Hawthorne Hill Nature Center

06/22/2026

Did you know some of Illinois' most vital pollinators aren't bees at all?

For , we're spotlighting hoverflies! Also known as syrphid flies, these members of the Syrphidae family play an essential role in pollination while often going unnoticed.

Flies are frequently overlooked but are the second most important pollinators, second only to bees. Syrphid/hoverflies mimic bees in appearance and behavior, oftentimes visiting flowers to feed on pollen and nectar, but they can be distinguished by:

-Wing Count: Hoverflies have two wings, and bees have four
-Antenna Length and Shape: Hoverflies have short antennae, and bees have longer, bent antennae
-Flight Pattern: Hoverflies hover in place, while bees tend to move from one direction to the next

🔗 Find out more about hoverflies as pollinators at https://illinoispollinators.org/what-are-pollinators/flies/

🔗 Read 3 things you never knew about hover flies https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/flowers-fruits-and-frass/2021-08-06-3-things-you-never-knew-about-hover-flies

🔗 Explore more pollinators and plants at Illinois Pollinators at https://pollinators.illinois.edu

Photo Credit: horticulture educator Ken Johnson

06/22/2026

The "forever chemical" met something older.
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are the most stubborn pollutants humans have invented. They don't break down in sunlight, water, soil, or human bodies. They accumulate in blood, in liver tissue, in groundwater, and they stay there for decades. Maine's farm soils were contaminated by sludge spreading, firefighting foam, and industrial discharge. The state had thousands of acres where PFAS levels exceeded safety thresholds, and conventional remediation was a joke. You can't filter what doesn't degrade. You can't dig up what has already spread through the soil profile.
Maine's Department of Environmental Protection funded a project using wood-rot fungi mycelium to biologically break down PFAS. The mechanism is enzymatic. White-rot fungi — species like Phanerochaete chrysosporium — evolved to decompose lignin, one of the most complex and resistant organic polymers on Earth. Their enzymes, called laccases and peroxidases, cleave carbon-fluorine bonds that other organisms can't touch. The mycelium in this photo, spreading through mulch in a contaminated Aroostook County field, is literally digesting PFAS molecules and converting them into harmless byproducts.
The turkey in the background, foraging in the mist, is the proof. Before the mycelium treatment, this soil was too contaminated for agricultural use. Wildlife avoided it. The fungi broke down the PFAS over 18 months of managed treatment, and the soil now tests below detection thresholds for the most common PFAS variants. The turkey doesn't know about enzymatic degradation. It just knows the ground is safe to scratch again.
The second-order effect is agricultural. Maine's dairy industry was devastated by PFAS contamination in feed crops grown on sludge-amended soils. Farmers faced bankruptcy, herd culling, and permanent land loss. The mycelium treatment offers a path to recovery. It's not fast — it takes one to two growing seasons — but it's permanent. The fungi don't just bind PFAS. They destroy it. And the byproduct is improved soil structure, increased organic matter, and restored microbial diversity.
Other states are watching because Maine proved that the oldest technology on Earth — fungal decomposition — might be the only one capable of undoing our newest mistake.

06/22/2026

Just kitty-corner from us!

Last nights view, nature paints perfection ✨💫🤩 …..

06/22/2026

Identifying the types of plants growing in turf and grass can be a challenge.

Identifying Weeds in Midwestern Turf and Landscapes identifies 37 common w**ds in lawns across the Midwest. Each w**d is identified with several color photos and brief descriptions of its leaves, flowers, stems, and other features.

Helpful look-alikes are also listed to help learn how to spot the differences.

🔗Purchase copy at https://pubsplus.illinois.edu/products/identifying-w**ds-in-midwestern-turf-and-landscapes
🔗Explore more Extension books at https://pubsplus.illinois.edu/

06/22/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18i9JEHj3Q/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Register to join us at next week's Green Teacher Gathering 2026! It's more than a conference. It’s a space to reconnect and get inspired.

This year’s theme, “Guided by Nature: Reconnect, Restore, Revolutionize—advancing nature-centered teaching for a sustainable future,” invites you to reimagine what learning can look like, no matter who your learners are.

With hands-on workshops and community-building sessions, you’ll leave empowered and equipped to bring environmental education to life. Registration is just $35 and includes light breakfast and lunch. Scholarships are available.

📅 Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 8:30am-4pm CST
📍 Academy for Global Citizenship, Chicago
📝 Learn more and register at https://www.chicagowilderness.org/page/GreenTeacherGathering2026

06/21/2026

Hawthorne Hill Nature Center is also powered by volunteerism! Keep reading, then click the link to find out ways you can help out. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSCFi37Ad-yK43B8We3xKcA6oc23_eu_qW45vqWp56mUiObQ/viewform

Spring 2026 Volunteer Newsletter

06/21/2026

Tomorrow is the first day of summer! The sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky on the summer solstice (after that, the days start getting shorter 😢). This is not the day of the earliest sunrise (that was June 14), but it is the day that sunset takes the longest.

Many pagan festivals that honor the sun also honor agriculture. Crops are on their way to maturing in summer and farmers start looking ahead to the harvest.

Do other planets have seasons? Yes and no... Mercury has almost no tilt relative to its plane of orbit and so does not really experience seasons. On Uranus, which is tilted almost 98 degrees, seasons last 21 years!

If your zodiac sign is Cancer - now is your time -the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer. Cancers are tough, yet sensitive, very intuitive and fiercely loyal. Family is their center and cooking is often their gift - perfect traits for summer gatherings!

06/21/2026

New Eagle Scout activity on Hawthorne Hill Nature Center’s Eagle Scout Loop trail. Watch for more construction updates on the “Eagle’s Nest” forest canopy viewing station! This is all part of our vision for creating a certified nature therapy trail at Hawthorne Hill.

06/20/2026

One of the most exciting things about the Obama Presidential Center is its commitment to nature. The landscape will include more than 10,000 native plants, creating valuable habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

Native plants are far more than just beautiful. They provide food and shelter for countless species, support biodiversity, improve soil health, reduce the need for watering and chemicals, and help reconnect people with the natural ecosystems of their region.

This project shows that large public spaces can be both inspiring and environmentally responsible. Every native plant added to the landscape is a step toward a healthier future for wildlife and people alike.