kansas. But they once had a reservation in what is now DeKalb County, a reservation that officials now agree was illegally sold out from under them in 1850.

The bill would authorize the state to hand over what is now Shabbona Lake and State Park to the tribe for $1. It also allows the tribe and the Department of Natural Resources to enter into a land management agreement under which the land would remain open to the public for recreational use for an unspecified period.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has announced its plan to host a cicada-themed art show during the Illinois State Fair and is seeking entries from the public, looking for interpretations of cicadas or broods.

Illinois nature lovers can bring the state’s most famous outdoor treasures indoors, with a new series of holiday ornaments featuring state parks.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is reporting an intensive 10-day “harvest” operated that netted 750,000 pounds of invasive silver carp, pulled from the Illinois River near Starved Rock.