Willy's Wilderness

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Aug 1, 2019
4 min

Can You Fly Like a Monarch? Head Outside and Try

August is Monarch Month at the Forest Preserve District of Will County! In our area, the end of August marks the beginning of the monarch...

Jul 11, 2019
2 min

Firefly Games To Play in the Dark

Summer nights glow and twinkle thanks to an illuminating insect, the firefly. There are over 2,000 kinds of fireflies in the world. In No...

Jun 20, 2019
2 min

Twilight Is The Perfect Time For Outdoor Exploration

Twilight is the time of the day when the sun has just set below the horizon. The sky can be full of oranges, purples and blues. It is sti...

Jun 4, 2019
2 min

Celebrate the Great Outdoors This Month

June is Great Outdoors Month! The days are getting longer and warmer and there are so many reasons to head outside. Make a commitment to ...

May 28, 2019
2 min

Go Ahead and Get Dirty With Your Own Soil Study

Spring smells of soil. New life is popping out of the ground. It’s the season to start planting your garden. It’s the perfect time to dig...

Apr 23, 2019
3 min

Fun With Phenology

Head outside to investigate all the seasonal changes that come with spring, which is the study of phenology. What is phenology? Phenology...

Mar 26, 2019
1 min

Enjoy the Sounds of Nature

When exploring outdoors, humans heavily rely on their sense of sight. A lot of visitors ask naturalists, “Where are all the animals? I ne...

Mar 14, 2019
3 min

Spring is Near, Here's What You Can See, Hear

The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and spring is finally near. This is such a great time to get outside and explo...

Feb 11, 2019
2 min

Play These Fun Winter Games

February is no time to stay inside! Take advantage of the snow to play these games you can’t enjoy any other time of year. Snow Snake Snow...

Feb 8, 2019
1 min

Is Your Night Vision as Good as an Owl's?

Can an owl really see better than you at night? Try this owl eyes’ experiment and shed some light on your night vision. What You'll Need:...

Feb 1, 2019
1 min

Follow the Tracks

Winter is the perfect time to see animal activity in your own backyard or in the forest preserves. Normally, we may not be able to see th...

Jan 24, 2019
1 min

Try This Cool Winter Animal Experiment

Can your jello critter survive? Most animals have fur, feathers or extra layers of fat insulation to help them survive winter. They also ...

Jan 9, 2019
1 min

Forget About A Snow Man, Build a Snow Caterpillar

Here's a new twist on some winter fun. Building a snowman can be a lot of fun, but it also can be a lot of hard work, especially for litt...

Jan 7, 2019
2 min

Don't Miss This Colorful Lunar Eclipse

If you are looking for a reason to stay up past your bedtime that even your parents will agree to, January 20 may be the perfect night. T...

Dec 7, 2018
1 min

Stay Up Late for This Meteor Shower

Do you enjoy looking up at the sky and seeing what you can find? Do you always want to stay up late past your normal bedtime? Kids, this ...

Nov 2, 2018
1 min

Awesome Autumn Activities

Fall is in full swing right now — and what a perfect time to be outside. The weather is usually not too cold at this time, so why not tak...

Oct 30, 2018
1 min

Explore and Find an Animal's Home

Creatures can live in spaces that are all different shapes and sizes. A home can be found or made. Try to find an example of each of thes...

Aug 27, 2018
1 min

Create Some Compost in a Cup

Composting is nature's way of recycling things into soil. Anything that was once living will decompose into compost. Finished compost loo...

Jul 16, 2018
1 min

Three Ways to Be a Bird

Go out on a limb and give it your best shot. I Spy Bird Hike Go for a walk outside at your favorite forest preserve or in your own neighb...

Jun 7, 2018
2 min

Five Things to See in the Summer Night Sky

Gather around a campfire, roast some s'mores and enjoy the show. Mercury July 12 is the best time to see Mercury. It will be at its highe...

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