Illinois in the 1800s looked far different from today. Most of our state was covered with grasses, trees, and flowers perfectly adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. Those same plants from an early and pre-settled Illinois are now at the heart of a new project designed to restore a piece of that heritage.

State of Change 2025 looked at a program in Champaign County that teaches people how to grow plants that can sustain pollinators, from a backyard to a back patio.

State of Change 2025 traveled to the Nachusa Grasslands in Lee County, where wild bison roam. We learned how bison and fires naturally restore and maintain the tallgrass prairie. We talked with University of Illinois professor of history Rosalyn LaPier about bison, the prairie, and Indigenous communities.

State of Change 2025 looks at efforts to retain existing prairie in Illinois, as well as strategies to restore some areas to a more natural state.

As part of a 280 acre expansion of the Chicago Rockford International Airport, the prairie, which has gone undeveloped for thousands of years, could be bulldozed, despite concerns that only .01% of Illinois' natural prairie remains.