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Fun after dark: Explore the night sky
Explore the May night sky with this simple guide. Discover stars, constellations, and fun ways to watch the sky at night.


Wild Relatives: The bone-eating bearded vulture
Bearded vultures are not like other birds. These large mountain birds eat bones and even drop them from the sky to crack them open. Discover how they survive and why they are so unique.


A river adventure: Explore from source to sea
Join Willy the Woodchuck on a river adventure. Learn how rivers start, grow and travel from source to sea.


Science at the beach: Hot sand, cool water
Have you ever walked across the sand at the beach on a hot summer day? It’s hot, right? Good thing you can cool off your feet by dipping them in the water. But wait? Why is the sand so much hotter than the water? Try this simple at-home experiment to find out.


How well do you know remarkable robins?
Test you knowledge on these very common birds


Stay safe around feisty geese this spring
Canada geese aren’t mean—they’re protective. Learn why goose encounters increase in spring and how to safely share space with these devoted parents.


Not just ordinary: See what's special all around you
Nothing in nature is “just” anything. From squirrels to geese to trees, discover the amazing world right outside your door.


Who am I? Help solve this springtime mystery
Can you solve this fun nature riddle? Follow clues to discover a sneaky organism that can climb, grows berries and has leaves of three.


Why do some trees not lose their leaves?
Not all deciduous trees seem know they are supposed to lose their leaves. These leaves that just can't seem to let go get the first part of the equation right. The green color fades, but that's where the process stops. Those leaves never seem to fall.


Wild Relatives: The imposing African buffalo
African buffalo are one of just two buffalo species in the world, but they are also relatives of the bison that roam North America.


Walk this way: What animal tracks can tell us
Any time of year is a good time to look for animal tracks, and they can actually tell us quite a bit about who left them.


Frog or toad? Learn the differences
What's the difference between a frog and a toad? Let's check the facts and meet our local toad species.


On the move: How plants disperse seeds
Plants are clever in many ways! One of the most impressive and diverse adaptations is how they spread their seeds.


Seagulls do work as nature's cleanup crew
Seagulls live all over the world and are common in Illinois. Learn why these smart birds love water, parking lots, and leftover food.


It's spring! Explore the season with your senses
The temperature are rising, and the season is changing. Get outside to explore spring with all your senses.


Wild Relatives: The tool-using sea otter
Sea otters are amazing ocean mammals related to river otters in North America. Learn how they float, use rocks as tools, stay warm with thick fur and how conservation helped bring them back from near extinction.


Leap into learning with this deer quiz
See if you can ace this 10-question quiz about deer.


Craft your own handheld habitat at home
It's time to get crafty! Gather together your favorite craft supplies to create a tiny handheld habitat for your favorite creature.


Who needs winter? Nature does
What purpose does our cold winter season serve? Do we really need winter? What does winter do for nature? So many things.


Macrophotography focuses on small wonders
We often see so many amazing things outside that we want to capture them with a photo. But if you are only ever looking up and out, you are missing out on some amazing views. Try looking down, way, way down. Not at the big things, but at the tiny, tiny parts of nature.
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