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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.

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

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

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

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.

Love is always in the air, but at this time of the year the love in the air may smell a lot like skunk. That's because we are right in the midst of mating season for striped skunks. And with mating season comes increased activity as male skunks search for female mates.

Cooper's hawks are one of our many local hawk species. These fast, fierce birds are at home in our forests, where they are able to zip through the trees with ease.

About 200 years ago, porcupines were common in Illinois. That's no longer the case, but you don't have to go far to find them in the wild. Learn all about these prickly creatures and why they no longer live in Illinois.

Feeling cooped up? Here are a few new ideas to try and get you outside, get your body moving and your mind out of the winter slump.

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.