•April 27, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator

Are you ready for spring cleaning? Extension Educator Judy Schmidt shares some great information on how to get started. Judy says: Even though it doesn’t quite feel like spring yet, the faintest hint of warm weather makes me anxious to open my windows and doors to let the fresh air in. It also makes me itch to start going through closets, cleaning out the garage and sprucing up the outdoors! But with so many tasks and often little time, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Here are three great strategies to help you get started organizing your home: · Reduce clutter - Commit to reducing the clutter in your home. Clear the Clutter, a University of Illinois Extension resource found online at https://web.extension.illinois.edu/clutter/clearing.html , shares a great strategy for sorting out things you want to keep or not. Start in one space (think closet, spare room, garage stall) and commit to sorting out the items in that space into four boxes – garbage, recycling, donate (or sell), and keep. Be sure to set a time limit and work quickly – this is not the time to nostalgically go through your photo albums or children’s art, as that can take up your whole time! Read More

•April 27, 2022•
Rob Stroud
Office Support Assistant
University of Illinois Extension

The University of Illinois Master Gardeners program thanks Rural King for their donation of thousands of seed packets that have helped the local community and will soon aid Ukraine.
The Master Gardeners of Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie, and Shelby Counties used part of the donated seeds for their outreach efforts and have been dispensing additional packets to other local organizations to support their community programs.
“The ripples keep spreading from your good deed. Thank you!” said Master Gardener volunteer Kathy Hummel. Read More

•April 27, 2022•
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has issued updated public recommendations regarding wild birds and the EA H5N1 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) currently impacting some wild and domestic bird species.
While HPAI has not been detected in songbird species (passerines), IDNR recommends the use of bird feeders and bird baths cease through May 31, or until HPAI infections in the Midwest subside, especially those that waterfowl may visit. During spring, wild birds will have ample food sources while bird feeders are removed.
Further IDNR recommendations:
• Clean and rinse bird feeders and baths with a diluted bleach solution (nine parts water to one part bleach) and put away or clean weekly if they can’t be moved away from birds.
• Remove any bird seed at the base of bird feeders to discourage large gatherings of birds or other wildlife. Read More