The objective of the Urban Biotic Assessment Program (UBAP) is to provide the Illinois Tollway with the ecological expertise needed to effectively and efficiently comply with state and federal environmental regulations, while also preserving habitats and species native to the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
INHS began its partnership with the Tollway in 2005, monitoring the endangered Blanding’s Turtle populations affected by the construction of the I355 extension.
This partnership has expanded and enables UBAP researchers to study the habitats and species of the Chicagoland area, and the challenges they face. Learn more about our research.
Download our report of activities from 2015-2020
UBAP ornithologist and program lead Anastasia Rahlin was quite happy this morning when she spotted this Great-Horned Owl sunning itself while she was conducting surveys of Boone County Conservation District lands. She managed to take this photo with her phone through her binoculars to share with us!![]()
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#fieldwork #birds #greathornedowl #conservation
Come on out to the Fox Valley Park District Rusty Rodeo this morning! As of 10:30am the largest one is still pretty small so plenty of chance to win prizes!
Looking for family fun with a purpose this weekend? Come out and help remove invasive rusty crayfish as part of the Rusty Rodeo! The event takes place at multiple locations and the Prairie Research Institute Illinois Natural History Survey Traveling Science Center will be at the location in North Aurora Island Park. ![]()
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Come on out, catch some rusty crayfish, win prizes, land earn about other things you can do to help protect our biodiversity!![]()
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Saturday August 10, 10am-noon
INHS PaCELab alum Andrea Colton is now working with the The Orianne Society. She shared some photos and information about our favorite field techs, the turtle dogs!
The PaCE Lab’s ornithologist, Asya Rahlin, and insect ecologist, K.C. Carter, are teaming up to study insect-bird interactions within Illinois wetlands. Their project focuses on the diet of wetland bird obligates like Marsh Wrens and Sedge Wrens, which inhabit cattail marsh and wet meadow habitats.![]()
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Using DNA metabarcoding on wren fecal samples, Asya and K.C. will investigate how wren diets vary across an urbanization gradient. They aim to determine wren diet composition, assess shifts in insect prey communities, and compare the dietary breadth of both wren species to available insects within the marsh and meadow vegetation.![]()
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They hypothesize that smaller, more urbanized wetlands will show decreased insect prey diversity, leading to potential prey specialization or prey switching by wrens and potentially lower wren body condition, abundance, and breeding success. This research will provide crucial insights into wetland management strategies to conserve Illinois bird and insect Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).