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Turkey vultures and black vultures help clean the environment by eating dead animals. Turkey vultures are more common in northern Illinois and have red heads and dark brown feathers. Black vultures have black heads and black feathers with white wing tips. Turkey vultures use smell to find food while black vultures rely on sight. Though turkey vultures are bigger, black vultures often work together to compete for food.

Oak trees are vital keystone species that support more life than any other tree in North America. They are among the longest-living trees in the world and provide food, shelter, and habitat to wildlife such as caterpillars. White oaks drop acorns yearly; red oaks, every other year. Oaks live for centuries and are known to be symbols of strength. Only 1 in 1,000 acorns becomes a tree, but the rest feed wildlife. Oak trees also played key roles in history, shipbuilding, and cul

Shooting stars are actually meteors, which are space rocks burning as they fall through Earth’s atmosphere. If a rock survives the fall and lands, it is called a meteorite. When Earth passes through a comet’s debris, we get a meteor shower. Major showers include the Perseids, Orionids, Geminids, and Lyrids. To see them best, go to a dark area away from city lights, let your eyes adjust, and watch the sky.

Wolves and coyotes are wild canines often confused due to similar looks. Wolves are larger, with blockier snouts, smaller ears, and elevated tails when walking. Coyotes are smaller, have pointed snouts and ears, and droop their tails. Wolves once lived in Illinois but are now rare. Coyotes are common across Illinois and North America. Wolves were removed from the endangered species list in 2020 and may be removed from the Illinois list in 2025.

Illinois is the top pumpkin-growing state in the U.S., with Will County among the top 10 producers. Though native to Central America, pumpkins are now widely grown here. They are fruits from the cucurbit family, which also includes cucumbers, squash and melons. The word pumpkin comes from the Greek word for large melon. Pumpkin flesh is used in pies, breads and soups, while the seeds are often roasted for a snack.

American white pelicans migrate through Will County each spring and fall, stopping to rest and feed. These large birds have 9-foot wingspans and use thermals to soar. Their long beaks grow a seasonal bump during mating, and their throat pouch helps them scoop fish and stay cool. Pelicans often hunt cooperatively by corralling fish. Many stop at the confluence near Four Rivers, where up to 900 have been seen during fall migration.

White-footed mice live mostly outdoors in forests and brush, staying active at night and usually alone. They are good swimmers and climbers with keen senses. These omnivores eat seeds, nuts, fruits, fungi, and insects, storing food for winter. They breed from spring to fall, with females having 2 to 5 blind, furless babies cared for weeks. They typically live about a year in the wild.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass differ in more than just mouth size. Largemouth have bigger bodies and jaws that extend past their eyes; smallmouth jaws stop at the eye’s center. Largemouth are greenish with horizontal stripes and a split-like dorsal fin. Smallmouth are brownish with vertical stripes and a connected dorsal fin. Largemouth prefer warm, murky water and ambush prey, while smallmouth hunt in cooler, clear water. Both are fun to catch and found in many U.S. lakes

Turkey vultures are large birds with dark feathers and bright red, featherless heads. They eat dead animals, called carrion, using their strong sense of smell to find food. By consuming carcasses, they play a vital role in the ecosystem by preventing disease and reducing unpleasant smells. Their unique diet and appearance make them easy to recognize and important for nature’s cleanup.

Illinois has only two toad species and just one lives in northern Illinois the American toad. They live on land but need shallow water for breeding hiding and feeding. Unlike frogs they have dry bumpy skin with warts. Their color ranges from brown to gray green or red. American toads are smaller than bullfrogs growing only 2 to 3½ inches long and mainly eat insects worms and other small invertebrates.

In summer, ponds and lakes bloom with aquatic plants like duckweed, water lilies and American lotus. Though similar, water lilies have pink flowers that float and notched leaves on the water’s surface. American lotus has yellow flowers on tall stalks and large, round leaves above the water. Both grow from rhizomes in calm waters. Water lilies ripen seeds underwater, while lotus seeds float. Lotus is native to Illinois, though some water lily varieties are ornamental.

Red milkweed beetles are bright red insects with long antennae and a unique “four eyes” setup. They live on milkweed, laying eggs near the stems. Larvae feed on roots underground, then emerge as adults in summer. Like monarchs, they eat milkweed and avoid its sticky latex by cutting leaf veins. Their red color warns predators of their toxicity. These beetles also make squeaking and purring sounds while feeding or interacting with each other.

Cicadas, often mistaken for locusts, are harmless, noisy insects that benefit ecosystems. Locusts, a type of grasshopper, form destructive swarms that devastate crops in parts of the world but are extinct in North America. Illinois has dog-day cicadas, which appear yearly, and periodical cicadas, which emerge every 13 or 17 years. Cicadas spend most of their lives underground feeding on tree roots and help aerate soil before emerging to mate.

Summer is full of beetles, including favorites like fireflies, ladybugs and June bugs. Fireflies glow at night and eat nectar or other bugs. Lady beetles, which come in many colors and spot patterns, eat garden pests like aphids. June bugs are harmless night beetles that munch on leaves. Beetles are the largest order of insects and come in many shapes and sizes. You might be surprised how many you already know.

Luna moths are easy to spot with their green color, long curved hindwing tails, and four moon like spots which is how they got their name. They have a wingspan between three and four and a half inches. The tails help confuse predators like bats. Found across most of the United States, they prefer deciduous forests because their caterpillars eat tree leaves. As moths, they live about a week and do not eat.

The northern saw-whet owl is one of the smallest owls in the world, standing no larger than 8 inches tall. They do not hoot and are named for their song that is said to sound similar to a whetstone sharpening a saw. Northern saw-whet owls usually nest in cavities built or used by other birds where fledglings will stay until fully independent after about 3 months. They are exclusively nocturnal predators that prey on small rodents and birds and large insects.

Bats aren’t blind or flying mice - they're unique and the only mammals capable of true flight. Over 1,400 species exist, including insect-eaters in the Midwest and desert and tropical pollinators that help produce foods like mangoes and chocolate. Most bats have few predators but face threats like white-nose syndrome. They give birth to just one pup a year, which can be one-third their size. And just like us, they have belly buttons too!

Cattails are entirely edible if prepared properly. The brown part, or the spike, is made of tiny flowers: males that contain pollen and females that hold seeds. You can use the pollen in baking or eat green female flowers like corn on the cob after boiling. Peel the stem for a cucumber-like snack, use the leaves in salads, and even dig up rhizomes for a potato-like treat. Always get permission and check with a knowledgeable adult before you taste!

Grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets are all part of the insect order Orthoptera – known for their strong, back legs and sound-making abilities. Males produce sound using stridulation to attract mates. Crickets sing at dusk with a comb-like clicking, katydids call later at night, and grasshoppers call during the day, sounding like sandpaper rubbing. Crickets are dark in color while katydids are a bright green with long antennae and grasshoppers are an earthier green with shor

Northern map turtles are medium-sized turtles found in Illinois, with females larger than males. They live in slow-moving water and are shy, often diving in when disturbed. They eat both plants and animals like insects and crustaceans. Their name comes from the map-like markings on their dark shells.