Alan Schmierer News Today

"Recent columns have focused on the development of a small butterfly garden within my garden," writes columnist Tom Karwin. "This project began with the removal of a large invasive shrub, creating about 270 square feet of space to be planted."

On Gardening columnist Tom Karwin continues his series redesigning garden beds this week by advancing this process with another plant selection criterion: attraction to butterflies.

Theres no substitute for learning which berry is which before you pick them.

While the nine-banded armadillo is not native to Kentucky, sightings have raised suspicion that the species has made its way to the state, however, a recent roadkill of one confirms the suspicion. Read more here.

Bats save countries like the United States billions of dollars in pest control every year. They keep rainforests lush and crops growing. Bats even allow us to enjoy our favorite mixed drinks, such as margaritas and palomas. These denizens of the dark play a critical role in ecosystems, and our lives would be much harder […]

Researchers explain why so many armadillos are in Missouri and if they pose any threat to turkey populations.

Over the course of 23 years, the Cook County Coyote Project has tracked the movements of nearly 1,500 coyotes. 

TEHUACÁN-CUICATLÁN BIOSPHERE RESERVE, Mexico — The palenques, or local mezcal production sites, in the village of Santa María Ixcatlán stand unusually empty before the local Day of the Dead celebrations. “Due to a lack of mature agave left [in the wild], men don’t produce as much mezcal as they used to anymore,” explains the president […]

Late winter is coyote mating season, which reaches its peak toward the end of February. That's leading to more sightings than usual by humans — even in downtown Chicago — as the animals are a bit bolder and on the move in their search for a soulmate.

The News Bureau, part of Public Affairs, generates and coordinates news coverage of the Urbana-Champaign campus