Five Fast Facts About Mighty Minks
If you spot a furry, brown animal along the edge of a local waterway, several possibilities may spring to mind. Is it a beaver or a...
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Willy's Wilderness
Willy's Wilderness
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- Feb 21
- 3 min
These Yellow-Eyed Ducks Will Catch Your Eye
Common goldeneyes are awesome ducks. They have great colors and patterns and super-cool mating dances and diving moves, and they are...
- Feb 10
- 3 min
Blast From the Past: Rocks Contain Fossils of Ancient Trilobites
If you dig deep enough into the land, eventually you will reach past the soil and hit layers of solid rock. These layers are called...
- Feb 7
- 4 min
Five Fast Facts About Treasured Snowy Owls
Snowy owls are one of those birds that people get excited about. One of the things that makes them so special is their rarity in northern...
- Jan 24
- 3 min
Nuthatches Really Live Up To Their Names
Have you ever seen a bird hopping upside down on a tree? It’s probably a white-breasted nuthatch that you see! Unlike most birds that...
- Jan 10
- 2 min
Elk, Our Deer's Big Cousin, Used to Roam Illinois
In your lifetime, you’ve probably seen a white-tailed deer or two — or maybe even dozens — hanging out on the side of the road or in our...
- Jan 4
- 5 min
Five Fast Facts About Clever and Cunning Red Foxes
Thanks to their distinctive appearance, red foxes aren't easy to confuse with other animals. Although they are quite common, they do a...
- Dec 19, 2022
- 4 min
Short- and Long-eared Owls: Who's Whoooo?
Will County is home to eight of the 19 owl species living in North America. Among those eight species are short-eared owls and long-eared...
- Dec 12, 2022
- 3 min
This Jumping Mouse Mostly Remains Out of Sight
Different animals handle winter in different ways. Some have built up thick winter coats and hide food to get them through the season....
- Nov 29, 2022
- 4 min
Five Fast Facts About Regal, Elegant Sandhill Cranes
Sandhill cranes are the supermodels of the bird world: tall, elegant and eye-catching with their gray plumage and crimson eye patches....
- Nov 18, 2022
- 5 min
Mussels Live Mysterious Lives, But They Are Essential
Mussels live private lives, sunk in streambeds or hidden in the murky bottoms of lakes and ponds, quietly filtering food and cleaning the...
- Nov 10, 2022
- 4 min
Rascally Raccoons Known for Troublemaking Ways
Raccoons are known for their mischievous ways, making them both beloved and bemoaned by the humans they live alongside. These crafty...
- Nov 8, 2022
- 3 min
This Fierce Bird Has Earned Its 'Butcher' Nickname
Fall is hunting season, and northern shrikes fly into the northern reaches of our state in October and November just in time to take...
- Oct 18, 2022
- 4 min
Like Most Bats, Evening Bats Live Up To Nocturnal Name
In October, bat decorations can be found anywhere you look, and they often look really similar to each other. But bats aren’t just fall...
- Oct 7, 2022
- 3 min
Hairy Wolf Spiders Live Up To Their Name
It’s fall, which means spider season! There are so many spiders around us. Do you see one? Is the spider super fast? Very hairy? Drab...
- Sep 30, 2022
- 4 min
Five Wild Facts About Oh-So-Common Garter Snakes
Garter snakes are a snake most people are familiar with because of how common they are across most of the United States. If you see a...
- Sep 28, 2022
- 3 min
Bluegills Are Adapted for Success in Our Waterways
Bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus, are one of the most common fish around. They are found in freshwater streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and...
- Aug 30, 2022
- 3 min
Ant or Spider? This Creature Doesn't Want You To Know
After your first glance at this creature, what did you think you were looking at? An ant? A spider? Now look closely. What do you see...
- Aug 23, 2022
- 3 min
Meet the Incredible Mr. (and Miss) Fox
Red foxes are awesome! They can run up to 30 miles per hour for short distances. They leave toys out for their young. And they are the...
- Aug 16, 2022
- 4 min
Five Fun Facts About Wiggly Worms
We don't often think about what's happening right under our feet, but there's plenty of life down there. One of the most populous and...
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