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Starting a fire can be easy as lighting a match, but it's good to know other techniques you can use when you don't have a match handy.

In the bird world, there are many different kinds of ducks. There are dozens of species of warblers, and there are a lot of different owls. But there are only two turkeys. One of those — the wild turkey — is well-known to us in the eastern United States. The other — the ocellated turkey — is not so familiar. The ocellated turkey looks sort of like a technicolor version of the turkey we are familiar with.

Rough-legged hawks may not be the most recognizable hawk in Will County, but they are one of the most interesting.

Animals that stay active during winter in cold climates rely on many adaptations to help them survive. For a select few, their winter survival strategies include a unique adaptation: turning white. 

Spring and autumn are the seasons of mushrooms, with many different species showing their fruiting bodies. But some mushrooms, like jelly fungus, can be found year-round.

Illinois has a state bird and a state tree and even a state mineral. Here's your chance to learn all about fluorite.

Weather and climate are related, but they are two different things. One simple way to explain the difference is with a well-known saying from American writer Mark Twain: "Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get."

See if you can ace this 10-question quiz about winter animals.

What better way to warm up a winter day than sitting by a roaring fire. With a little know-how and help from a responsible adult, you can build and start your own fire to add warmth to a cold winter day. 

Cold weather is no reason to stay indoors. Make a plan to spend some time in the woods and enjoy the longest night of the year.

Eight owl species call Will County home. And most of our local owls are nocturnal, so seeing them is a real treat. More often than not, we know owls are nearby because we hear them singing and calling. But owls don’t all sound the same. They don’t even all hoot. Each species has its own unique song.

You probably know the classic carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but we are putting a local spin on it by featuring birds we see locally.

The American coot is far from one of the most well-known waterfowl out there, but winter is when its presence really becomes known. An American coot. (Photo via Shutterstock) American coots are dark, duck-like birds that are about 15 inches long. Read the five facts below to get more familiar with this adorable waterfowl.    Not a duck Although American coots look like ducks, they are part of a group a marsh birds called rails. The rail family is diverse and consists of many

Coyotes are an important part of the ecosystem, and their presence across Illinois is beneficial. Their main ecosystem role is keeping the population of small mammals like rodents and rabbits in check.

The white-naped crane lives far from the United States, but it might remind you of our local crane species.

With their shades of pink, purple, yellow and white, spring wildflowers usually get the credit for bringing the most color to the preserves. And while their bright colors are beautiful, the autumn season is full of color too! After the leaves start to fall, those colors are not as bright and may be more subtle, but they bring no less beauty to the preserve.  (Photo by Glenn P. Knoblock) In fact, this is one of the best times of year to get outside and count the colors! While

Ever since the first hunter-gatherers sat beside a buzzing log and got a whiff of a sweet honey coming from within, humans have been managing and keeping honeybees. Beehives in winter. (Photo via Shutterstock) The honeybee got its common name from its scientific name, which is Apis mellifera . In Latin, Apis means “bee,” and mellifera means “honey-bearing.” Who’s in the hive?  A beehive consists of three types of bees: queens, workers and drones. The first and most important

Do you feel inspired by the leaves changing color all around you? Let’s make a leaf lantern!

Ways to predict the weather are passed down from generation to generation. Let’s talk about some of these common weather predictions to see if any of them have merit.

Most of us go out of our way to avoid piles of animal poop on the ground, but dung beetles are right at home in all that manure.  And it's lucky for us that they are because these insects do some important work in there.