Willy's Wilderness

Willy's Wilderness

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Willy's Wilderness

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Blinded Sphinx Moth Not Really Blind At All
  • 2 days ago
  • 2 min

Blinded Sphinx Moth Not Really Blind At All

The hawk moth family, or family Sphingidae, includes many of the largest moth species around. Moths from this family that you may know...
Lawn Lobsters: Have You Ever Seen a Crayfish in Your Yard?
  • Jun 7
  • 3 min

Lawn Lobsters: Have You Ever Seen a Crayfish in Your Yard?

Look out for the lawn lobster! Did you know you might find crayfish in your yard? Or in the meadow nearby? We mostly think of them as...
Five Facts About Those Ever-Present Canada Geese
  • Jun 3
  • 4 min

Five Facts About Those Ever-Present Canada Geese

Canada geese are one of the most well-known and widespread birds, but they definitely don't make many favorite lists. All year long you...
Chimney Swifts Are Always Flying and Always Eating
  • May 31
  • 4 min

Chimney Swifts Are Always Flying and Always Eating

Chimney swifts are birds with a very appropriate name. Not only do they prefer to nest in chimneys, they are also a sooty gray color....
Racerunners One of Will County's Only Lizards
  • May 20
  • 2 min

Racerunners One of Will County's Only Lizards

If you think about the reptiles that live around our homes and neighborhoods, you probably think of snakes and maybe turtles. But did you...
Learn To Speak the Red-Winged Blackbird's Language
  • May 10
  • 4 min

Learn To Speak the Red-Winged Blackbird's Language

Known for their song and aggressive behaviors, red-winged blackbirds are one of the easiest birds to identify in Will County. It’s all in...
This Frog Is All Around, But They Like To Blend In
  • May 6
  • 3 min

This Frog Is All Around, But They Like To Blend In

One of the roles of the Forest Preserve of District of Will County is to provide and restore healthy habitats for a diverse and abundant...
Five Facts About Graceful Great Egrets
  • Apr 29
  • 4 min

Five Facts About Graceful Great Egrets

Our tallest birds are among our most elegant, and the great egret certainly fits into this group of regal birds. Great egrets are one of...
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Are Small But Fierce
  • Apr 22
  • 3 min

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Are Small But Fierce

The tiny ruby-throated hummingbird is often deemed the cutest bird around. Sure, they buzz when they fly, their feathers shimmer in the...
Five Fast Facts About Beloved White-Tailed Deer
  • Apr 14
  • 4 min

Five Fast Facts About Beloved White-Tailed Deer

White-tailed deer are curious and shy creatures. They are always aware of your presence and keeping a watchful eye as they graze. They...
Get To Know The Majestic Great Blue Heron
  • Apr 11
  • 3 min

Get To Know The Majestic Great Blue Heron

Great blue herons are majestic birds you can see around Will County’s marshes, rivers, ponds and lakes — basically anyplace with still or...
Our Most Common Snake Is Nothing To Fear
  • Mar 28
  • 3 min

Our Most Common Snake Is Nothing To Fear

The common garter snake is perfectly named. It is the most common garter snake in North America. That is because it is very adaptable. It...
Our Biggest, Boldest Woodpecker Really Grabs Your Attention
  • Mar 22
  • 2 min

Our Biggest, Boldest Woodpecker Really Grabs Your Attention

A loud, tapping sound coming from the forest just might be the work of a woodpecker. If that tapping is really loud, it just may be a...
Get To Know the Teeny, Tiny Tardigrade
  • Mar 11
  • 3 min

Get To Know the Teeny, Tiny Tardigrade

What is the difference between a water bear and a moss piglet? Nothing! Both are common names for a tiny animal officially known as the...
Oh, Deer: Our Largest Animal The Only One With Antlers
  • Feb 25
  • 3 min

Oh, Deer: Our Largest Animal The Only One With Antlers

White-tailed deer are the largest wild mammal in Illinois. They are browsing herbivores that roam the woods, sometimes entering yards and...
Minks Are One of Our Area's Top Aquatic Predators
  • Feb 4
  • 3 min

Minks Are One of Our Area's Top Aquatic Predators

What animal can swim nonstop for three hours, climb trees like a champ, dive 16 feet deep, hold its breath for five minutes, purr like a...
A Woodpecker On The Ground? It's A Northern Flicker
  • Jan 21
  • 3 min

A Woodpecker On The Ground? It's A Northern Flicker

Woodpeckers are famous for, well, pecking wood. When you imagine a woodpecker, most likely you picture a black and white bird hammering...
How Do Bison Survive A Long, Cold Winter?
  • Jan 11
  • 3 min

How Do Bison Survive A Long, Cold Winter?

What do you do to protect yourself from the winter cold? You bundle up! Coats, scarfs, hats and gloves all come out of storage. Bison...
Striped Skunks: More Than Just A Bad Smell
  • Jan 4
  • 2 min

Striped Skunks: More Than Just A Bad Smell

Most people know a skunk when they see one, and they will probably go to great lengths to avoid coming into close contact with it. Skunks...
Hawk Circling Your Feeders? It's Likely A Cooper's Hawk
  • Dec 29, 2021
  • 2 min

Hawk Circling Your Feeders? It's Likely A Cooper's Hawk

Feeding the birds can be a great way to bond with nature and learn your local birds. One of the most magical things about nature is that...
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