Jess Savage
Environment ReporterJess is the environmental reporter at Northern Public Radio based in DeKalb, Illinois. They are a Report for America corps member covering agriculture and the environment throughout the Mississippi River Basin. They also regularly contribute food and farm stories for Harvest Public Media.
Jess recently completed their master's degree from Northwestern University's journalism program, where they specialized in health, environment and science reporting.
Before moving to Illinois, they studied ecology and natural resources at the University of Vermont. For their honors thesis, they researched the impacts of climate change on agriculture systems in New England.
They grew up on the north shore of Massachusetts, where their dad took them out clamming and lobstering on the Parker River. Jess worked on several farms over the years and spend most of their weekends exploring farmers markets throughout Chicago.
If you need to reach Jess, you can always send story ideas, recipes, book recommendations or anything else on your mind to jsavage2@niu.edu.
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Even with the recent harsh winter, ticks are bad this spring. Jess Savage reports on which ticks are most prevalent in northern Illinois, and what people can do to protect themselves against tick-borne diseases. -
The plant was found in a field during a corn harvest in Stephenson County. -
Some of the next generation of Illinois natural resource stewards will get to explore the outdoors this year. These northern Illinois classrooms got funding to go to some iconic natural areas. -
Hundreds of advocates and organizers headed to Springfield this week for Environmental Lobby Day in Illinois. -
Aurora City Council voted on a suite of new regulations for data centers that come to the city. The meeting on March 24 aligned with the end of a moratorium the city placed on data centers. -
Local food system organizations have until the end of the month to apply for a local food infrastructure grant. -
A wild week in northern Illinois that included destructive tornadoes, high winds and record-setting hail wrapped up — how else? — with a blizzard. -
La sesión legislativo de este año está en plena marcha en Illinois. Un proyecto de ley prohibiría los concursos de matanza de animales salvajes en el estado. -
La oficina del sheriff del condado de Ogle afirma que el público no está en peligro después de una exposición química que involucró a los empleados que trabajaron durante el apagón en la Constellation Generating Station ubicado en 4405 N. German Church Road en Byron, Illinois -
Tallgrass prairies used to dominate the Illinois landscape before European settlement and corn and soy agriculture. While there are very few prairies left in the state, what remains requires a special management technique: fire.
