Environmental & Wildlife Reporting from the Tri-State Region
Evidence-based reporting on wildlife, habitat, restoration, invasive species, rivers, land use, and environmental management across southwestern Indiana, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky.
This is the complete reporting index for Land & Wildlife Report. Browse the newest work below or go directly to one of LWR’s six main topic areas for deeper regional coverage.
Follow the part of the story that matters to you.
The six LWR topic hubs organize individual reports around the larger ecological and management questions shaping the region.
Mine Lands & Restoration
Reclamation, ecological recovery, habitat, and the legacy of mining.
Explore topicInvasive Species
Introduced plants and other species changing forests, fields, and wetlands.
Explore topicRivers & Wetlands
Rivers, floodplains, wetlands, bottomland forests, and connected habitat.
Explore topicWildlife
Wildlife habitat, behavior, conflict, populations, and management.
Explore topicLand Use & Access
Public access, private land, recreation, agriculture, development, and fragmentation.
Explore topicPolicy & Management
Agency decisions, environmental policy, management programs, economics, and regulation.
Explore topicNew from Land & Wildlife Report
The newest reporting appears first. Use the topic hubs above when you want to follow one subject in greater depth.
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Can Reclaimed Mine Land Become Wildlife Habitat Again?
Reclaimed coal mines can become grasslands, wetlands, shrublands, lakes, and forests used by wildlife. But creating habitat is not the same as recreating the ecosystem that mining removed.
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Why Japanese Stiltgrass Is Becoming a Problem in Southern Indiana Woodlands
Japanese stiltgrass can turn a diverse woodland understory into a low grass carpet. Here is how to identify it, why it is spreading through southern Indiana, and what makes long-term control difficult.
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Suburban Deer Are Not an Accident: How Development Creates Deer Problems
Suburban deer problems are usually framed as “too many deer.” But deer conflict often begins with land-use decisions: development creates edge habitat, ornamental food, road crossings, and management limits. This article explains why suburban deer are not an accident — and what actually reduces conflict.
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The Wolf Budget Problem: Recovery Without Conflict Funding Is Not Management
Wolf recovery is often measured by population growth. But long-term management depends on whether states can fund compensation, prevention, field investigations, and producer trust after wolves return to working landscapes.
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The Groundhog Day Problem in Wildlife Management
Elk, predators, drought, fire, and fencing conflicts keep returning because wildlife systems do not stand still. Adaptive management gives landowners, agencies, and conservation groups a better way to learn before the next season repeats the same problem.
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Public Hunting Access vs Private Leases: Why State Programs Are Losing Ground
Public hunting access programs across the West are increasingly struggling to compete with the rising economics of private hunting leases. As land values climb and wildlife becomes a premium recreational asset, many ranchers now face mounting pressure to prioritize low-impact, high-revenue private access agreements over traditional state-funded public hunting programs. This analysis examines the financial…
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Deer Damage Prevention for Gardens & Landscapes: What Actually Works (and What Fails Repeatedly)
Deer damage prevention isn’t random—it’s predictable. Learn what actually works to keep deer out of gardens, why most methods fail, and when fencing becomes the only real solution.
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eDNA Testing for Invasive Species (2026): What It Detects, What It Costs, and How to Use It Without Fooling Yourself
Environmental DNA (eDNA) testing can reveal invasive species before they’re visible—but it isn’t proof, and it doesn’t replace field work. This guide explains how eDNA actually works, what it costs in 2026, where it fails, and how land managers and agencies use results to guide cameras, trapping, and follow-up surveys.
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Protein vs. Climate: What Functionally Equivalent Protein Actually Costs in Food and Emissions
Protein requirements are fixed by biology, but the climate cost of meeting them is not. Most diet–climate comparisons evaluate foods by calories, servings, or kilograms consumed. This analysis instead normalizes greenhouse gas emissions and food intake to functionally equivalent protein, revealing a set of unavoidable tradeoffs. By comparing food volume, emissions, digestibility, and access constraints…
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Urban Sprawl and Wildlife Displacement: Why Conflict Increases
Urban development doesn’t just replace habitat—it reshapes how wildlife moves, feeds, and survives. This article explains how urban sprawl displaces animals into edge zones and why conflict increases even without population growth.
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Drought Wildlife Conflict: Why Animals Are Moving Into Towns
Drought is pushing wildlife into towns at measurable rates. New research shows that as water and prey become scarce, adaptable carnivores like coyotes, bears, and mountain lions range farther into urban areas—driving predictable increases in reported human–wildlife conflict during dry years.
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Drone Wildlife Surveys in Challenging Conditions
Drone wildlife surveys promise efficiency—but often fail under real field conditions. This guide explains when drones work, when they don’t, and how to plan accordingly.
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