Early European settlers mistakenly called bison "buffalo," a name that has stuck to this day. Although both belong to the Bovidae family, bison differ from buffalo in size, horn shape, and geographic location. Indigenous groups like the Lakota depended on bison for survival. Westward expansion nearly wiped-out bison, reducing their numbers from millions to fewer than 1,000 by the 1890s. Today, around 500,000 exist, with Yellowstone hosting the only continuously wild herd.

Whiskers are special hairs packed with nerves that help mammals sense the world. Found on most mammals (except humans, platypuses, and echidnas), whiskers detect air currents, aid hunting, protect eyes, and help animals gauge space. Some, like walruses, have hundreds! Whiskers can even show emotion. Never cut or pull them—they’re super sensitive.

In colder months, freshwater turtles enter brumation - a deep, inactive state - nestled into mud at the bottom of ponds, lakes or rivers. Land turtles brumate underground instead. Their cold-bloodedness slows down their metabolism and bodily functions, allowing them to survive without food or oxygen. Their shells can absorb and neutralize lactic acid. Unlike air, water remains above freezing temperatures, keeping turtles safe. In spring, rising water temps and sunlight signal

As leaves fall, look for messy clumps in trees - these are squirrel nests, or dreys. Built from twigs, leaves, and moss, dreys are sturdy, often waterproof homes about 30 feet up. Inside, they’re lined with dry grasses, leaves and bark, however, paper and plastic litter can also be found. Squirrels make several dreys at a time and abandon it after one to two years of use. Some use tree cavities in the winter.

A pair of light and dark tree rings equals one year of growth. Wider rings suggest good climate conditions that year and thin rings suggest otherwise. Fire scars, broken branches, and leaning can also be seen in the patterns. The dark center (heartwood) is old and strong, and the outer rings are the youngest. To estimate a living tree’s age, measure its trunk 5 feet up - each inch of circumference equals about one year. By reading tree rings, we learn both the tree’s past and

Feathers are made of keratin and get damaged from flying, normal wear and tear, parasites and sun exposure. Since feathers cannot heal themselves, birds molt, shedding its feathers to make way for a new, healthy set. Birds can undergo complete molts - replacing all feathers at once - or partial molts - replacing some feathers with time). Molting requires a lot of energy and can affect the flying ability of some birds. birds can molt once to twice a year either completely, par

The Queen Anne’s lace, also known as wild carrot, has many mimics including its poisonous close relative, the poison hemlock. Both are part of the Apiaceae family and require attention to detail to tell them apart. Queen Anne’s lace has more of a flat top, a small purple flower in the center, fuzzy leaves and stem, and can curl upwards as the flowers ripen. A poison hemlock is more rounded, does not have a purple flower at its center, has a smooth stem and leaves, and does no

Tiny crayfish, also known as crawfish or crawdads, look like and are closely related to lobsters. These ten-legged crustaceans can regrow lost limbs, molt as they grow, and eat plants, animals, and decaying matter. Found across the U.S., including Illinois, some species like the rusty crayfish are invasive. Though they are keystone species (vital to freshwater ecosystems), 32% of crayfish species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, pollution, invasive species,