Willy's Wilderness

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Jun 25, 2019
2 min

Is It a Bird? Is It Part of a Tree? No, It's a Gray Tree Frog

You don’t have to travel to Costa Rica to see a tree frog. Right here in our own back yards we have gray tree frogs. As their name...

Jun 7, 2019
2 min

The Lovely Luna Moth

With its big green wings, the luna moth is often thought to be one of the most beautiful creatures seen in nature. Like butterflies, luna...

May 30, 2019
2 min

Turtle Power: The Mighty Snapping Turtle

Common snapping turtles are known for their bite, but like most animals they would rather avoid humans than bite them. These turtles, one...

May 14, 2019
2 min

Pretty Punctuation: The Question Mark and Eastern Comma Butterflies

There are many beautiful butterfly species, and trying to learn them by name can be difficult, especially when they are similar in size,...

May 2, 2019
2 min

The Big and Beautiful Great Blue Heron

Great blue herons are big birds, much larger than the birds we often see in the trees in our yards and parks. They look a little awkward...

Apr 30, 2019
2 min

Bug Out With These Fun Roly-Poly Facts

Who hasn't seen a roly-poly and given it a gentle touch to watch it form into a little ball? Rolling into a ball is how these bugs...

Apr 25, 2019
1 min

Red-Headed Woodpeckers Are Birds To See and Hear

Woodpeckers are a bird with a perfect name, because they are known for pecking wood. And red-headed woodpeckers are even more perfectly...

Apr 18, 2019
3 min

Everything Earthworm

Do you love earthworms? Do they creep you out? Either way, there are thousands under your feet all the time. We want earthworms under our...

Mar 22, 2019
2 min

Creature Feature: The Odd-Looking Opossum

Have you ever heard the phrase “playing possum” and wondered what it meant? Playing possum is the same as playing dead. It’s something...

Mar 11, 2019
1 min

Great Horned Owls Are a Real Hoot

We don’t often think of birds as predators, but the great horned owl is a strong hunter, able to take down animals even bigger than...

Feb 28, 2019
2 min

Meet Nature's Dance Off Champion: The American Woodcock

What in the world is a Woodcock? An American Woodcock is a shorebird that thought the shore was overrated. These small plump short-legged...

Feb 25, 2019
2 min

Snowy Owls Live Up to Their Name

If you take one look at a snowy owl, you can probably guess how they got their name. These snowy-white birds can be a beautiful sight,...

Feb 12, 2019
2 min

Have You Ever Seen a Vole?

You probably know many of Will County’s resident rodents. We have beavers, squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, and woodchucks. But one of...

Jan 29, 2019
2 min

Groundhogs Go By Many Different Names

In honor of Groundhog Day and our mascot, Willy, here is a closer look at groundhogs. The groundhog becomes a celebrity once a year, when...

Jan 22, 2019
3 min

Butt-Breathing Snapping Turtles Are a Real Gas

Snapping Turtles bring new meaning to the words “butt breath.” But in this case it’s not an insult; it’s a way to survive! When you...

Jan 17, 2019
2 min

Red Foxes: The Silent Hunters

At first glance, the red fox looks like an animal you might have as a pet at home, but these creatures are designed to live in the wild....

Dec 17, 2018
2 min

Beavers Are Big, Busy Rodents

If anyone has ever told you that you’re busy as a beaver, they definitely know at least a little something about these crafty critters....

Nov 14, 2018
2 min

Wild Turkeys Aren't Just for Thanksgiving

Turkey will probably be on the menu for your Thanksgiving feast, but these birds aren’t just a source of food for us. They’re our...

Oct 29, 2018
1 min

Meet the Fast Flying Merlin

Despite a name to the contrary, there’s nothing magical or mysterious about merlin falcons. The Merlin falcon has a name that sounds a...

Oct 19, 2018
1 min

Turkey Vultures Are Nature's Clean-Up Crew

They'll eat things that would make you sick. Nobody will ever say turkey vultures are the prettiest bird they have ever seen. But they...

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