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The Clow kids may have played with thaumatropes, 19th-century spinning toys that create optical illusions. You can make one with two drawings on circles of card stock, a straw or string, and some tape. When spun, the images appear to merge due to how our eyes retain images briefly. It’s a fun mix of art and science.

-The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and marks when days begin to grow longer. People have celebrated it for thousands of years with traditions that honor both darkness and light. Try stargazing, flashlight games, or a cozy bonfire. Write down worries to burn in the fire and set intentions for the new year. Whether exploring the night or enjoying candlelight indoors, find joy in both the dark and the light of winter.

In winter, large bald-faced hornet nests become visible in trees. Built anew each spring by a single queen, these papery nests house up to 300 hornets by summer. Though they can sting multiple times and damage wood, hornets also pollinate plants and control garden pests. If the nest isn’t causing harm, it’s best to leave it alone — bald-faced hornets play a vital role in the ecosystem.

Northern harriers are owl-like hawks seen gliding low over grasslands in a V-shaped flight. Males are gray and white, females are brown, and both have a white rump spot. Like owls, they have facial disks for hearing, hunt by sound and sight, and nest on the ground. They eat small mammals and birds and may roost with short-eared owls. Males perform aerial courtship dances and may have multiple mates. Look for them in Will County during fall, winter, and spring migrations.

Skunks are known for their smelly spray, which they use only as a last resort. They live in various habitats, eat almost anything, and aren’t easy prey due to their odor. Not all skunks have stripes—some are spotted or have a single broad stripe. They often live near water and have their young, called kits, in dens. Though they live up to seven years, many die young due to disease or cars. Surprisingly, skunks even eat bees and are immune to their stings.

Eyeshine is the glow you see in some animals’ eyes at night, caused by a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum. It helps nocturnal and crepuscular animals like deer, foxes, and cats see better in low light. Eyeshine can appear in different colors depending on the animal and angle. Humans and many daytime animals don’t have this feature. So next time you’re out at night, watch for those glowing eyes.

Red wiggler worms are quiet, low-maintenance pets that help turn food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. Make a vermicompost bin using two plastic totes, bedding like shredded paper, food scraps, and worms. Keep the bin moist like a wrung-out sponge, feed small amounts at a time, and cover the food with bedding. Once established, share worms and castings with others to help reduce waste and improve soil.

Fall brings scattered seeds and busy wildlife. Acorns hold protein-rich nut meat squirrels love. Kentucky coffeetree pods look like bananas but are toxic unless roasted. Black walnuts have tough husks and bitter nuts enjoyed by animals and used as dye. Milkweed pods release fluffy seeds that float in the wind and help with nesting. There’s plenty to discover on autumn trails.

White-tailed deer leave silent signs like scrapes and rubs that reveal their presence and behavior. Scrapes are made under low branches and marked with scent and urine, often during mating season. Rubs are made when bucks shed velvet from antlers or mark territory using tree bark and scent glands. These signs help deer communicate without sound, especially during the rut when bucks become more active and visible.

Puffballs are spherical mushrooms that release clouds of spores when touched or hit by rain. Found in grassy areas and forests, they help decompose organic matter. Giant puffballs can reach massive sizes and were named Illinois’ official state mushroom in 2024. Some species have medicinal uses and were used by Native tribes. Common types include gem-studded, stump, purple-spored, and brain puffballs.

Snakes move without legs using four types of motion: serpentine, sidewinding, rectilinear, and concertina. These are powered by strong muscles and up to 400 ribs. Serpentine is the most common, while sidewinding helps on smooth surfaces. Rectilinear and concertina involve scooting or stretching movements. Legless lizards, like the slender glass lizard, move like snakes but have eyelids and ear openings. Earthworms use a similar method, gripping soil with tiny hairs as they mo

Acorn weevils drill into acorns to eat and lay eggs. Their larvae hatch, grow inside, then chew a hole to escape when the acorn falls. They burrow underground to become adults, which can take up to five years. Leftover acorns are used by other animals and insects, including acorn moths. You can collect acorns to observe the process, but return any larvae to nature so they can complete their life cycle.

Gray wolves are intelligent, social animals that live in family packs, communicate through howls, smells and body language, and play a vital role in nature by keeping deer populations in check. Once common in Illinois, they were hunted to local extinction but are now protected. While no full-time packs live in Illinois today, occasional wolves still wander in from nearby states.

House and purple finches can look alike, but timing and subtle features help tell them apart. House finches stay year-round in Illinois, while purple finches visit in winter. Males differ in red shades—house finches are orangish-red, purple finches are raspberry-colored. Females are brown, but purple finches have bold face markings. Both eat seeds and visit feeders. Cassin’s finches look similar but don’t live in Illinois.

Some birds, like juncos, migrate to Illinois for winter. Birds stay warm with extra feathers and need high-fat, high-protein food like suet. You can help by making your own suet feeders with lard, peanut butter, seeds, oats, cornmeal and fruit. Mold the mix into fun shapes and hang it outside. Watch for hungry birds all winter, but remember to remove suet feeders in spring when temperatures warm up.

Maples bring vibrant fall colors and much more. Common species like silver, sugar, and box elder maples vary in size, leaf shape, and use. Sugar maples produce syrup and boast brilliant foliage. Silver maples are common in neighborhoods, while box elders have compound leaves and support forest wildlife. Maple wood is used in everything from sports gear to instruments. These trees are vital to nature and everyday life.

Eastern red bats are furry, red-colored bats that live in trees, not caves. They wrap themselves in a tail “blanket” and hang by one foot to sleep, blending in like leaves. These small, solitary bats hunt insects after sunset and raise pups. In fall, they migrate south in groups called cauldrons and hibernate in leaf piles. Despite spooky myths, they’re helpful, harmless critters perfect to celebrate this Halloween.

“Leaves of three, let it be; leaves of five, let it thrive” helps tell poison ivy from harmless Virginia creeper. Poison ivy has three leaflets and causes rashes; Virginia creeper has five and turns bright red in fall. Poison oak and poison sumac also cause allergic reactions. About 85% of people are allergic to urushiol, the rash-causing oil. Rashes aren’t contagious but can last weeks. Severe cases may need medical care. Never ingest these plants.

Hay and straw look similar but serve different purposes. Hay is green and nutritious, made from grasses or legumes, and used to feed animals. Straw is yellow, hollow, and made from the leftover stalks of cereal crops like wheat; it’s used for bedding, mulch, decoration, and erosion control. Straw lacks nutrients but is fluffy and absorbent. Hay can even catch fire if stored wet, due to heat from microbial activity.

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect from Asia that damages over 100 plant species, including grapevines and maples. Though harmless to humans, it harms trees by feeding on sap and spreading fungus. First seen in the U.S. in 2014, it reached Illinois in 2023. It spreads fast and lays eggs on trees and man-made objects. Residents are urged to learn its life cycle, report sightings, and destroy the insect to help slow its spread.