Fast Fact: Full Moon
Have you ever wondered why the moon looks different in the sky each night? We see the moon in the night sky because it is being...
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Willy's Wilderness
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- Nov 8
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Sandhill Cranes
Sandhill cranes are among the oldest birds on Earth! Fossils of these birds dating back 2.5 million years have been found in Florida....
- Oct 25
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Shooting Stars
Have you ever made a wish upon a shooting star? These “stars” that streak across the sky are actually meteors and meteorites. They are...
- Oct 11
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Pumpkins
Do you have pumpkins on your porch for the Halloween season? Pumpkins are native to Central America and wouldn’t grow here naturally if...
- Sep 28
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Gray Foxes
Did you know Illinois is home to two fox species? In addition to familiar red foxes, gray foxes also live across the state. They are most...
- Sep 12
- 1 min
Fast Fact: White-Footed Mice
Have you ever seen a mouse in your house? Don’t blame the white-footed mice. Some mice species do make their way into our homes and other...
- Aug 30
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Turkey Vultures
Turkey vultures are interesting-looking birds. Once you see one, you aren’t likely to forget what they look like. For starters, they are...
- Aug 16
- 1 min
Fast Fact: American Toads
Illinois is home to several frog species, but only two kinds of toads. And only one kind of toad, the American toad, lives in northern...
- Aug 2
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Luna Moths
Lovely luna moths are one of the easiest moths to identify because of their green color and the long, curved tails on their hind wings....
- Jul 19
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Northern Map Turtles
Northern map turtles are one of 17 turtle species living in Illinois and one of 11 living in Will County. They are medium-sized turtles,...
- Jul 5
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Milksnakes
Meet our Illinois state snake, the eastern milksnake. These snakes are common across the northern third of Illinois and typically lives...
- Jun 21
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Tornadoes
Tornadoes are one of the most violent weather phenomena on Earth. They are dangerous and scary, and tornado warnings should always be...
- Jun 7
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Ants
Insects may be hard to recognize, but pretty much everyone knows an ant when they see one. There’s a lot of different kinds of ants,...
- May 24
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Flying Squirrels
You’ve probably seen gray squirrels and fox squirrels scurrying about our forests and trees, but have you ever seen a flying squirrel?...
- May 10
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Fog
Have you ever woken up on a foggy morning and wondered where all that fog came from or even what fog is? Essentially, fog is a cloud...
- Apr 26
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Common Blue Violets
Did you know Illinois has a state flower? In 1908, the common blue violet was designated the official state flower. You can find our...
- Mar 29
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Chorus Frogs
When you think of spring, what sounds do you think of? Probably birds chirping, maybe rumbles of thunder with some spring storms? How...
- Mar 15
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Skunk Cabbage
When you’ve grown tired of winter, look for skunk cabbage as a sign that spring is on the way. This plant is one of the first to emerge...
- Mar 1
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Bison
Can you guess North America’s largest mammal? It’s the American bison, or what you might call a buffalo. Male bison can weigh as much as...
- Feb 15
- 1 min
Fast Fact: Pileated Woodpeckers
Many of our local woodpeckers sport black, white and red feathers, and the pileated woodpecker is one of them. It’s easy to distinguish...
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