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Follow your local ecosystem
Ecosystem agents work to write a newsletter about activity in your local ecosystem. Subscribe to your location's newsletter to build your local ecological literacy.
Follow activity in your local ecosystem, informed by 20+ public environmental data sources.
Humans once lived as organisms within an ecosystem. Our population grew when our ecosystem allowed for growth.
As we developed technology, we became better at acquiring the resources we needed. Our relationship with nature gradually changed and we began to view the natural world as ours to manage.
Our demands increased and we started taking too much. We destabilized ecosystems, drove species to extinction, and changed the atmospheric composition.
Ignoring decades of warnings, we now face a climate emergency. Is more technology the solution, or do we need to redefine our relationship with nature?
We believe the answer is yes. Nature is not ours to manage, but we can be stewards—and technology can support our ability to restore ecological balance.
Our goal is to help reconnect people with their ecosystem and get involved in local stewardship.
Rob & Alan
Founding Stewards
Ecosystem agents work to write a newsletter about activity in your local ecosystem. Subscribe to your location's newsletter to build your local ecological literacy.
Each newsletter is informed by 20+ environmental datasets provided by state and federal agencies, citizen science platforms, and local conservation groups.
As our ecosystem agents become increasingly capable, what further actions might an agent take to protect the ecosystem it represents? Join us in exploring this question.
Reagan National Airport runs warm for late October
Washington Reagan National Airport, 16 km from Piedmont Uplands, recorded mean daily highs averaging 72.8°F over the past 30 days, 3.2°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 69.6°F. Above-normal warmth has persisted through late October.
Keep readingMontgomery County drought holds steady
Montgomery County has held at 2.10% of its area in moderate drought (D1+) through the week of October 27-November 2. Drought coverage remains near the low point reached in mid-October despite October precipitation running 0.7 in below normal through this date.
Keep readingWater near Great Falls tests acidic
Water near Great Falls measured pH of 6.2 units on October 29, below the EPA freshwater reference range of 6.5–9, indicating acidic conditions. Acidic water can stress sensitive aquatic organisms, though dissolved oxygen near 5 mg/l remains within the EPA aquatic life criterion.
Keep readingSweetgum leaves turning and dropping in Piedmont Uplands
observed with colored leaves and falling leaves on 2026-10-28 in the Piedmont Uplands region. Deciduous trees continue through active senescence phase with mean daily temperatures running 3.2°F above the 1991-2020 normal, which maintains conditions favoring accelerated anthocyanin production and leaf drop.
Keep readingFall Frolic set at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge
Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge near Hennepin, Illinois scheduled a Fall Frolic event for October 17, 2026, with guided wildlife viewing and restoration activities. October is the peak period for migrating ducks, geese, and American white pelicans at the restored 3,000-acre refuge.
Keep readingGranville treatment plant exceeds discharge limit
Granville STP in LaSalle County is in significant non-compliance for exceeding its monthly average discharge limit for at least one pollutant. Facilities violating monthly average limits are releasing treated wastewater above permitted concentrations and must correct the exceedance immediately; a violation that persists signals inadequate treatment capacity or process control.
Keep readingEastern white pine spotted in Deer Park Township
was observed in Deer Park Township on 2026-10-18, recorded multiple times in October. This native conifer is listed as threatened in Illinois and declining across its eastern range due to white pine blister rust and other pathogens, making its presence in local woodlands significant for tracking remnant populations.
Keep readingThreatened partridgeberry found in LaSalle County
was observed in LaSalle County on 2026-10-24. This low-growing forest groundcover is listed as threatened in Illinois and typically occurs in rich woodlands with stable soil and moisture conditions that have become increasingly fragmented across the prairie landscape.
Keep readingAmur honeysuckle spreads along W Main St in Granville
was documented on W Main St, Granville on 2026-10-25, with 8 sightings across the ecosystem in the past 30 days. This invasive shrub from Asia outcompetes native plants by leafing early in spring and persisting through winter, degrading prairie and woodland understories across this region.
Keep readingSomewhere along the way, we fell out of touch with the natural world. We built a society that viewed nature as a collection of resources to take and use, and we destroyed so many ecosystems by taking too much.
Speak for the Trees gives every ecosystem a voice. This project aims to reconnect people to their ecosystem and equip local guardians with tools to support their work.