Eagle watching across Illinois

Eagle watching is popular free and fun community event for numerous areas across the state! The first eagles arrive in December, and most leave by mid-March. January and February are the best months to see eagles, whether at a state park or wildlife refuge, here is a list of some of the best locations to see our protected national birds:

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Soybean Capital of the World: Decatur

National Bean Day is celebrated every year on Jan. 6. This day celebrates the bean in all sizes, shapes and colors. Illinois has close ties to beans as Decatur is known as the “soybean capital of the world.”

The soybean’s rise can be traced back to one enterprising Illinois industrialist, A.E. Staley. Staley was the first to process the soybean bean into oil and meal at his plant in Decatur in 1922, two years before the USDA even began tracking the crop.

At the time, over a third of all soybeans grown in the world were processed in Decatur. In 1955, a group of Decatur executives founded the Soy Capital Bank to trade on the nickname.

A. E. Staley became one of the largest processors of corn in the United States, second only to Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), also based in Decatur. Staley also processed soybeans under a partnership agreement with ADM at its Decatur plant.

Decatur is an important commercial and agricultural distribution center, with large corn and soybean processing plants and varied industries, including the manufacture of construction and mining equipment, iron castings, control valves, automotive parts, glass, electric motors and generators, and pharmaceuticals.

Decatur is now the soybean-processing center for the country and has one of the largest processing plants in North America.

National Bird Day: Spotlight on Illinois

• Illinois
• Animals

Jan. 5 is National Bird Day and Illinois has good reason to celebrate. Though some may take these feathery fauna for granted, birds are a key part of Illinois’ environment and deserve recognition.

As of 2024 there are 457 bird species in Illinois, of which 29 bird species are on the state threatened and endangered list. Birds make up several key niches in the ecosystem and are an important part of the food chain. Illinois has taken steps to protect her bird species with programs like the Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization project on Lake Michigan. As a part of protecting the stability of the shoreline ecosystem, the project creates new potential nesting sites for three types of coastal bird species: the piping plover, common tern and Caspian tern. 

But it’s not just people from northern Illinois who appreciate birds. There are bird watching groups in the Metro East that flock to the Mississippi River every year to view bald eagles on the limestone bluffs. Hundreds of American Bald Eagles come through the Alton/Grafton area every winter and can be seen during special eagle watching programs.

Finally, National Bird Day cannot be complete without mention of the Illinois state bird, the cardinal. The males’ bright red plumage gives them away and they are often the first to visit feeders in the morning. Illinois was the first of seven states to adopt the cardinal as their state bird and it can be seen commonly statewide. The cardinal was selected by Illinois schoolchildren from a list of potential candidates in 1929.

Restaurant week is back!

Kick off the new year by exploring flavors of food scenes in cities across Illinois this month.

With hundreds of options from casual eateries to fine dining establishments, Illinois restaurant week celebrations offer options for every taste and budget and provide the opportunity to find your new local favorite.

Aurora Restaurant Week

Aurora will be hosting its first-ever restaurant week, highlighting the city’s rapidly growing and diverse culinary scene. Aurora Restaurant Week will run from Jan. 21 through Feb. 4. View a list of participating restaurants here. 

Champaign-Urbana Area Restaurant Week

The 9^th annual Champaign-Urbana Area Restaurant Week will be held Jan. 24 through Feb. 1. The nine-day celebration will feature restaurants serving cuisines from across the world. View a list of participating restaurants here.

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